Azets Clydesdale Western open with a powerful victory in Turkey

Clydesdale Western  6   Gaziantep Polisgucu (Turkey)  1

It is so important to open with a win in a tight four team pool competition, and Clydesdale Western did just that in some style with a 6-1 win over Turkish hosts Gaziantep Polisgucu at the EuroHockey Club Trophy 11 in Alanya.

The result puts Clydesdale to the top of their pool, they are on the same points as Cardiff & Met but ahead on goal difference as the Welsh side were only 1-0 winners over Olten from Switzerland.     And Olten are Clydesdale`s next opponents tomorrow and player/coach Fiona Semple will be anticipating another decisive victory to maintain the momentum.

In fact, Fiona Semple was the early catalyst on the route to victory.   Not in the starting line-up she came on after five minutes and two minutes later found the net for the opening goal – that would have settle any nerves.   Then just at the end of the first quarter Clydesdale were awarded their second penalty corner of the match, it was converted into a penalty stroke, and Ava Graham stepped up to convert from the spot for a second.

After a run of three unconverted penalty corners Jika Nyirenda made her presence felt with two open play goals in as many minutes to give Clydesdale a commanding four goal lead to take into half-time.

However, early in the third quarter Gaziantep pulled one back with a penalty corner strike from Perihan Cinar…and was there a comeback on the offing.   Not so, inside a minute Bronwyn Shields restored Clydesdale`s four goal cushion from open play and normal service was quickly resumed.

Jika Nyirenda was again the focus of the final quarter, she scored again and thereby completed her match hat-trick…and that was the end of the scoring.

A good opening result for Clydesdale in Alanya, but perhaps one observation in that Clydesdale had nine penalty corners in total in the match and only one eventually led to a goal – perhaps some work needed here.

 

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