Gavin Hoey top scored and took four wickets as Ireland battled hard in Belfast but it wasn’t quite enough to stop Afghanistan squeezing to a three-wicket victory to take 2-0 lead in the best-of-four one-day international series.

Leg-spinner Hoey, brought in to provide a point of difference in the middle of the innings, produced his best figures for Ireland of 4-24 while Mark Adair claimed a couple and Byron McDonough the other - his first for the Boys in Green.

At 176-7 it looked as though Afghanistan might fall short of the home side’s disappointing 206 all out but Rashid Khan kept a cool head and his 37 not out secured the win with 5.1 overs to spare.

“There was a lot of spin, so for me it was about trying to land my stock ball as best I can,” Hoey said. “There was a little bit of natural variation. That was pretty much it.”

Rashid took time out to congratulate his fellow leggie at the end of his 10th over and the Pembroke man admitted he takes inspiration from the best spinner in the world.

“He just said, ‘Well bowled’. He’s a serious competitor and he’s somebody I’ve looked at a lot and tried to emulate as much as I can, even though we’re very different bowlers,” Hoey said.

“He’s a very nice guy as well and I’m sure we’ll have a chat after the series.

Another 25 runs might have made it interesting but Ireland did well to get as many as they did after slipping from 82-2 to 128-8.

It was then that Jai Moondra joined Hoey in a ninth-wicket partnership of 76 — a record for Ireland in ODIs.

After the middle order had been dismantled by the Afghan spinners, Moondra, who made 31, and Hoey seemed to have clear plans to combat the threat.

“It was definitely about protecting the stumps and trying to play for the googly,” Hoey, who was last out bowled for a top score of 36, said. 

“I started picking them slightly better than I thought I would, but it was definitely play for the googly and, if you nick one, it’s a bit unlucky.”