Sunday, August 28, 2011

TINDALL'S GOLDEN GOAL WINS BRONZE by Peter Colwill at the Gant EuroHockey Championships in Monchengladbach

England Men won the Bronze Medal match 2-1. James Tindall scored the winner 5 minutes into golden goal extra time. Barry Middleton created the opening for Nick Catlin to penetrate along the byline and his well timed pull back was rifled into the net by Tindall.
Although England took the lead in the 7th minute when Richard Mantell scored with his one and only penalty corner stroke opportunity of the Tournament, the Belgians came back strongly.
“We were clinging on for long periods,” admitted Jason Lee, the England Coach: “it was our poorest performance of the Tournament”.
Belgium equalised 8 minutes into the second half through Alexandre de Pauew and might have gone further ahead but for James Fair’s fine save from John-John Dohmen.
Reinvigorated by the switch of Alistair Wilson to the forward line, England finished normal time with stronger and might have avoided extra time if David Van Rysselberghe had not saved superbly from Richard Alexander.

Germany won the final in front of a full stadium beating The Netherlands 4-2. Philipp Zeller fired them into an early lead, and although Roderick Weusthof equalised with a scintillating strike from the edge of the circle, Germany were soon 2 goals ahead. Moritz Furste, the official player of the tournament, converted a penalty stroke and Florian Fuchs turned in a Thilo Stralkowski lob to give Germany a 3-1 lead. Teun de Nooijer pulled one back for the Dutch from a penalty corner but 2 minutes from time Oliver Korn touched in Martin Haner’s shot at Germany’s 8th and final corner.

Simon Mason, President of the English Hockey Board, presented the Chris Moore and Marjorie Pollard salvers for the English players of the Tournament to Barry Middleton and Helen Richardson respectively.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

TRIUMPHANT DUTCH CLAIM THE GOLD by Peter Colwill at the Gant EuroHockey Championships at Monchengladbach

The Netherlands are European Champions, beating not only German 3-0 but also the weather. Had the deluge which descended two minutes from time come earlier, the match would have been suspended. As it was, the jubilant Dutch players celebrated by diving full length across the liquid pitch.
Marilyn Agliotti put the Dutch ahead deflecting in a penalty corner, and Ellen Hoog added a second in the 25th minute, finishing a move which started with a Dutch 16-yard hit. Yvonne Frank, the German goalkeeper, saved five penalty corners from Maartje Paumen but the sixth one, although saved, fell obligingly for Lidewij Welten to score the third goal.

ENGLAND CLINCH THE BRONZE MEDAL by Peter Colwill at the Gant EuroHockey Championships at Monchengladbach

Helen Richardson’s two goals gave England’s Women a 2-1 win over Spain in the Bronze medal match. Trailing from a Silvia Munoz goal in the eleventh minute of the second half after Beth Storry had saved Rocio Ybarra’s penalty corner stroke, England threw the kitchen sink at the Spanish defence and emerged with a deserved victory.
“We knew Spain would sit deep when they scored,” said Danny Kerry, the England Coach, “and it took something very special to break them down.”
Alex Danson, who had already produced one sharp save from Maria Lopez de Eguilaz, created the equaliser midway through the half with a stinging reverse shot touched in by Richardson. Another Danson stroke beat the goalkeeper but was cleared off the line.
With just over two minutes remaining, Danson charged down an attempted lifted clearance and moved the free hit to Richardson who drove into the circle and unleashed a shot worthy of a medal.

Friday, August 26, 2011

ENGLAND LOSE THEIR CROWN by Peter Colwill at the Gant EuroHockey Championships at Monchengladbach

England Men lost their semi-final with Germany in a game which suffered a one hour and seven minutes delay early in the second half while the water was cleared from the saturated pitch. Germany were leading 1-0 at the stoppage. Philipp Zeller beat James Fair with a flick from the edge of the circle and from an acute angle. Fair did well to save from Thilo Stralkowski after the break but stood no chance when Oskar Deecke fired Germany ahead ten minutes from the end. Oliver Korn added a third with two minutes from time.
England had chances: Ashley Jackson shot wide when well placed and there were four penalty corners, one from Richard Smith and three from Jackson which were all saved by Max Weinhold.
In the other semi-final, The Netherlands beat Belgium 4-2. Although The Netherlands led from Valentin Verga’s fifteenth minute goal, Belgium struck back and went ahead through goals by Florent van Aubel and Simon Gougnard, whose goal was disallowed but given on video appeal. Taeke Takema converted two penalty corners and Robbert Kemperman added a fourth.

Ireland ensured their survival for the next competition by beating Russia 8-2 with John Jermyn scoring twice.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

SPAIN TO MEET ENGLAND IN BRONZE MEDAL MATCH by Peter Colwill at the Gant EuroHockey Championships in Monchengladbach

Germany beat Spain 2-1 in the other semi-final with Natascha Keller scoring the winning goal eight minutes from time.
Ireland increased their chance of staying in the top competition by beating Azerbaijan 3-1 with goals from Michelle Harvey, Emma Clarke and Nicola Symmons.