Although coach George Blackwood used the second under21 test at Belfield on Saturday evening to give some exposure to his reserve players, Ireland still should not have allowed Italy to win 3-2 and reverse Friday's result.

The young Italians again snapped up their chances, this time to lead 2-0 through Mauro Zedda and Eugino Ardito, who scored at the start of each half. Ireland, reverting to first-choice personnel, swept back for Gary McKee and Justin Sherriff to combine exuberantly and level matters at 2-2.

Italy managed to dart ahead again when Dino Serra put away a short corner clinically but Ireland, at the very least, ought to have equalised in the closing stages as Graham Shaw pierced the cover. Unfortunately, however, Chris Jackson miscued his second penalty stroke of the weekend and Sherriff sent a couple of shots just off the target.

It seemed a pity that Dublin's considerable number of senior players did not leave their clubhouses to support the junior international. The attendance was largely made up of the IHU's hierarchy, including the new president, John Dennis of from Cork.

On the opening day in the Leinster League, Corinthians - first (via Peter Darley) on the internet - also took the first three points of the season. But their 2-1 defeat of YMCA at Whitechurch did not come as flamboyantly as might have been expected.

For a start, YM slipped into the lead though Rob Fox and then, with Michael Fry willing to challenge Paul Armitage in midfield and Greg Finn operating defiantly between the posts, Corinthians were kept at bay until James Benson, on leave from the Tasmanian Tigers, notched his first goals on Irish turf. He finished off the seventh corner before the interval and drove home the winner in the second half.

At Serpentine Avenue, the engine oil was slow to warm up as Pembroke Wanderers opened the defence of their title against Avoca. Devon Donnelly moved sharply enough to put the home side ahead by half-time but the persistent Graham Dowling was rewarded with an equaliser before Alan (Boris) Thompson sank the tiebreaker for Pembroke.

The Glenanne coach, Aidan Kidney, felt that a few of his players shirked responsibility in the 4-2 loss to Three Rock Rovers at St Mark's. This game saw the appearance of two figures from other fields, Dessie Farrell and Angus Dunlop, both of whom played stoutly, with the latter enjoying a winning feeling.