GB could not hold their lead

Jason Lee's side turned in an improved display and took a 38th-minute lead through Guildford's Danny Hall.

But they could not withstand Spain's second-half pressure and conceded two penalty-corner goals to Xavier Ribas.

Britain must now win their final match against South Africa on Tuesday and hope Poland do not win their last game.

The South Africans boosted their confidence by coming back from a goal down to beat Japan 2-1, with Greg Nicol scoring two second-half goals to seal a second straight win.

The Netherlands beat Poland 4-0 in Sunday's other game to make sure they will get the chance to defend their Olympic title.

And Spain's victory over Great Britain gave them 10 points from four games to book their place in Athens.

Britain began the game brightly, with Barry Middleton's early right-wing cross just too far ahead of Hall in the circle.

And Hall shot straight at goalkeeper Bernardino Herrera moments later after Graham Dunlop's raking pass.

Spain's first threat came seconds later when Santiago Freixa's penalty corner was well saved by Simon Mason.

We are not putting the goals away and have scored only three in four matches GB manager David Whittle

The Reading goalkeeper also saved Eduard Tubau's reverse-stick shot in the 11th minute and dived high to his left to repel Ribas' penalty corner midway through the half.

Middleton had a glorious chance to put GB ahead five minutes from half-time but the Cannock forward stabbed his shot into the ground and Herrera saved.

The goal came two minutes after the break when Dundee Wanderers' Niall Stott advanced down the right and, when the ball was transferred to Hall on the left of the circle, he flicked low past Herrera.

But Spain were level within three minutes when Ribas' drag flick from the hosts' seventh penalty corner was only half-stopped by Mason's left hand and the ball trickled over the line.

Britain spent the next 15 minutes defending and the predictable outcome was another penalty-corner goal, with Ribas' low drag flick going through Mason's legs.

A penalty corner five minutes from time presented GB's last chance to equalise, but Craig Parnham's low shot was comfortably turned around the post by Herrera.

GB manager David Whittle insisted, however, that he was pleased with the improvement made by the players.

"We are lot happier with the way we have played. From the Poland defeat it has gone upwards but we have not got the results," said Whittle.

"We are not putting the goals away and have scored only three in four matches.

"It [qualification] is not in our hands now, we have to win our next game and rely on other results."