ENGLAND INDOORS ENDS IN DRAW / LOSE

Having played three games apiece, it was a mixed finish for the England indoor sides, as they completed their three match series against Scotland in Paisley this afternoon.
England's women, who have recorded two 3-3 draws in their previous matches, went two behind from goals by Vikki Bunce and Kaz Marshall early in the game but Sally Walton and Emma Thomas were able to even up the score before the break, both goals coming from corners. Cathy Gilliatt-Smith briefly gave England the lead after the re-start before Nikki Kidd equalised for Scotland. Gilliat-Smith then scored again to restore England's lead but it was Kidd who came to Scotland's rescue. A further goal by Vikki Bunce and a late goal by Julie Bryce gave Scotland a 6-4 victory and they win the series 1-0.
England's men were still recovering from their 7-4 defeat by Scotland yesterday. Their 3-1 win on Friday meant that potentially they could win the series if they could win today. A penalty corner conversion by David Becket was wiped out by a goal by Adam MacKenzie just before half time. A penalty stroke to Scotland five minutes into the second half briefly gave Scotland the lead after Willie Marshall converted but Simon Egerton stepped up to take an England penalty stroke two minutes later and the sides were on even terms. Alistair Brogdon put England in the lead from a goal in open play, but the lead lasted only five minutes before Scotland's Scott Sunderland scored from a penalty corner. Final score 3-3, which means that the men's series ends in a draw.

WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WISH ALL OUR VISITORS A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. HOCKEY RE-STARTS ON 2 JANUARY 2008 WITH THE BURLINGTON CUP (INDOOR) IN VIENNA.

ENGLAND SUFFER MORE INJURIES INDOORS

England suffered a third injury ahead of this afternoon's match against Scotland in the three-match series in Paisley. Iain Mackay broke a finger in three places during a training match at Largs earlier in the day. Mackay is the third England player to suffer a hand injury. Ashleigh Ball from the women's squad received an injured knuckle yesterday, which is now in plaster, and Gareth Andrew broke a finger. On the pitch, England's women put on a repeat of yesterday's match against Scotland. Alex Scott opened the scoring after four minutes. Scotland were awarded a penalty stroke in the tenth which was put away by Emma Rochlin but Heather Battern enabled England to retake the lead before the end of the half. Alex Scott scored her second mid way through the second half but goals from Julie Bryce and Elspeth Cockburn wiped out England's lead. Final score 3-3.
After the 3-1 win yesterday, England's men suffered a setback against Scotland. Adam Dixon opened the scoring within seconds of the start of the match and Simon Egerton made it two from a penalty corner. After having gone into the break 2-1 up, Scotland came back stongly. A goal apiece from Dixon and Egerton could not stem the tide, and Scotland ran out 7-4 winners.
England play against Scotland again tomorrow to complete the series.

INDOOR INTERNATIONALS MARRED BY INJURIES

The opening day of the indoor internationals in Paisley saw two English players taken to hospital with injuries. The women's match between England and Scotland started well for the English with goals from Alex Scott and Ashleigh Ball. In the second half, two goals in two minutes from Jaime Lyon evened up the score before Scotland took the lead courtesy of Emily Maguire. A penalty corner conversion by England's Emma Thomas in the last minutes resulted in the match ending 3-3. Ashleigh Ball was taken to hospital with a suspected broken knuckle.
It was Gareth Andrew who was injured in the men's match between England and Scotland. He went to hospital with a suspected broken finger. First half goals from Simon Egerton and Alistair Brogdon gave England a lead. Gavin Bryers pulled one back for Scotland in the second half but Simon Egerton scored England's third in the dying seconds of the match. Final score 3-1 to England.
England play four more matches over the weekend (two women's and two men's) as part of their warm up for the EuroHockey Indoor Nations Challenge in Sheffield on 18-20 January.

READING PLAY CANNOCK IN EURO LEAGUE ROUND TWO

The draw for the second round of the EuroHockey League took place this afternoon. The draw pits English clubs Cannock and Reading against each other for a place in the third round, where the winner will meet either Rotterdam or Waterloo Ducks from Belgium. The third English team in the draw will play Royal Antwerp. Kelburne from Scotland are drawn against the last surviving German side, Uhlenhorster. The winner of that match will meet the winner of the Loughborough Students v Royal Antwerp in round three.

The full draw will appear on our main web site at www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk tomorrow.

EUROHOCKEY LEAGUE SECOND ROUND DRAW

This Wednesday (19/12/07), at 6pm CET, EHL brings the first ever interactive, multimedia show in hockey to computer screens around the world on www.eurohockeyleague.eu.

Combining never-before-seen hockey movie clips with special studio guests, Dutch national team players three times WorldHockey Player of the Year Teun de Nooijer and 2005 WorldHockey Young Player of the Year Robert van der Horst, live participation of representatives of 16 hockey clubs from 9 different nations and viewer interaction through a chat module, Euro Hockey League's Round 2 draw is an exciting event for all and provides a platform where teams, fans, and media come together and actively take part in a unique hockey event.

For fans, the 45 minute KO16 show contains a number of hockey video clips, relaying the best of the action of the first two tournaments, shining a light on umpires and coaches, and taking three of Round 1's influential players to center stage. Viewers can also participate in the show, asking questions to Teun, Robert, or the EHL crew, or giving their comments through a custom-designed chat box on the draw site, with the most interesting questions and comments selected and integrated into the program by the presenter.

The draw itself happens in an innovative format, with the seeded teams shaping their fate by choosing their opponents - even if blindfolded - and all participants' reactions available live and direct. The list of club representatives participating in the draw includes illustrious names, such as players Carlos Nevado for Uhlenhorster HC and Rhys Joyce for Reading HC, coaches Paul van Ass for HGC or David Ralph for Loughborough Students, and former FIH president Juan Angel Calzado for Real Club de Polo de Barcelona.

Already, the Euro Hockey League website shows videos of all Round 1 goals in a fantastic highlights round-up and offers the possibility of submitting questions and comments for the draw.

Be sure you don't miss this all-new, superb hockey show - we look forward to seeing you join in on Wednesday on www.eurohockeyleague.eu!

SLOUGH AND EAST GRINSTEAD MOVE AHEAD

After the first weekend of play in the Indoor EHL Premier Divisions, only one team from each division has a 100% record. At Whitgift School, Slough confirmed their pre-eminence in the women’s indoor game with wins over Slough and Canterbury both by a 4-2 scoreline. Bowdon Hightown had some catching up to do after losing both their matches yesterday, but saw off Clifton (3-2) and Sutton Coldfield (7-2) this afternoon. Chelmsford, who for several seasons dominated the indoor game, showed signs of revival with a 5-1 win over Canterbury but were on the receiving end of a 4-3 setback at the hands of near neighbours Ipswich. Olton have had a good tournament, this afternoon’s wins over Sutton Coldfield (2-0) and Sevenoaks (8-1) giving them a 75% success rate over the weekend.

Women’s Indoor EHL Premier Division after first weekend (50% of matches played):

1. Slough 12 pts (+14)
2. Chelmsford 9 pts (+9)
3. Olton & West Warwick 9 pts (+8)
4. Ipswich 9 pts (+4)
5. Clifton 6 pts (+2)
6. Bowdon Hightown 6 pts (+1)
7. Canterbury 3 pts (-7)
8. Sutton Coldfield 0 pts (-12)
9. Sevenoaks 0 pts (-19)

East Grinstead’s ambitions to get back into Europe came a little closer today as they moved three points ahead in the Men’s Premier Division thanks to wins over Robinsons (8-6) and Beeston (6-4). Bournville, who play their outdoor hockey in Division One, moved up into second place after beating Hull 5-2 and Reading 4-2. Loughborough Students drop down a placs after losing to Old Louhgtonians 5-4. Earlier in the day they had beaten Robinsons 5-2.

Men’s Indoor EHL Premier Division after first weekend (50% of matches played):

1. East Grinstead 12 pts (+9)
2. Bournville 9 pts (+6)
3. Loughborough Students 7 pts (+6)
4. Canterbury 7 pts (-3)
5. Beeston 6 pts (+5)
6. Old Loughtonians 6 pts (+0)
7. Robinsons 3 pts (-5)
8. Reading 3 pts (-6)
9. Hull 0 pts (-12)

OUR PICTURE SHOWS BOWDON HIGHTOWN’S JULIE HOPE ON THE ATTACK DURING THEIR MATCH AGAINST SUTTON COLDFIELD. FURTHER PICTURES WILL APPEAR ON OUR MAIN WEB SITE (www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk) TOMORROW (MONDAY).

INDOOR EHL SWINGS INTO ACTION

The Premier divisions of the Indoor EHL are playing this weekend. After one day of play East Grinstead are the only side in the men’s competition on maximum points. In a close match they overcame Bournville 6-5 with goals from Scot Ashdown (2), Dave De Prez (3) and Mani Kochar, the latter guesting indoors from his new club Richmond. In their second match East Grinstead beat Reading 6-2 with goals from James Southgate (2), Dave De Prez (2), Mark Justice, and Dominic Male. Winners of the last indoor championships, Canterbury, are currently in third place, having recorded a win over Old Loughtonians and a draw against Loughborough Students. David Matthews returned to his old club to score in both of those matches. Jerome Goudie, recently spotted in the stands at Kuala Lumpur for the Champions Trophy, scored in Loughborough Students 7-3 win over Hull and in the draw against Canterbury.

Positions after two matches:

1. East Grinstead 6 pts (+5)
2. Loughborough Students 4 pts (+4)
3. Canterbury 4 pts (+1)
4. Bournville 3 pts (+1)
5. Old Loughtonians 3 pts (+0)
6. Beeston 3pts (+0)
7. Robinsons 3 pts (+0)
8. Reading 0 pts (-5)
9. Hull 0 pts (-6)

In the Women’s Premier three teams are on maximum points. Slough veteran Jane Smith was on target scoring all the goals in her side’s 6-0 defeat of Sevenoaks, and one of the six in their 6-2 win over Olton. Chelmsford, who were a surprise absentee from the last Indoor Championships, showed a return to form with a 3-0 win over Sutton Coldfield and a 4-1 win over Bowdon Hightown. Clifton occupy third position with wins over Sevenoaks (4-0) and Ipswich (2-1).

Positions after two matches:

1. Slough 6 pts (+10)
2. Chelmsford 6 pts (+6)
3. Clifton 6 pts (+5)
4. Ipswich 3 pts (+1)
5. Olton & West Warwick 3 pts (-1)
6. Canterbury 3 pts (-1)
7. Bowdon Hightown 0 pts (-5)
   
8. Sutton Coldfield 0 pts (-5)
9. Sevenoaks 0 pts (-10)

GERMANY UBER ALLES IN CHAMPIONS TROPHY by Peter Savage in Kuala Lumpur

It could have gone either way but eventually the favourites, Germany, prevailed. Their opponents in the final of the Champions Trophy here in Kuala Lumpur were Australia, whose mere presence in the final itself was a bit of a surprise. As recently as Saturday morning they were being tipped as Great Britain’s opponents in the 5^th / 6^th place match. Great Britain’s draw against Korea, and Australia’s 5-0 win over Germany in the last of the round-robin stage matches, propelled them into the final. As we said yesterday, we could not read too much into the result of the previous meeting but Australia proved to be stronger opponents in the final than we had suspected. Germany took an early lead with a penalty corner strike from Tibor Wiessenborn in the sixth minute. Australia managed to weather being down to ten men whilst Nathan Eglington sat out a period of suspension for a particularly agricultural tackle, and whilst both sides produced some exciting play in attack, solid defences and a good measure of luck kept the score down to the single goal for the remaining 65 minutes. If there were prizes for consistency, in a tournament where inconsistency has been the order of the day, then Germany deserve to win it and they are worthy winners of this year’s Champion’s Trophy.

A late goal by Korea threatened to deprive the European Champions, The Netherlands, of a win in the bronze medal match. Final score in that match 3-2 to the Dutch.

Final places:

1. Germany
2. Australia
3. Netherlands
4. Korea
5. Spain
6. Great Britain
7. Pakistan
8. Malaysia

Over the next two weeks the following material will be available on the TalkHockeyRadio web site.

- Images from the last four GB games, plus the final, will be available over the next few days.

- Interviews from the Champions Trophy will feature in December’s edition of TalkHockeyRadio, which will be available to download from 13/12/07.

- Our on-line magazine, HockeyTalk, will feature the Champions Trophy in the January 2008 edition, ready to download from 20/12/07.

For more details go to our web site at www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk

BRITAIN'S EFFORTS THWARTED BY SPANISH by Peter Savage in Kuala Lumpur

Great Britain head coach Jason Lee rejected suggestions that facing the Spanish in the 5^th / 6^th place game after losing 5-0 in their previous meet on Wednesday imposed a psychological burden on his players. “We knew what we did wrong on Wednesday, which makes it easier to deal with.”

Losing today’s match in the Champion’s Trophy here in Kuala Lumpur meant more to Lee’s side than simply losing one game. A win and the resultant 5^th place finish would have given Great Britain a guaranteed place in the next Champions Trophy in Rotterdam. Great Britain had a poor start when Victor Sojo slotted in a rebound off James Fair’s pads after only six minutes. A repeat of Wednesday looked on the cards when Fair managed to block a ball on the line from a penalty corner shot by Xavier Ribas, only to see it loop over his outstretched body and drop into the goal. Despite being down 2-0 after only fourteen minutes, Great Britain never looked out of this match like they had done four days earlier, and a simple one-man stop and hit penalty corner strike by captain Ben Hawes had the power to beat Cortes in the Spanish goal to narrow the gap. It was an overtime penalty corner strike by Richard Mantell just before the break which put then sides on equal terms.

GB managed hold out under intense pressure until the last ten minutes. A penalty corner award resulted in Santi Frexia adding his name to the scoresheet, followed two minutes later by Xavier Ribas with his second, also from a corner. Final score; 4-2 to Spain.

Make no mistake – this was a creditable effort against one of the world’s top ranked sides, who were starting to find their form by the time they met Great Britain. But GB must learn from the last ten days. Lee’s team have demonstrated that they can play great hockey, but often they are let down by basic mistakes. They can do better and must do better if we are to be taken seriously as a world ranked hockey nation.

Earlier in the day, Malaysia nearly caused an upset when they came back from 2-0 down against Pakistan in the 7^th/8^th place match to force the game to a golden goal decider. Imran Muhammad scored in the 3^rd minute to give Pakistan the 7^th place.

Our photographs shows one of GB's penalty corner attempts. This one went just wide of the far post.

Roundup From Penultimate Day in Kuala Lumpur

Although unable to progress higher than sixth place, Great Britain’s 2-2 draw against Korea has effectively selected their opponents for the final match, which will be played tomorrow (Sunday). Korea were the favourites to win and take the three points, which would have put them second in the table. That fact that they did not win leaves them in fourth place behind The Netherlands. GB’s predicted opponents in for a 5^th/6^th place play-off were Australia, who this afternoon played Germany. The Germans were assured a place in the finals and one should not read too much into the 5-0 defeat dished our by the Kookaburras. Given a choice of Australia or the Netherlands, I suspect the Australians would have been their first choice, and Germany effectively gifted them their second place by a generally under par performance.. Although this is a good Australian team, it is not the best by any stretch of the imagination. The Netherlands beat Pakistan 4-1 this afternoon, which puts them in the bronze medal match against Korea. Spain, who got off to a slow start in this tournament, are now firing on all cylinders, albeit too late. Their meeting against Malaysia ended 7-2 to Spain. Unfortunately, three points is not enough to let Spain move out of the 5^th / 6^th play-off position, and so Spain meet Great Britain again tomorrow. One can only hope that Great Britain can shake off memories of their very poor performance against Spain on Thursday night. There is a prize awaiting for the winner of this match, namely automatics qualification for next year’s Champions Trophy in Rotterdam. If GB do qualify, there will be questions asked as to the fairness of this arrangement. England only managed to finish fourth in the second-tier Champions Challenge earlier this year and some may view qualification of one of the “extra” teams in the Champions Trophy as gaining entry by the back door.

Todays results:
Malaya 2-7 Spain
Great Britain 2-2 Korea
Netherlands 4-1 Pakistan
Australia 5-0 Germany
Places at end of round robin stages:

1, Germany 16 pts (+18)

2. Australia 13 pts (+7)

3. Netherlands 12 pts (+5)

4. Korea 12 pts (+5)

5. Spain 11 pts (+6)

6. Great Britain 7 pts (-10)

7. Pakistan 5 pts (-8)

8. Malaysia 1 pt (-22)

Tomorrow’s matches;

7^th/8^th place Pakistan v Malaysia

5^th/6^th place Great Britain v Spain

Bronze medal (3^rd/4^th) Netherlands v Korea

Final (1^st/2^nd) Germany v Australia

AYMAR AND DWYER WORLD HOCKEY PLAYERS OF 2007.

Popular Argentine star, the 30 year old Luciana Aymer (pictured on the right), has been elected World Hockey Women’s Player of the Year for the fourth time. She previously held the title in 2001, 2004, and 2005. The Young Player of the Year Award went to Germany’s Maike Srokel (pictured with Aymar). The men’s award went to the diminutive Australian striker, Jamie Dwyer. The Young Player award went to fellow Australian Mark Knowles.

Images from GB v Korea

A ful set of images from the matches between Great Britain and Pakistan, Spain and Korea, will appear on our main web site at www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk next week.

IMPROVED GB SET UP FOR FIFTH PLACE PLAY-OFF by Peter Savage in Kuala Lumpur

It was almost a different team that took the field against a Korean side who were being tipped as finalists in the Samsung Champions Trophy here in Kuala Lumpur. I say “almost” because Great Britain are still displaying some of the failings which caused their setback against Spain on Thursday. GB were on the scoresheet as early as the sixth minute, when Matt Daly’s first time shot hit the back of the Korean net. For the next 38 minutes the Korean’s fought to get back into the game but some smart goalkeeping by Ali McGregor maintained the lead. It was Korea’s skipper, Jong Ho Seo who scored the equaliser but a penalty corner conversion by Richard Mantell restored the lead with nine minutes to play. Great Britain’s lead lasted less than a minute, with Korea’s second goal coming from Nam Yong Lee. Although a much improved performance, there were still displays of weakness under pressure, with some players trying to take on too many defenders rather than distribute the ball. But, one must not it take away from the team that they managed to recover from Thursday’s poor performance and draw against one of the strongest teams in the tournament.

At the time of writing it looked certain that GB would take part in the 5^th/6^th place match tomorrow (Sunday), with Australia as potential opponents. Check back later on this blog for a roundup of today’s action.

Photographs from today’s match will appear shortly.

THURSDAY CHAMPIONS TROPHY ROUND-UP

With only one more match to be played in the round-robin stage of the Champions Trophy, the focus on Saturday will be on those teams who can join Germany in Sunday’s final. The Germans lead the table by a whole five points and have been the stand-out team of this tournament, despite having a late wobble against the Malaysians this evening when they conceded two goals in eight minutes and saw Florian Keller dispatched to the sin bin. Spain’s convincing 5-0 win against Great Britain today is probably too late, although theoretically a high scoring win on Saturday against Malaysia could put them in second place. This would require GB to beat Korea and for Australia to lose against Germany. Great Britain, weighed down by a huge goal deficit are out of the running for medals but have the possible carrot of an automatic entry into next year’s Champions Trophy if they can finish fifth. Korea are the favourites to hold the second place and GB would have to show a huge improvement to have a chance against the talented Koreans. Latest weather forecast suggest more of the rain delays that have interrupted this tournament over the last two days.

Today’s results:
Australia 3-3 Netherlands
Pakistan 3-3 Korea
Spain 5-0 Great Britain
Germany 3-2 Malaysia

Tomorrow (Friday) is a rest day.

Current positions:
1. Germany 16 pts (+12)
2. Korea 11 pts (+5)
3. Australia 10 pts (+2)
4. Netherlands 9 pts (+2)
5. Spain 8 pts (+1)
6.Great Britain 6 pts (-10)
7. Pakistan 5 pts (-5)
8. Malaysia 1 pt (-7)

Images from GB v Spain Match

THE RAIN IN MALAYSIA FAILS TO DAMPEN SPAIN by Peter Savage in Kuala Lumpur

A resurgent Spain gave a demonstration of class hockey to a Great Britain side who quite simply failed to step up to the mark here in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon. The rain, which had fallen steadily all day, failed to dampen the spirits of a Spanish side who announced their return as a top team by beating Australia yesterday. To give GB full credit, it did take Spain all of 22 minutes to penetrate their defence, and up to that point GB had displayed some interesting play.. However, all too often promising moves were broken down by passes to marked players or by trying to force the ball through packs of defenders. Two goals towards the end of the first half, one from Ramon Alegre from a penalty corner, and the second in open play off the stick of an allegedly unfit Santiago Frexia, marked Great Britain’s card and after that all the more promising traffic was one way. Alegre scored his second from open play in the second half, followed by a cracker from the edge of the circle by Eduard Arbos, which left Ali McGregor in the GB goal without a hope. Goal number five was from a corner and was scored by Victor Sojo. After the match, coach Jason Lee, was in no mood for making excuses. “We were appalling doing what we would normally do. After an international match one should normally be tired, but my players are relatively fresh.” Maurits Hendriks, the coach of the Spanish side, commented after the match, “The good news is that we are back in the tournament.”

Pictures from this match will appear on this blog soon. A full review of todays proceeding will follow later.

GB ON VERGE OF SOMETHING SPECIAL by Peter Savage in Kuala Lumpur

Tomorrow’s match against Spain could be make or break time for Great Britain in the Champions Trophy here in Kuala Lumpur. Both sides seem to have found some form late in the tournament and so you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who will predict the outcome of this one. Today’s excellent win against Pakistan elevates GB into fifth place and, with two of the teams ahead of them pitted against each other tomorrow (Thursday), it could elevate Jason’s Lee’s side into a challenge for a bronze medal play-off.

Today was definitely underdogs’ day. Although GB in the guise of England might be expected to win the encounter against Pakistan, it was the margin of the victory which was the surprise. Spain overturned their form in this tournament so far by beating Australia 3-2. The match between a revitalised German side and the Netherlands – you would not think this was the same Germany who looked so dismal in Manchester – was a cracking game, which finished with honours even at 3-3. But the match of the day for me was the encounter between the hosts, Malaysia, and the very fit and technically proficient Koreans. Having hammered the Dutch on Monday, the Koreans found themselves going into the second half against Malaysia 2-1 down. The Koreans drew level towards the end of the second half, but with just over a minute on the clock the Malaysians showed their inexperience at this level. Given a free hit in their own half, they wasted it by not giving the Koreans an opportunity to retreat. The short pass and scoop was was picked up by a Korean forward and popped into the net by Hyo Sik You . Protest as much as they liked, umpire Haider, was having none of it and the goal against Malyasia stood, robbing the hosts of their first win of the competition. Malaysian coach, George Koshy, was sanguine afterwards. “I do not blame the umpire for what happened. With only a few seconds left on the clock my players should have held the ball and waited for their opponents to retreat. They’ll learn.” Watching the replay on Malaysian television later that evening suggests that Koshy was being generous.

Positions at the end of play today:

1. Germany 13 pts (+11)
2. Korea 10 pts (+5)
3. Australia 9 pts (+2)
4. Netherlands 8 pts (+2)
5. Great Britain 6 pts (-5)
6. Spain 5 pts (-4)
7. Pakistan 4 pts (-5)
8. Malaysia 1 pt (-6)

Pictures from Great Britain v Pakistan

Images from the GB v Pakistan match in Kuala Lumpur today. More pictures will appear on our main web site at www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk next week.

GB CROSS FITNESS BARRIER IN STYLE by Peter Savage in Kuala Lumpur

In the November edition of TalkHockeyRadio I suggested to the manager of Great Britain, Peter Nicholson, that my presence at England matches had often resulted in improved results. It was a light hearted comment and, of course, this is Great Britain playing and not England. Despite that, it was a prediction that came true here in Kulua Lumpur this afternoon for my first day at the Samsung Champions Trophy. But first let me set the scene. Starting a match at 16:05 here is like walking into a Turkish bath. Hot and humid. The weather had been noticeably cooler this afternoon, by which I mean the equivalent of warmest July in England plus ten degrees. It had not been the searing heat of previous days but at 16:00 the clouds rolled back and the simple act of standing on one spot became an effort, never mind playing 70 minutes of hockey. However, the Great Britain team seemed to have done a better job of acclimatising than anyone could have expected. Playing Pakistan - a team who they could beat of paper but were probably better able to adapt to these conditions - it took GB 10 minutes to settle down. When they did they looked far the more dangerous of the two sides. Stephen Dick, proving once again that the Scots are not just in the team to make up the numbers, scored the opener after 15 minutes, and six minutes later Rob Moore made it two. One criticism I have made of England teams in the past is a lack of effectiveness in the circle but you could not say this about this GB performance. Every loose ball was readily snatched up. A Simon Mantell goal made it three and that is how the match went into the break. The Pakistan coach had clearly been studying British tactics during the first half and when they came back onto the pitch it only took just under ten minutes for continued pressure to bring results, with Imran Muhammad finding the net from a penalty corner. But this was to be GB’s lucky day. The rain, which had started just after the start of the second half, turned to monsoon proportions, and the umpires suspended the match whilst we watched the pitch slowly disappear under water. The break was enough for coach Jason Lee to reorganise his troops and they came out after the break fighting. Richard Alexander, who seemed to be running after everything, finally got his reward with a goal in the 57^th minute. A slightly bizarre post script to this match was the discovery that there were eleven Pakistan players on the pitch whilst Imran Kahn was sitting out a period of suspension. The unfortunate victim of this was the Pakistan captain, Salman Akbar, who found himself blameless but sitting next to Kahn in the sin bin. The final score 4-1 to Great Britain. And coach Jason Lee’s comment after the match? “We have played much better than that.” They may get a chance to show that when they play Spain tomorrow. Spain have been off form in this tournament, and this might just be GB’s chance to put a further three points into their pot.

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THIS MATCH WILL APPEAR ON THIS BLOG IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES.

CHAMPIONS TROPHY UPDATE by Peter Savage in Kuala Lumpur

The Champions Trophy resumes in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow (Wednesday). The weather here is scorchingly hot at the moment and going out in the sun is almost like having a blow torch turned on any exposed skin. Away from the stadium the humidity is thankfully low, but rain and pitch watering can change that in an instant.

One of the local papers, the Straits Times, has commented on the relative success of he two Asian teams taking part. For Malaysia this means putting up a good show against much higher ranked opposition, but Monday saw them draw a match against Pakistan 2-2, a creditable result by any measure. However, what may be of more significance in world hockey terms is the pasting the Dutch received at the hands of the Koreans, losing 6-2.

Mondays results in full:

Nethelands 2 – 8 Korea

Australia 1 – 0 GB

Germany 4 – 1 Spain

Pakistan 2 – 2 Malaysia

Places after four matches:

1. Germany 12 pts (+11)
2. Australia 9 pts (+3)
3. Korea 7 pts (+7)
4. Netherlands 7 pts (+2)
5. Pakistan 7 pts (-5)
6. Great Britain 3 pts (-8)
7. Spain 2 pts (-5)
8. Malaysia 1 pt (-5)

Great Britain play Pakistan at 15:05 local time tomorrow. If there are points to be taken in this competition, Pakistan could provide some of them. Memories will go back to the World Cup just over a year ago when Martin Jones scored the winner in a memorable match against tomorrow’s opponents. Keeping watching this blog for an early update tomorrow.

GB LOOSE OUT TO AUSSIES

You would not expect GB to beat Australia even on a good day, so a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Aussies is probably as good as it gets. Australia's only goal was scored by Eddie Ockeden in the 25th minute. Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be a rest day in KL. TalkHockeyRadio will start the first of it's on-the-spot reports on this blog on Wednesday.

GOALS AND POINTS AT LAST

Having the distinction of being the only team not to have scored a goal so far in the Champions Trophy, Great Britain went into the break in today’s match against Maylasia 1-0 down, having struggled in the first half. It was Scotland’s Stephen Dick who levelled the score fifteen minutes into the second half. Rob Moore made it two from a quick counter-attack minutes later, and GB held on to a 2-1 lead until Abdullah equalised for Malaysia with seven minutes of play left. But GB were to have the last word. A free hit outside the Malaysian circle fell to the stick of Ben Hawes, who unleashed a fierce shot into goal. Final score 3-2 to Great Britain.

Other results today: Spain 3 Netherlands 3, Germany 2 Korea 1.

Today’s result puts Great Britain in 6^th place, ahead of Spain and Malaysia. Germany are currently leading the table with nine points, followed by The Netherlands. Australia and Pakistan are yet to play but both are on three points and the best they can achieve from a win today is to move into third, ahead of Korea.

CANTERBURY FACE FURTHER WOE

Canterbury, who were due to visit Havant on 17 February, played their Slazenger EHL Premier Division match against the Hampshire club this afternoon to avoid a clash with the European Indoor Club Championships, where Canterbury are the English representatives. Canterbury are not having their best season and are currently propping up the Division. However, nothing in the form book could prepare pundits for the 10-2 defeat inflicted on them. Hat-tricks from Thornton Mcdade and Ahmed Ez Mohamed and goals by Calum Giles, Andrew Pett, Tim Davenport, and Tom Butt, gave the home side a 10-2 win. Canterbury’s reply was by Matt Harper and Simon Hare. Canterbury are now four points adrift at the foot of the table.

Today was a rest day in Kuala Lumpur in the Champions Trophy but Great Britain are back in action tomorrow when they play the host nation, Malaysia. There will be an interruption to postings on this blog whilst we make our way to Malaysia.

GB IN SECOND FOUR-GOAL DEFEAT

Great Britain went down 4-0 for the second day running in the Champion’s Trophy in Kuala Lumpur earlier today. Playing the World Champions, Germany, GB might have thought themselves in with a chance after their opponents poor showing in the recent European Nations Cup. Indeed, British hopes were raised when the ball found the back of the net in the 28^th minute but umpire Singh adjudged that the ball had not been struck in the circle by an attacker. Minutes later Germany one a penalty corner and scored their first of the match off the stick of Sebastian Draguhn. Germany scored their second from open play just after the re-start - Matthias Witthaus the scorer - and increasingly the Germans started to take control of the match. But it was not until the 58^th minute that they found the net for the third time, from a series of penalty corners. Germany scored their fourth in the dying seconds of the match.

It is clear from reports from Kuala Lumpur that the GB side are suffering the effects of the stifling heat and humidity in the Malaysia capital. They have a rest day tomorrow to recover before the tournament resumes tomorrow.

Other results: Pakistan 2 Spain 0, Netherlands 3 Malaysia 1.

RECKERS WRECKS BRITAIN'S OPENING MATCH

Great Britain men struggled against the powerful Dutch and the sweltering heat on the opening day of their Champions Trophy campaign in Kuala Lumpur today. The British side went down in the second minute to a goal in open play from Teun de Nooijer but managed to contain the Dutch until the second half, when Ronald Brouwer found the net after only five minutes. Two further goals for The Netherlands off the stick of Rob Reckers put the match beyond the Great Britain.

GB have another difficult game tomorrow when they face World Champions, Germany. The Germans managed to dispatch Pakistan 5-2 earlier today. The host nation, Malaysia, managed a creditable result at the hands of Australia, losing 2-0. The match between Spain and Korea ended in a 2-2 draw.

TalkHockeyRadio will be in Kuala Lumpur from Tuesday, with daily reports and photographs of matches from Wednesday onwards.

ARGENTINA WIN TEST SERIES

Great Britain's women lost the fifth and final test match against Argentina 1-2 yesterday. The GB goal was scored by Bowdon Hightown's Jo Ellis. Agentina win the series 3-1, with one match drawn.

CULLEN IN ALL-STARS LINE UP

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has announced its 2007 Women’s World Hockey All Star Team. Dutch and German players figure large in the hypothetical squad, but once again Leicester and England defender Crista Cullen (pictured) has been included in the line-up. Also selected is a former Canterbury player, US national goalkeeper Amy Tran. The full squad will appear in the January 2008 edition of HockeyTalk, available from our main site at www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk from 22/12/07.

GB WOMEN SUNK IN LAST MINUTES

Great Britain’s women managed to hold out until the last ten minutes in the fourth of their five test matches against Argentina yesterday (Sunday), losing to a penalty corner conversion by Guila. Skipper Kate Walsh (pictured) won her 50^th GB cap in this match.

WOMEN’S CUP QUARTER FINAL DRAW has taken place and sees the two non-Premiership sides drawn against each other. The ties are to be played on 24 February 2008.

Barnes Hounslow Ealing v Staines

Old Loughtonian v Leicester

Olton & West Warwick v Bowdon Hightown

Slough v Ipswich

CANTERBURY BEATEN BUT NOT BOWED

With Reading running away with the Premiership and having added another three points to their tally yesterday evening, potentially the most intriguing match of the day was third placed Cannock at Canterbury, the latter currently holding up the table. For much of the match one was left wondering how it is that Canterbury have only managed to pick up three points in ten outings. Although Cannock had much the lion’s share of the possession, Canterbury were never the underdogs in this match. As if to underline this point, they opened the scoring in the 20^th minute, when Andrew Gooderham (deputising for James Fair who is on GB duties) trapped the ball in front of his goal and left a sitter for Matt Harper to slip between the posts. Some superb goalkeeping by Canterbury’s Adrian Kimber, and a good slice of luck, kept Cannock at bay until just after the break, when Michael Johnson scored an equaliser from a penalty corner. It only took two minutes for Gareth Andrew to give Cannock the lead but Chris Bassano-Harper was able to put the teams on level terms from a stinging shot in open play. Canterbury need more than one point to get themselves out of trouble and even that eluded them when Simon Ramsden scored from a penalty corner. Final score 3-2 to Cannock. Our photograph shows Cannock’s Hardeep Jawanda threatening the Canterbury goal. More photographs from this match will appear on our main web site (www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk) soon.

Elsewhere in the Division, Bowdon’s revival was underlined by a useful three points at Beeston, with Saxon Hill scoring the only goal of the match. East Grinstead’s European ambitions were advanced when they beat Loughborough Students at home, EG’s scorers being Ben Payne, Scott Ashdown, and Danny Hall.

SLAZENGER EHL PREMIER DIVISION RESULTS:
Beeston 0 – 1 Bowdon
Canterbury 2 – 3 Cannock
East Grinstead 3 – 2 Loughborough Students
Hampstead & Westminster 4 – 4 Havant
Surbiton 1 – 6 Reading (Played on 24/11/07)

Things are so tight in Men’s Division One that one slip up can have a dramatic result on a team’s league ranking. Old Georgians, who were in second place at the start of the weekend, drop to fifth after their 2-1 defeat by leaders Southgate. Moving in the opposite direction are Bath Bucaneers, who now occupy second place after their 5-0 win at Belper. Old Loughtonians move up from sixth to third after their 3-2 win against Brooklands.
FULL LEAGUE TABLES WILL APPEAR ON OUR MAIN WEB SITE SOON.

WOMEN’S CUP FOURTH ROUND
Barnes Hounslow and Ealing 3 – 0 Sevenoaks
Clifton 0 – 4 Bowdon Hightown
Nottingham Highfields 0 – 4 Leicester
Olton & WW 3 – 0 Poynton
Staines 2 – 0 Reading
Sunderland 1 – 3 Ipswich
University of Birmingham 2 – 3 Old Loughtonians 3 (Golden goal)
Worcester 0 – 8 Slough

THIRD TEST MATCH ARGENTINA v GREAT BRITAIN (WOMEN)
Argentina 1 – 0 Great Britain

SLOUGH AND BOWDON OPEN GAP

Slough and Bowdon Hightown are now drawing away from the pack as the Slazenger EHL Women’s Premier Division played its last games this afternoon before the winter break. Slough went to Ipswich where goals by Jane Smith (2) and Purdy Miller gave them a useful 3-1 win. After last weekend’s setback Bowdon Hightown returned to their free scoring ways when they visited bottom-of-the-table Old Loughtonians. Tina Cullen again led the charge with a goal in the second minute. Cullen scored a second minutes later and goals from Julie Hope, Lis Chaffey, Michelle Liptrot, and Ashleigh Ball gave the visitors a 7-0 victory. There is now a nine point gap between Bowdon and Leicester, who had their match against Chelmsford postponed due to a frozen pitch.

WOMEN’S PREMIER DIVISION RESULTS:
Chelmsford v Leicester – Postponed (Frozen pitch)
Clifton 4 – 1 Poynton
Ipswich 1 – 3 Slough
Old Loughtonians 0 – 7 Bowdon Hightown
Olton & West Warwicks 3 – 0 Canterbury

Women’s Division One remains unchanged although Sutton Coldfield in third slot were the victims of a Angie Wheelhouse hat-trick when they went down to a surprise 1-3 defeat at bottom placed Harleston Magpies. In Women’s National North, Sevenoaks move up to third from fourth after their visit to Taunton Vale. Goals there from Sarah Pinkstone, Elizabeth Key and Niclola Lloyd for Sevenoaks in their 3-1 win. Staines increase their lead at the top of the table to eight points after their 1-0 win at Bournemouth, partly thanks Maidstone’s 4-2 win over second place Swansea. In Women’s North, Cannock retain their lead after beating Nottingham Highfields 3-0. Highfields slip to fourth place after Liverpool Sefton’s 4-2 win over the visitors from Rover Oxford. Sefton move into third place, four point behind Whitley Bay and Tynemouth, who won their match against Bradford 4-2. Women’s Divisions One, North, and South now go into recess until 2^nd February. The Women’s Premiership will restart a week later.

THE MEN’S DIVISION ONE match between Chelmsford and Brooklands also fell foul of the weather. There was no change at the top of the table, although all that now separates the top three is goal difference after Southgate could only draw against Bournville. Sven Tegeler, Adam Lewis, and Gareth Carr were on target for Old Georgians when they went to Belper. Final score there 3-2 to the old boys, who retain their second place. Bournville are replaced in third position by Bath Buccaneers who put six passed Sheffield University Bankers. Scorers for the Buccs were James Kellock, Chris Cargo (2), James Grogan, Josh Norton, and Ben Dando. This weekend is a double header weekend for Men’s Division One with further matches tomorrow.

LATE RESULT:

There was one match played in the Men’s Premier Division today. Surbiton 1 Reading 6. The scorers for Reading: Austin Smith (2), Andy Watts (3) and Simon Lanyon. Surbiton’s scorer was Hugh Wilson.

MOODIE TO RETURN HOME

Graham Moodie, who is in Kuala Lumpur with the Great Britain team as part of their warm up for the Champions Trophy, has been forced to return home with a hamstring injury. His place will be taken by 26 year-old Niall Stott of the Scot's club Kelburne. The hugely experienced Stott has previously been capped for GB 42 times. The Champions Trophy starts in earnest next Thursday with an opening Match against the Netherlands. TalkHockeyRadio will be providing daily on-the-spot bulletins from Kuala Lumpur from Tuesday 4 November.

GREAT BRITAIN'S WOMEN played the second of their five test series against Argentina yesterday. Bowdon Hightown's Sam Quek won her first GB cap in the 0-0 draw. Coach Danny Kerry had rested some of his experienced players and after the match commented, "As expected, Argentina threw the kitchen sink at us this evening. With Walsh, Richardson and Thomas rested, this team showed good resilience in the face of pressure.

READING EXTEND LEAD AS CANNOCK FALTER

There must have been something about the foul weather today that upset the form book, with Bowdon launching themselves off the foot of the Men’s Slazenger EHL Premier Division with a 5-0 win over Hampstead and Westminster at home. Goals came from Michael Hoare, Russel Hornby, Steve Smith, Saxon Hill, and Alex Edmonstone. Bowdon move up to eighth. East Grinstead were also able to move up the table, to second, this courtesy of two Dave De Prez goals at Cannock. Readings 3-0 win at Canterbury, with goals from Warren D’Souza and Austin Smith (2) opens up their lead at the head of the pack to nine points. Beeston’s short trip to Loughborough Students was not a happy one as they went down to goals by David Appleton and James Osborn, and saw Chris Seddon sent to the changing rooms with a red card. Beeston’s David Griffith’s scored Beeston’s only goal in the Student’s 2-1 win. Beeston slide down from third to fifth in the table.

Slazenger Men’s England Hockey League Premier Division:
Bowdon 5 – 0 Hampstead & Westminster
Cannock 1 – 2 East Grinstead
Havant 2 – 6 Surbiton
Loughborough Students 2 – 1 Beeston
Reading 3 – 0 Canterbury

There are few changes in the Men’s Division One table with leaders Southgate seeing off struggling Guildford 6-0. Goals there from Nick Gerrard (2), Matt Fitter, Adam Wilson (2) and Jordache Rawson. Bournville and Old Georgians drew, and Bath Buccaneers beat bottom placed Chelmsford 5-0. Old Georgians (2^nd), Bournville (3^rd) and Bath (4^th) are all on fourteen points, only separated by goal difference.

FULL EHL LEAGUE TABLES WILL BE POSTED ON OUR MAIN SITE ON MONDAY. WE REGRET THAT DUE TO THE WEATHER CONDITIONS THERE ARE NO PHOTOGRAPHS FROM TODAYS MATCHES AVAILABLE ON OUR SITE.

Our main web site can be found at www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk

SLOUGH TAKE OVER LEAD AS HIGHTOWN SLIP

Bowdon Hightown lost their unbeaten record and their lead at the top of the Slazenger EHL Premiership this afternoon, when they lost 2-3 to Olton & West Warwicks. Tina Cullen opened the scoring for Bowdon within the first minute, but goals from Lucilla Wright and Rachel Walker put Olton in front. A penalty corner conversion on half time off the stick of Sally Walton meant that the sides went into the break on even terms, but Lucilla Wright scored her second from a penalty corner just after the re-start to give Olton the win. Slough’s 5-0 victory over Chelmsford puts them at the top of the table, two points ahead of Bowdon. The nearest chasing club, Leicester, who are in third place but six points adrift, played bottom place Old Loughtonians. Goals from Hannah Macleod (2), Lucy Brown, and Kate Sharland gave them the 4-0 win. Poynton, one up from the bottom, managed a useful draw against Ipswich, the Poynton goals coming from Cath Linaker, Nicola White and Jane Ambler.

Slazenger England Hockey League Women’s Premier Division:
Bowdon Hightown 2 – 3 Olton & West Warwicks
Canterbury 4 – 1 Clifton
Leicester 4 – 0 Old Loughtonians
Poynton 3 – 3 Ipswich
Slough 5 – 0 Chelmsford

In Women’s Division One the two front runners, Sunderland and Trojans, both recorded wins, as did Sutton Coldfield. Reading could only draw at University of Birmingham and slip to fourth place. There is no change in the National South Division, whilst in the North, third-placed Nottingham Highfield’s 4-0 win over Rover Oxford and leaders Cannock’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool Sefton means that Nottingham are within striking distance of the lead.

In the Men’s National South, Sevenoaks short lived lead was lost when they went down 3-1 to neighbouring Oxted. University of Exeter move back into the lead after their 6-0 win at Robinsons. The North Division remains unchanged.

CANTERBURY SUFFER DOUBLE SUNDAY DEFEAT

It was a bad day for Canterbury, with both their men’s and women’s teams losing. Their opponents in the Women’s Premiership were Bowdon Hightown who, fresh from their 8-1 victory at Chelmsford yesterday, could only achieve a comparatively modest 4-2 win, with goals from Lindsay French, Lis Chaffey (2) and Annalisa Bishop. Their men’s prospects looked much better against Beeston, with a penalty corner conversion by Chris Bassano-Harper and a field goal by Matt Harper putting them two up by the eleventh minute. Canterbury were 3-1 up shortly after the re-start but Beeston fought their way back into the match to finish 5-4.

The three front-runners in the men’s Premiership, Reading, Cannock and Beeston, all won today. Unlike their women’s team, Bowdon are still struggling and look set for an early return to Division One unless their luck changes. They hosted Loughborough Students lost 2-1. Loughborough’s goals came from Adam Wilson and Paul Cleghorne.

In the Slazenger Women’s Premier Division, Slough maintain their second place, beating Clifton 3-2, with Jane Smith (2) and Purdy Miller being the scorers for Slough. The bottom of the table clash between Poynton and Old Loughtonians resulted in Poynton recording their first win of the season. Both clubs are starting to drift away at the bottom of the table.

Slazenger EHL Premiership Results:

Men:
Beeston 5 – 4 Canterbury
Bowdon 1 – 2 Loughborough Students
Hampstead & Westminster 0 – 2 Reading
Havant 4 – 5 Cannock
Surbiton 4 – 6 East Grinstead

Women:
Canterbury 2 – 4 Bowdon Hightown
Ipswich 1 – 2 Chelmsford
Old Loughtonians 1 – 2 Poynton
Olton & West Warwicks 0 – 3 Leicester
Slough 3 – 2 Clifton

There was no play in Men’s Division One today. In the National South Division Sevenoaks were the only team amongst the front runners to win, with a 2-1 victory over Whitchurch, and they go two point ahead at the top of the table. University of Exeter could only manage a 3-3 draw against Indian Gymkhana, and Oxted drew 2-2 at Holcombe. In the North University of Birmingham retain their lead after a 3-2 win at Sheffield Hallam. At the basement end of the table neither Formby or Kingston-upon-Hull had recorded a win this season until this afternoon. All that was to change when the two sides met, with Formby taking the laurels with a 5-1 victory.

FULL SLAZENGER LEAGUE TABLES WILL APPEAR ON OUR MAIN WEB SITE (www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk) SOON.

TINA'S FOUR KEEP BOWDON ON TOP

An injury received during training has kept her off the stats for a few weeks but she was back with a vengeance today when Bowdon Hightown visited Chelmsford in the Slazenger EHL Women’s Premier Division. Although Chelmsford were first to find the net – only to see their attempt disallowed as it was adjudged to have been struck from outside of the ‘D’ - Tina Cullen was back in scoring mode with less than four minutes on the clock with a well taken field goal at full stretch (see our photo). Bowdon have had some high scoring wins of late – their average for the season stands at an impressive four goals per match – but the early encounters gave little clue that this might be one of them. Cullen enjoys space and she was given plenty of it. But it was team-mate Julie Hope who scored Bowdon’s second. It seemed that a Lynn Bollington goal for Chelmsford in the 23^rd was a catalyst for further effort by Cullen and her team. Bowdon’s third went in two minutes later off the stick of Cullen, followed by a fourth from Fay Nash just before half time. When you’re down on your luck the breaks never seem to come, and a difficult bouncing ball five minutes from time eluded a Chelmsford defender and Cullen was there to steal it and pop it in the net. Cullen made her tally for the match four just before the final whistle. Some of Chelmsford’s frustration in this match was evident when one of their players received their marching orders for swearing at umpire Dawn Henning. This is not the best I have seen Bowdon Hightown play. Lord help any team that faces them when they are truly on song.

Elsewhere in the Premiership Olton and West Warwicks lifted their prospects with a 7-0 win over Old Loughtonians. Canterbury’s visit to Ipswich saw them come away empty handed, with goals from Becky Baker and Leisa King relegating the Kent side from fourth to sixth in the table. Currently Bowdon Hightown lead by one point ahead of Slough. There is then an eight point gap, with Leicester in third place, separated on goal difference from Ipswich. Lowly Poynton remain bottom on one point after their 1-0 defeat by Slough.

SLAZENGER EHL WOMEN’S PREMIER DIVISION;
Chelmsford 1 – 6 Bowdon Hightown
Ipswich 2 – 0 Canterbury 0
Leicester 1 – 1 Clifton
Old Loughtonians 0 – 7 Olton & West Warwicks
Slough 1 – 0 Poynton.

In Division One Sunderland remain top after their win at Durham University. Sutton Coldfield slipped back into fourth place after losing to fellow promotion contenders Trojans 2-3. Reading have found their winning ways again with 4-1 win over bottom placed Harleston Magpies, and move into third.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE MATCH BETWEEN CHELMSFORD AND BOWDON HIGHTOWN WILL APPEAR ON OUR MAIN WEB SITE (WWW.TALKHOCKEYRADIO.CO.UK) TOMORROW (SUNDAY). UPDATED LEAGUE TABLES WILL APPEAR ON MONDAY.