The Ulster U16 girls’ squad suffered a narrow 5-4 loss to Scotland in their second game of a three-match series at Ulster University, Jordanstown this weekend.
The side had come back from 3-1 down to 3-3 before two late Scottish goals sealed a win for the visitors.
The first chance of the game came after just five minutes when Scotland caught Ulster on the break before squaring the ball across the face of goal but, with the visitors seemingly having a clear-cut chance Katie Allen made a great diving stick save to deny the opposing player.
With eight minutes gone, it was Ulster who won the first penalty corner of the tie before Alexa McCrea went close, seeing her drag flick well saved by the Scottish goalkeeper.
However, with just three minutes remaining in the quarter, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock when Allen’s initial save fell into the path of a Scottish forward who gave her side the lead at the first break.
Just a minute into the second quarter, the visitors doubled their advantage when a mix-up in the circle saw the ball land at the feet of a Scottish forward who converted from close range to bring their advantage to 2-0.
It was Ulster who struck back moments later when Emma Sloan picked up the ball at the top of the circle before firing in at the near post to give her side a route back into the game with 12 minutes remaining in the quarter.
Almost immediately from the restart, Scotland were given a gilt-edged chance to restore their two-goal lead when a high turnover saw another chance as they sent a reverse effort narrowly over the crossbar.
The Scots did manage to grab a third goal and restore their two-goal lead at the start of the second half having won a penalty corner, the ball was eventually forced over the goal-line to bring the score to 3-1.
Straight from the restart Ulster could have got one back when Zara Moyo saw her shot blocked on the line and despite appeals for a penalty stroke nothing was given and the Scots cleared the danger
As the half approached the final stages, Ulster got their second goal from a smartly worked penalty corner.
Injected to the top of the circle, Camryn Wilson picked out injector Rebecca Rowan at the back post, who was left with a tap-in to reduce the deficit to just one goal once more.
The side finally drew level at the beginning of the fourth quarter after Mollie Tumilty drove into the circle and found Sloan for her second of the afternoon.
Unfortunately for the young Ulster side they were once again behind just two minutes later as Scotland converted from a penalty corner to bring the scoreline to 4-3.
Soon after it was 5-3 when a Scotland strike took a harsh deflection before looping over goalkeeper Makyla Stevenson and landing in the back of the net.
Ulster did manage to grab a late goal back as Cassie McMaw scored from a late penalty corner but it wasn’t enough to earn a late result as it finished 5-4 to Scotland.
The sides meet for the third this weekend tomorrow moring at UUJ with the game scheduled for a 9:30am start.