Johannesburg - The South African men's hockey team came out on the wrong side of a nine-goal spectacular when Ireland grabbed a last-gasp 5-4 win at Hartleyvale in Cape Town on Monday.
Earlier the women achieved a comprehensive 6-0 victory in the third Test against Chile.
Ireland's win leaves them 1-0 winners in a champagne two-Test series against the men in green and gold, this after Sunday's opener ended 3-3.
The SA ladies are now 2-1 up in the four-Test series with the final Test at 6.30pm Tuesday. SA won the first Test 4-2 and Chile won the second Test 2-0.
The men too the lead just 16 seconds into the first minute. Striker Taine Paton made ground into the strike zone before cracking the ball past Ireland goalkeeper David Fitzgerald for SA to take a 1-0 lead.
Three minutes into the second chukka Ireland drew level with a spectacular deflection goal by Stephen Dowds.
In the 27th, Ireland went 2-1 up via Shane O'Donoghue's low PC drag-flick for the half-time score.
Ireland put heavy pressure on the SA defence in the third chukka and were unfortunate not to score, but the men in green and gold did some gutsy defensive work.
That SA grit was exemplified in the 42nd minute when Shannon Boucher carried the ball with intent into the strike zone before slipping it past Fitzgerald to level at 2-2.
In the 48th minute of the match Eugene Magee scored from close to put Ireland 3-2 ahead and in the 54th minute Ireland's Michael Darling stretched the lead to 4-2.
The South African team fought back and in the 56th minute Jethro Eustice's pass was converted by Natius Malgraff (4-3).
Paton won a PC with just over a minute left and three shots at goal somehow didn't go in. A penalty stroke was the outcome and SA captain Rhett Halkett sent his flick rocketing high into the net to level the score at 4-4.
With just 14 seconds left Kyle Good hit the winner for the Irish to come out 5-4 victors of a truly remarkable match.
Three goals inside six minutes in the second chukka and three goals inside six minutes in the third chukka earned the women an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the four-Test series.
SA brought back the considerable experience of keeper Sanani Mangisa, defenders Lisa Deetlefs and Marcelle Manson, and strikers Jade Mayne plus captain for the day, Sulette Damons.
Throwing the ball around to good effect from the outset, SA looked on song and Damons' extreme speed was proving to be a defender's nightmare.
One minute into the second chukka (16th minute) the crowd came alight when midfielder Illse Davids went unchallenged into the strike zone and picked her spot with a crisp strike, the Chileans backing away, not for the first time in the series (1-0).
Hardly two minutes later (18th) neat SA play led to a Dirkie Chamberlain goal (2-0). Chile would have been dead and buried 60-odd seconds later had captain Camila Caram not miraculously pulled Shelley Russell's attempt off the line.
Two SA penalty corners came and went before Candice Manuel finished accurately in the 21st minute (3-0). The hosts were on fire, netting superb three goals inside six minutes.
Five minutes after half-time (35th of the match), Lilian du Plessis got on the scoresheet with a well-timed PC drag-flick and at 4-0 with 25 minutes to go, SA were running riot.
Damons effort was cleared off the goalline before Davids fed fellow Capetonian Manuel for 5-0 in the 38th minute.
In the 41st minute, penalty corner injector Erin Hunter followed up Du Plessis' disguised PC shot/pass to tip the ball home and SA were 6-0 up.
Once again it was a three-goal blitz inside six minutes.
Sapa