Ireland lost their second match in the Under 19 World Cup qualifying competition to Nepal at Bready yesterday but hang on to second place in the table because of a superior run-rate.

It was a desperately disappointing performance by the hosts who were involved in yet another last over thriller - for the fifth time in seven matches - and they can have no complaints about the result.

Only captain George Dockrell can be satisfied with his bowling performance in an innings restricted to 46 overs because of rain but lasted nearly 49 as Ireland gifted their opponents 16 wides.

A revised Duckworth/Lewis target of 186 was made much more difficult than it should have been because of the loss of four wickets for 54 runs - but that was a position so familiar to this Ireland team. Hugh MacDonnell and Ryan Hunter paid the price for a lack of runs in the first six games and were replaced by Adam Berry and Ross Adair. It mattered little, both made ducks.

Dockrell and Adam Coughlan put Ireland back on target for another fighting win with a fifth wicket stand of 107 but when the latter was run out in a crazy piece of running, the wheels came off.

The incident had to be seen to be believed as Dockrell just made it home at one end but Coughlan came charging down the pitch for a second at the other and was run out when he failed to get back after Dockrell turned down the second run.

At the fall of the wicket, Ireland needed just 25 from 19 balls with five wickets left. The last four fell in the final over with Ireland 10 runs short.

The Ireland bowlers conceded 75 off the last nine overs with McCarter's last three overs from the scoreboard end going for 45. With Getkate bowling four overs for 14 at the top of the innings it was a surprise he wasn't called back for the last over as McCarter disappeared for 21.

The most astonishing decision of the day, however, came after the match when the umpires gave the man of the match award to Dockrell for his 55 runs and three wickets for 15. Quite what Nepal - the winning team, remember - and Rahul Vishwakarma made of that is difficult to imagine. Their all-rounder scored 38 off 19 balls (three fours and two sixes) to finish the Nepal innings in style and then halted any chance of an Ireland victory with four late wickets!

The ample consolation for Ireland is that with six teams to qualify for the finals in Australia next year they are all but there but some players will need big performances in the last two games to make sure they are on the plane. Today they meet Namibia at Strabane.