GANGNEUNG, Republic of Korea — Jamaica put in an improved showing yesterday but went down for a second time in as many days to Hungary in the Special Olympics Winter Games floor hockey tournament at the Kwandong University Indoor Centre.

The tightly contested match ended 3-2 to the unbeaten Hungarians, who already defeated Jamaica 2-0 in a preliminary match on Wednesday.

Jamaica’s head of delegation Glendon West said the loss was “not detrimental” to the team’s chances of winning the gold medal, but noted that the energetic Hungary outfit has confirmed his opening day pronouncement that it will be “the team to beat”.

The Jamaicans, who rallied gallantly yesterday after going behind 0-2 and momentarily brought the scores even at 2-2 through goals from Omar Brown and Sydney Manyan, suffered a painful late blow to lose the match.

In the morning fixture at the venue, Jamaica, who won floor hockey gold in 2009, were too agile and too good for the United States of America in an 11-2 romp.

Lucan Jones, Brown and Manyan each scored twice, while Jermaine Henry, Keneil Hewitt, Andrew Hinds, Craig Nelson and David Thompson got one goal each.

Jamaica now turn their attention to today’s enticing Caribbean derby against Trinidad & Tobago at the Kwandong floor hockey facility. T&T were hammered 7-0 by Hungary yesterday.