ENGLAND A LITTLE TOO LATE by Peter Savage from the London Cup

England Hockey billed this game as the bronze medal match, which probably gave playing for third place in a four-nation tournament more kudos than it deserved. And England looked as if they were facing further humiliation when goals from Renaud Pangranzio and Tom Boon gave Belgium a 2-0 lead at half time. The last thing the squad needs at the moment as a morale sapping defeat on the eve of defending the European Championships.

I would love to have been a fly on the wall at the half-time chat, because it was a revitalised England that came out for the second half. Iain Lewers' penalty corner conversion three minutes into the half could have been England's consolation goal but James Tindall was on target a minute later with an equaliser from another corner.

There was a near collapse of the Belgian defence as captain Barry Middleton scored England's third and Mark Pearn netted a fourth. James Tindall put the icing on the cake when he scored his second and England's fifth. Final score 5-2 to England.

In the second half England showed the sort of form they should have shown earlier in the tournament. As we've mentioned before, there were a number of factors which have not helped England. Their opponents have often enjoyed strokes of luck which have been noticeably absent from the home side's game. But that said, if England are hoping to be serious contenders in the European Championships, and the Olympics, they will need to up their game.

We are always cautioned about taking the results of a tournament too seriously ahead of a major championships. But would England be seriously satisfied with coming third in a tournament played on home turf. I think not.

Later in the afternoon Korea secured the London Cup by beating New Zealand 4-3. The Koreans had been ahead for most of the match but it was Nam Yong Lee who scored the winner and his hat-trick with five minutes left on the clock.

IMAGES FROM THE 3^RD/4^TH PLACE MATCH PLUS PICTURES FROM THE ENGLAND HOCKEY BOARD AWARDS WILL APPEAR ON OUR PHOTOS WEB SITE www.HockeyImages.co.uk soon.

VERY GOOD BUT TOO LATE from Peter Savage at the London Cup

It was too late to qualify for the final, but England salvaged some pride last night with a fairly comprehensive win over table leaders New Zealand.

To be honest, it was hard to see any major improvement in England's performance, but England enjoyed some of the luck that had gone against them in the previous two matches. Richard Mantell opened the scoring with a 17^th minute penalty corner conversion, followed by a second by Adam Dixon, playing for his 50^th cap.

Remembering the reverses of the previous days, Nick Wilson's goal for New Zealand early in the second half – his third in as many matches – gave cause for concern, but England hung on tenaciously to their lead. Rob Moore's goal in the last three minutes put the issue beyond doubt and the match ended 3-1 in England's favour.

In the other match Korea beat Belgium 3-1 to secure a place in this afternoon's final. England will play the losers in the 3^rd/4^th place match.

Table after completion of preliminary rounds:

1^st Korea 6 pts
2^nd New Zealand 6pts
3^rd Belgium 3 pts
4^th England 3 pts

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM YESTERDAY'S MATCHES WILL APPEAR SOON ON OUR PICTURES WEB SIT www.HockeyImages.co.uk.

KOREANS SPOIL THE PARTY by Peter Savage from the London Cup

It was almost like England had organised the party but the visitors had drunk all the wine. Needing a win yesterday evening to reach the finals of the London Cup, England faced their second defeat in as many days, this time at the hands of Korea.

It was not that England played that badly. Korea had spells of luck and spells of sheer brilliance which, by the end of 70 minutes, was the difference between the two teams. Indeed, in the opening exchanges, England seemed to be defying those who rated Korea as potential London Cup winners, particularly when Jonty Clarke opened the scoring after only 12 minutes.

England's nemesis turned out to be Korea's Nam Yong Lee, who answered everything the England had to offer goal for goal, including what is potentially the goal of the tournament, if not the goal of 2011. Lee collected an aerial ball at shoulder height and flipped it into the net over an advancing James Fair. Lee equalised ten minutes after Clarke's opener, and again in response to Barry Middleton's 25 minute goal. When Mark Pearn found the net to restore England's lead early in the second half, Lee again scored his third equaliser three mutes later.

Skipper, Barry Middleton, scored his second to restore England's lead, five minutes later, but this time it was Korea's Jong Hyun Jang who responded from a penalty corner. But England's hopes of winning this match and putting themselves in contention for the final came crashing down in the closing minutes when both Glenn Kirkham and James Tindall were given time on the naughty seat and during power play Hyo Sik You scored the winner in the last three minutes. Final score, 5-2 to Korea.

Excuses always abound for poor performances ahead of a major championships – and we have the European's in a few weeks time – but it is inconceivable that England did not set out to win this tournament on home soil. The usually candid Jason Lee said after the game that he was proud of how England had played. Presumably he is less proud of the result.

Earlier in the day New Zealand had come back from behind to win their match against Belgium, a result which puts them three points ahead at the top of the table. England play the New Zealanders in the last of their preliminary games on Friday.

IMAGES FROM ENGLAND v KOREA WILL BE POSTED ON OUR PHOTOS WEB SITE AT WWW.HOCKEYIMAGES .CO.UK ON FRIDAY MORNING.

Table after two matches:

1. New Zealand 6 pts
   
2. Belgium 3 pts
   
3. Korea 3 pts
   

England 0 pts

THE BOGIE MEN RETURN by Peter Savage at The London Cup

For years Belgium was always regarded as one of England's bogie teams – a side that you should beat, but somehow could not. That myth seemed to have been exorcised in the 2009 European Cup when England beat them 8-2 in the pool, but in London earlier today the Belgians were once again the bogie team.

Playing in their first match in the London Cup at Chiswick, England got off to a bright enough start with a super ninth minute goal from Richard Alexander. Captain Barry Middleton added a second in what was initially an impressive first half for England. But the writing was on the wall for England when Belgian danger man John-John Domen scored just before half time.

The second half saw the Belgians get bolder and England get more careless. They paid the price in the 53^rd minute when Aleandre De Saedeleer equalised from a penalty corner. Four minutes later Jerome Dekeyser put the Belgians ahead after the usually dependable James Fair gifted him a shot at goal from a poor clearance.

Fair can take some relief from the fact that the Belgians third goal was not their last. As the game drew to a close De Saeleleer scored his second from penalty corner. Final score 4-2 to Belgium and England will have to secure a win in their second game tomorrow against Korea if they hope to play off in final.

Earlier in the day Korea were beaten 2-0 by New Zealand.

Table after one game:

1. Belgium 3pts (+2)
   
2. New Zealand 3pts (+2)
   
3. England 0pts (-2)
   
4. Korea 0pts (-2)
   

Photographs from the match will appear on our images web site at www.HockeyImages.co.uk sometime tomorrow.

PAUMEN SNATCHES VICTORY FOR DUTCH by Peter Savage at the Women's Champions Trophy in Amsterdam

The Netherlands snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in a high-voltage Women’s Champions Trophy final here in Amsterdam this afternoon.

Carla Rebecchi opened the scoring for Argentina in less than 60 seconds, and Luciana Aymar and Daniela Sruoga had made it 3-0 just before the half time hooter.

Maatje Paumen’s penalty corner goal before the break might have been no more than a consolation goal for the Dutch. But Paumen, whose corner striking has often been the winning factor for Dutch teams in the past, notched up two more in the first few minutes of the second half.

The match ending at 3-3, and with no resolution after golden goal extra time, saw the match decided on a EuroHockey League style one-on-one shoot out. At 3-2 in the shoot out, Sruoga was unable to score at her attempt, and match and the Champions Trophy went to the Dutch.

It was anticipated that the bronze medal match would start with some sort of protest by the Koreans for their relegation from playing in the final, but if it was ever planned it did not take place. As if to run salt into wound, their opponents took the match 3-2, with Charlotte Harrison scoring in the 70^th minute.

Champions Trophy, Amsterdam, final positions:

1. The Netherlands

2. Argentina

3. New Zealand

4. Korea

5. England

6. Australia*

7. China*

8. Germany*

*Relegated from the 2012 Champions Trophy.

We are busy putting the last images on our photos web site at www.HockeyImages.co.uk and expect the last ones to be uploaded some time tomorrow (Monday).

ENGLAND BEAT THE DROP by Peter Savage in Amsterdam

England guaranteed themselves a place next year’s Champions Trophy by beating Australia in their second meeting in three days.

There were fears that the previous ‘dead rubber’ encounter against Australia on Friday – which theoretically was to qualify for this morning’s match – might not be a true indicator to the abilities of the two sides. Wins against Australia are sufficiently rare for the onus to be on England to show that Friday had not been a fluke.

England spent a considerable part of the first half in their opponents half and the pressure bore fruit when Beckie Herbert found the net after 17 minutes. Although Australia’s occupation of the pitch looked more favourable to them in the second half, it was Chloe Rogers who put the matter beyond doubt by converting a penalty corner after Laura Unsworth latched onto a rebound and returned the ball into the ‘D’. 2-0 the final score to England.

Australia are now relegated from next year’s Champions Trophy, as are Germany and China. Both played this morning in the 7^th/8^th place match, which was won 5-3 by China.

FIH CHANGE FINALS LINE UP from Peter Savage at the Champions Trophy in Amsterdam

In a new format Champions Trophy, which has strange enough rules anyway, there was a shock decision last night when the Tournament Director was faced with an appeal by the Argentine team regarding the line up for the final.

The original appeal was turned down by the Tournament Director but the matter went to a Jury of Appeal and as a result it was ruled that Argentina had finished second in the final pool, and as a consequence they will face The Netherlands in this afternoon's final instead of Korea. England's match remains unchanged.

Further details of this matter, with full details of the appeal, will appear in the August edition of our on-line magazine HockeyTalk.

ENGLAND SILVER IN AMSTERDAM from Peter Savage in Amsterdam

England managed to secure the runners-up in the Rabo Men’s Four Nations Cup here in Amsterdam this afternoon.

In what many saw as a re-run of the 2009 European Cup, England faced Germany in their last match of the tournament. There are no crossover matches to decide the winner as a result of the early matches being cancelled due to adverse weather on Day One.

In what was sometimes a very physical match, England fell to a Thilo Stralkowski penalty corner in the 23 minute. Alastair Brogdon managed to equalise just before the half time, in a goal that more resembled a car crash than a game of hockey. The second half was only three minutes old when Oliver Korn put the Germans ahead again, but the English side were playing some good hockey and Iain Mackay put the score at 2-2 on the 49^th.

With the match looking as if it was going to be another draw, Rob Moore scored the winner with only two minutes left on the clock. Final score 3-2 to England.

In the other Four Nations Cup match, The Netherlands beat Pakistan 4-0 to win the tournament.

The final positions are:

1. Netherlands 7pts (+5)

2. England 5pts (+1)

3. Germany 3pts (-1)

4. Pakistan 1pt (-5)

England’s women did not play in today’s Champions Trophy matches. They face Australia tomorrow to decide the fifth place. In the matches that were played, Argentina beat New Zealand 3-2, whilst Korea fell 0-2 to the Netherlands.

The full line up for tomorrow’s matches is:

Germany v China (7^th/8^th place)

England v Australia (5^th/6^th place)

Argentina v New Zealand (3^rd/4^th place)

Netherlands v Korea for (1^st/2^nd place).

England will have to win their match tomorrow to avoid relegation from next years Champions Trophy.

Images from today’s matches will appear on our pictures site at www.HockeyImages.co.uk.

ENGLAND DRAW SECOND FOUR NATIONS GAME by Peter Savage in Amsterdam

England men played their second match in the Rabo Four Nations Tournament here in Amsterdam this evening. Playing The Netherlands, it was a match that saw both sides winning periods of ascendency, with the Dutch taking an eighth minute lead when Jeroen Hertzberger managed to get behind Nick Brothers in the England goal and tap the ball home.

It was England’s turn to score eight minutes before half-time when Jonty Clarke struck the ball from the edge of the ‘D’ to equalise. Having been identified as England’s danger man, Clarke was subject to some very robust tackling – verging on wrestling – which somehow was not spotted by the umpires.

England had a slack period early in the second half and paid the penalty when Rogier Hoffman found the net. England came back strongly after a few minutes when captain Barry Middleton beat Klaas Veering to score England’s equaliser.

In the other Four Nations match Germany beat Pakistan 2-1.

ENGLAND SECURE 5TH PLACE PLAY OFF PLACE, by Peter Savage at the Women's Champions Trophy in Amsterdam

England booked a place in the 5^th/6^th play off this afternoon with one of those rare events - a win over Australia. The win secures them a game on Sunday, against….. Australia! It will be a vital match for England as under the new format the bottom three nations are relegated.

Today’s match saw a side with some less familiar faces on the pitch. Maddie Hinch kept goal in place of Beth Storry and Crista Cullen was rested. Cullen absence might have been noticed at penalty corners, but it was skipper Kate Walsh who gave England a 1-0 lead at the break from a 34^th minute corner conversion.

Australia equalised early in the second half, but in a brilliant two minute spell Anne Panter and then Nicola White found the net to put England in the lead.

Australia managed to score a late goal, but by then it was too late and England ran at the 3-2 winners.

Earlier in the day Germany had beaten China 4-1 meaning that the England – Australia game was a dead rubber. England will find their next match againsgt Australia more difficult.

Our photo shows Australian ‘keeper Toni Cronk beaten by Anne Panter’s shot. Hannah McLeod looks on. More images will appear on our new-look photos site, www.hockeyimages.co.uk tomorrow (Saturday).