Rovers bounce back

Three Rock bounced back from the morning's disappointment to record their first win of the EuroHockey Indoor Club Champion's Challenge I, beating Slovakia's SK Senkvice 3-2.

It gives them a real chance now of avoiding relegation to the Champion's Challenge II. They were in slight trouble as they carried no points through to the relegation pool - group D - as their draw with HAHK Mladost was stricken from the tallies due to the Croatians advancing.

The Slovaks carried three points through with a hammering of Swansea, as did Rosco Budapest by virtue of their win over Rovers. Rosco beat the Swans 9-3 in the day's other group D game, meaning Three Rock lie level with Senkvice on points but the Slovakians have a better goal difference.

The Dubliners did fall behind to Lubos Misovic's field goal in the 14th minute but two Lucas Piccioli strikes - his sixth and seventh of the tournament - within a minute flipped the game on its head to make it 2-1 by the break.

Indeed, it was the first time Rovers had hit the front in the tournament to date. They lost the advantage in the 25th minute when Matej Jelacic pounced but Graham Dowling - an experienced European campaigner from his Avoca days - nabbed the victory in a much improved performance.

They now face Swansea at 9.30am Irish time hoping for victory and a big scoreline to put the pressure on Senkvice.

* For more pictures from La Salle Jean Marie Vanpoulle, click here and for live streaming of Three Rock's games, click go to the top right corner of this webpage