GB in Pro League action

Sarah Robertson; Amy Costello; Jenny Eadie; Fiona Burnet; and Lee Morton have all been in action for Great Britain in Pro League matches against the Netherlands and Argentina. Amy Costello earned her 100th combined caps in the matches and Jenny Eadie and Fiona Burnet made their debuts.

 

Great Britain women 1-2 The Netherlands women

Great Britain Women were the first to start their FIH Pro League campaign with a tough match against World Champions the Netherlands.

Both teams started strong with the Dutch receiving a penalty corner just 30 seconds in. A fantastic block from GB’s Grace Balsdon prevented them from scoring, but it wasn’t long before Netherlands Freeke Moes scored the opener with a fierce reverse stick strike after an initial save from Sabbie Heesh, putting the Dutch side in the lead.

GB’s Izzy Petter answered back just four minutes later taking the teams into an even second quarter.  Sophie Hamilton’s shot at the top of the circle was miss-hit, Izzy Petter got a stick on it to deflect the ball past Dutch goalkeeper Josine Koning.

The second quarter saw GB goalie Maddie Hinch take to the field but an early penalty corner led to Jibbi Jansen putting one past her, taking the Dutch side into a 2-1 lead.

27 minutes in and a 3rd penalty corner was awarded to the Netherlands. Hinch saved the drag flick which was high left again, and the ball broke across goal to a Dutch player. Hinch then pulled off an amazing dive to save a shot in what looked like an open goal.

The 45th minute saw GB win their first penalty corner of the match. Grace Balsdon fired a drag flick at Josine Koning who saved it. Sarah Robertson followed up with a rebound shot but Koning was there again.

GB didn’t give up and fought tirelessly with end-to-end hockey, but couldn’t quite equalise on the night.

 

Great Britain men 3-0 The Netherlands men

Great Britain men also faced the Netherlands in their opening FIH Pro League match with an exciting battle for points in the new campaign.

Within five minutes the first shot at goal was from the Netherlands, but it was easily saved by Ollie Payne’s left hand. A goalless first quarter had both teams fired up and ready to hit the second.

After an intense 25 minutes GB had their first real chance on goal, the ball was well worked into the circle and Will Calnan got a shot off from a tight angle on the right.

Less than a minute later GB win a penalty corner and Nick Bandurak dragged low to the right, but goalkeeper Pirim Blaak saw it early and saved comfortably.

A quickly taken free hit by GB after Tom Sorsby was fouled in the middle of the pitch, saw Zach Wallace run straight at goal taking a reverse stick strike as soon as the ball entered the circle, putting one past Pirmin Blaak making it 1-0 to GB.

In the 30th minute, just before the half time hooter, Phil Roper and Rupert Shipperley worked in sync to extend GB’s lead into the second half.

GB’s Zach Wallace was awarded a penalty stroke in the 39th minute after the ball struck a player’s foot on the goal line and secured a 3-0 win for GB. Zach’s efforts awarding him player of the match.

 

Great Britain women 0-3 Argentina women

Great Britain’s women were overcome by an Argentinian side who took charge of the game in a third quarter blitz in Santiago del Estero.

The game was goalless at half time, with Argentina spurning the best opportunity as Agustina Gorzelany fired a penalty stroke just wide of Maddie Hinch’s left hand post.

Gorzelany earned redemption a minute into the second half though, finding the net at a penalty corner. Moments later Maria Granatto scored with a deft finish past Hinch, with Argentina breaking forward after pinching possession in British territory.

Still in an end-to-end third corner, Britain had a couple of half-decent sights of goal including a penalty corner, but Argentina again stole the ball deep into our half and Maria Campoy fired home.

Although Britain looked for a foothold in the game in the final 15 minutes, they were unable to fashion a goal from their attacking play.

 

Argentina men 1-1 Great Britain men

Britain’s men took two points from a pulsating encounter in Santiago del Estero.

A draw and a bonus point from the shootout was the least Paul Revington’s side deserved in a blood-and-thunder encounter.

With Britain coming into the game on the back of a super 3-0 win over the Netherlands, this game exploded into life as Maico Casella opened the scoring with a third minute penalty corner, only for Jack Waller to score with a super finish just two minutes later.

Phil Roper thought he had given Britain soon afterwards with a brilliant finish, and it was not immediately clear why the goal was disallowed.

Sam Ward and Argentina’s Agustin Bugallo were both shown yellow cards as the game continued to be a high tempo affair, and it was a surprise the game finished at 1-1. Britain thought they should have had a penalty corner in the final minute but the umpires did not agree with our referral that the ball was deliberately played off behind the back line.

So it was one point apiece for the draw, with an extra point available in a shootout. Argentina went one up, and both sides then thought they’d scored, only for it to be deemed outside the eight seconds allowed. Phil Roper scored beautifully, and with James Albery given the chance to win the shootout, he took the chance expertly.

 

Netherlands women 6-0 Great Britain women

Great Britain were beaten heavily by the Netherlands in Argentina as the Olympic, World and European Champions hit six on a tough night for GB women at the start of the new GB cycle.

It was actually GB who had the first real chance of the game, and in her second appearance Scotland’s Fiona Burnet had a good sight of goal but dragged wide at the near post with the ‘keeper out of position. A few moments later Sabbie Heesh had to make a good save in the British goal as Yibbi Jansen closed in.

It only took a moment more for the Dutch to take the lead though; Marijn Veen’s goal allowed to stand even though the umpire referred it, most likely for use of the back stick. From that moment on Paul van Ass’ side were in control of proceedings.

Just before the end of the first quarter Heesh made another smart save after a Dutch break down the left, then was again called into action soon after the restart to deny the advancing Freeke Moes.

But there was nothing she could do after a lovely combination between Pien Dicke and Felice Albers inside the D; the latter smacking home off the upright two minutes into the second quarter. Flora Peel then caused a bit of concern for the Dutch defence as her pass into the D was deflected, only for ‘keeper Josine Koning to boot clear.

After 25 it was three; Pien Sanders with a well-executed touch from a corner to put her side out of sight. Sophie Hamilton was not about to give up the cause though and danced into the D expertly, only to be repelled by Koning’s left foot just before the interval. 3-0 down at half time against a Dutch side who have only lost ten matches since 2013 was a big ask to say the least.

Britain steadied in the third quarter and could have scored on a couple of occasions. First it was the lively Hamilton who almost found the net, and then Izzy Petter was just unable to get what would surely have been a decisive touch on Amy Costello’s slapped cross into the D.

The Dutch made it four though within a minute of the restart; described by TV commentators as ‘absolutely magnificent’ and it was impossible to disagree. Marente Barentsen turned it home but it was a team goal of the highest order as a series of passes and interchanges down the right carved out the chance.

Britain looked to respond and again it was Hamilton who was causing problems – but the Dutch were frankly irrepressible and Veen made it 5-0 with nine remaining after another very tidy move. Lidewij Welten got in on the act as an understandably jaded British side could not stem the tide.

Full credit to the Dutch on the night, they were fantastic throughout. Now David Ralph’s Britain side go again on Sunday night against Argentina, looking to end this mini-tournament on a more positive note.

 

Great Britain men 1-1 Netherlands men

Making his debut in a Great Britain shirt; James Mazarelo pulled off a very smart save in the GB goal with a left-handed stop to repel a Dutch penalty corner just after the ten minute mark.

A moment later there was another hugely positive milestone as Nick Bandurak got his first goal in a Great Britain shirt, rocketing home a penalty corner. There was almost a second at the end of the quarter as Stuart Rushmere was denied and then Bandurak’s follow-up hit a British foot.

The second quarter was played at a high tempo, and Mazarelo made two good saves from corners while Pirmin Blaak’s gloves were stung by a rasper from Liam Ansell on the reverse. Thierry Brinkman was then inches away from an equaliser but his deflection went wide.

The third period saw an increased level of Dutch pressure, and they earned an equaliser on 42 as Thierry Brinkman cut inside expertly and smacked home for one apiece.

Neither side was able to find another goal in the last 15, so it was a point apiece and then a further bonus point up for grabs in the shootout. Again Mazarelo was excellent for Britain, proving his quality on his debut as Netherlands failed to score any of their four attempts. With James Albery and then Liam Ansell scoring, it was Paul Revington’s Britain who took the bonus point and made it seven from a possible nine points in this mini-tournament with one game to go on Sunday.

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