WOMEN'S HOCKEY/Ireland 0 Malaysia 3:A LISTLESS Irish performance means they face a huge uphill battle to keep any hope of qualifying for the women's hockey World Cup in August as they were roundly beaten by Malaysia.

Ireland beat the Asians in their previous two meetings but this was a comprehensive defeat in which Ireland showed little attacking threat or invention and were frequently left worryingly short of numbers in their own 25.

They started in lethargic fashion, perhaps understandable after being given only 48 hours to acclimatise, following flight delays caused by the volcanic ash cloud.

Malaysia earned three corners inside the first eight minutes, the second of which saw Fazilla Sylvester Silin incredibly fresh-air from just three yards with the goal gaping.

While the Irish responded well, Megan Frazer earning a corner in the 11th minute, the Asian side kept the upper hand.

Three times they got behind the Irish back four with a series of simple long balls, both along the ground and through the air, breaching the centre back pairing of Nikki Symmons and Bridget Cleland.

It was only thanks to Mary Goode’s outstanding right-foot save and Audrey O’Flynn’s superb cover tackle that Ireland managed to retain parity into the break.

But Malaysia found their cutting edge in the second period. Norbiani Hashim gobbled up a 43rd-minute penalty corner rebound – their seventh of the fixture – after Goode had made a pair of fine saves but her pads were never fully cleared.

Fazilla Sylvester Silin was given a free rein down the right-wing to lay on the second goal, four minutes later – a sweetly timed near-post touch by Rabiatul Mohamad.

And Norazlin Sumantri completed the rout in the closing stages when she was left as the only outfield player in the circle and she duly took her time and picked her spot to Goode’s left.

Ireland now face Scotland today (5pm, Irish time) needing a win to stay in mathematical contention.

IRELAND: M Goode; C Sargent, E Cregan, E Clarke, B Cleland, A Speers, M Frazer, N Symmons, A O’Flynn, E Smyth, L Colvin. Subs: M Harvey, R Flinn, S McCay, L Jacob, J O’Halloran

MALAYSIA: FA Yahya; NH Md Ali, S Ruhani, J Mohamad Din, N Hashim, C Lambor, Nuraini Abdul Rashid, Nadia Abdul Rashid, N Hashim, S Othman, F Sylvester Silin.

Subs: S Kari, S Saad, R Mohamed, R Raja Shabuddin, N Sumantri