England, needing a draw to avoid relegation to the EuroNations Trophy competition, finished the tournament in style with a 7-0 win against France which condemned Ireland, who had just beaten the Czech Republic 10-0 to the drop.
France who managed only two shots, and who did not win a corner, offered little resistance and at one stage a repeat of England’s 16-0 victory against the French at Beckenham in 1922 seemed possible. The French had the misfortune that England chose this match to unleash the 19-year-old Ashley Jackson as a penalty corner striker. Jackson, who had been kept under wraps for most of the tournament, scored from both of his attempts and also from a stylish reverse stick shot in open play but was less successful with a penalty stroke which was comfortably saved by Julien Thamin. Richard Mantell, England’s number one corner striker, also converted a penalty corner and rattled the crossbar from another and there were open play goals from Simon Mantell, Jonty Clarke and Ali Wilson as England overwhelmed a poor French defence. The Hockey Writers’ Club named Barry Middleton as England’s Player of the Tournament and he was awarded the Chris Moore Salver.
In a fantastically fluctuating Bronze Medal game, with automatic Olympic Qualification at stake, Germany quickly built up a 2-0 lead against Belgium, only for Belgium to claw their way back into the game and go 3-2 ahead. With just minutes remaining the Germans drew level but with 4 seconds to go, the Belgians take a free hit just outside of the German circle. It is driven in forcefully and is deflected of Jerome Truyens’ stick to the back of the German goal for the winner and a place in Beijing at the expense of the Olympic Champions.
Taekema Taekema with two goals in the final for the Dutch in their 3-2 win against Spain took his tournament tally to 16 as the Netherlands claimed the European title for the first time since 1987 when they won in Moscow. In a game which paled in comparison with the Bronze medal game Spain the defending champions were always playing second fiddle to a well-drilled Dutch squad who with a specialist striker of Taekema’s quality - two goals from two attempts - always looked to be in control.
