IT'S a funny old game and a desperately cruel one at times. A dominant second half performance by the Irish women ended as the Belgians, the only other unbeaten side in this UEFA Group five qualifying pool, won the game with a scrappy goal in the first minute of injury time.

Christine Saelens broke the Irish side's hearts with the crucial goal, hitting both the post and then the crossbar from Ingrid van Herle's cross before heading the rebound over the line.

The seemingly fitter and stronger Belgians had by far the better of the first half.

After only two minutes Sue Hayden in the Irish goal had to dive low to hold a shot from Nadia, Puttemans. Ireland's riposte on 14, minutes perhaps owed more to fortune than design as skipper Yvonne Lyons swung at the ball from 25 yards and saw her volley fly just wide of the Belgian goal.

But the Belgians continued to press and left sided striker Annelies Timmermans lobbed just over on 20 minutes before forcing another good save from Hayden two minutes later.

Ireland came right back into the game in the five minutes or so before the interval and Marie Gallagher brought the first real save from Belgian goalkeeper, Isabelle Deflem, with a shot from a tight angle deep into first half injury time.

Ireland continued were they left off at the end of the first half to virtually dominated the second 45 minutes.

As the game wore on Ireland's winger Olivia O'Toole began to run at the Belgian defence for the first time in the game and it almost brought its reward. She hit the bar with a powerful left foot free kick after 69 minutes.

Ireland need to win their last two games away to Scotland and Belgium if they are to get a play of to get into next years "first stream qualifiers.