Great Britain ease through to Sunday’s final

3rd May 2012

Home » News » Great Britain ease through to Sunday’s final

Great Britain faced China today on the second day
of the Visa International Invitational Hockey Tournament. The
Beijing Silver medalists had plenty to prove following a 3-0 defeat
to Argentina yesterday.

Great Britain started brightly with a couple of
half chances inside the first five minutes. By the sixth
minute they had won their first penalty corner of the game which
Crista Cullen stepped up to fire home a trademark penalty corner
past Yimeng Zhang in China’s goal to make it 1-0.

China made very few attacks during the first half
and all the pressure was on their defence, which did well to keep
Great Britain at bay as they created a string of chances to score.
Reading’s Alex Danson and Clifton’s Georgie Twigg both won
their side penalty corners but the chances were not
converted.

On one of China’s rare breaks forward they did win
a penalty corner, but the shot was straight at Reading’s Beth
Storry who had not had much to do during the first 30 minutes.
China challenged the umpire’s decision to award a free hit to
Great Britain and the challenge was overturned, ruling that Storry
had pushed the ball forward. China set-up for another penalty
corner which was again saved by Storry in goal. That was the
last of the action in the first half and Great Britain went in 1-0
up.

On their return it took Great Britain just four
minutes to earn their first penalty corner of the half, Helen
Richardson using the video referral successfully after a Chinese
defender blocked a shot on goal with her body. The corner
resulted in another one being awarded which Crista Cullen once
again fired at the goal, but this time Zhang was equal to the shot
and saved well.

The game was played at a high tempo with three
yellow and two green cards shown. Early in the second half
Great Britain gained a one player advantage following a five minute
enforce break for Sinan Sun only to be followed one minute later by
Leicester’s Anne Panter to even the play back up again.

Great Britain continued to push forward though and
with 19 minutes to go they won another penalty corner which was
again saved by Zhang who was having a good game. Seconds
later Richardson made space for herself in the circle and hit a
surging pass across the face of the goal, but the diving Laura
Bartlett just couldn’t get her stick to it.

Great Britain had a plethora of penalty corner
decisions during the second half, three of which came in quick
succession mid way through the half. The first was blocked
and another awarded, the second was over turned following a great
run into the circle by Bartlett and the third was again saved by
Zhang.

In a rare break up the field China threatened the
GB goal following a mistake in the circle by Reading’s Emily
Maguire, but Storry stood tall to foil China’s attempts.

It was looking like it wouldn’t be Great Britain’s
day with converting chances, but with just two minutes to go
Richardson’s good work in the circle was rewarded when her
rebounded shot at goal came high in the air to University of
Birmingham’s Susie Gilbert who fired home a well deserved
goal.

In a thrilling finish GB won three successive
penalty corners, the last of which was finally converted. It
was another goal for Cullen as she followed up her initial shot and
hit it high into the netting for her second of the game to make it
3-0.

Speaking after the game GB head coach Danny Kerry
said, “We had a very quick debrief following yesterday’s game.
We knew exactly what we needed to do and I think we did it
today. I am still frustrated that we went into the break only
one goal up after the number of chances we had but I am really
pleased with the goals we did score, especially the second one
because we have been doing a lot of work on that in
training.”

Great Britain captain, Kate Walsh, added, “I think
we started very positively today and dominated large parts of the
game. We seemed to have more space to play in compared to
yesterday and it was really good to see some of the work we do in
training come off so successfully on the pitch.”

Great Britain women’s next game will take place on
Saturday at 11:45 against Argentina.

After two days of competition Great Britain are top
of the standings with six points and have guaranteed themselves a
place in the final on Sunday at 12:15.

Visa International Invitational Hockey Tournament
Fixtures & Results

Wednesday 2 May 2012

11:00 Argentina v China: 3-0

13:15 Great Britain v Korea: 1-0

Thursday 3 May 2012

11:00 Argentina v Korea: 0-0

13:15 China v Great Britain: 0-3

Saturday 5 May 2012

09:30 China v Korea

11:45 Great Britain v Argentina

Sunday 6 May 2012

09:30 Bronze medal match

12:15 Final

Visa International Invitational Hockey Tournament
Standings

Great Britain – 6 pts

Argentina – 4 pts

Korea – 1 pt

China – 0 pts

GREAT BRITAIN TEAM v CHINA

Started

Beth Storry (Reading) [Goalkeeper]

Emily Maguire (Reading) [Defender]

Crista Cullen (Leicester) [Defender]

Kate Walsh (Reading) [Defender]

Anne Panter (Leicester) [Defender]

Chloe Rogers (Leicester) [Midfielder]

Laura Bartlett (Reading) [Midfielder]

Rebecca Herbert (Leicester) [Forward]

Ashleigh Ball (Slough) [Midfielder]

Nicola White (Slough) [Forward]

Sarah Thomas (No Club) [Forward]

Used Substitutes

Laura Unsworth (Reading) [Defender]

Susie Gilbert (University of Birmingham)
[Midfielder]

Helen Richardson (Reading) [Midfielder]

Georgie Twigg (Clifton) [Midfielder/Forward]

Alex Danson (Reading) [Forward]

Did Not Play

Hannah Macleod (Leicester) [Midfielder]

Natalie Seymour (EuroCanterbury) [Defender]

Great Britain faced China today on the second day of the
Visa International Invitational Hockey Tournament. The
Beijing Silver medalists had plenty to prove following a 3-0 defeat
to Argentina yesterday.

Great Britain started brightly with a couple of half chances
inside the first five minutes. By the sixth minute they had
won their first penalty corner of the game which Crista Cullen
stepped up to fire home a trademark penalty corner past Yimeng
Zhang in China’s goal to make it 1-0.

China made very few attacks during the first half and all the
pressure was on their defence, which did well to keep Great Britain
at bay as they created a string of chances to score.
Reading’s Alex Danson and Clifton’s Georgie Twigg both won
their side penalty corners but the chances were not converted.

On one of China’s rare breaks forward they did win a penalty
corner, but the shot was straight at Reading’s Beth Storry who had
not had much to do during the first 30 minutes. China
challenged the umpire’s decision to award a free hit to Great
Britain and the challenge was overturned, ruling that Storry had
pushed the ball forward. China set-up for another penalty
corner which was again saved by Storry in goal. That was the
last of the action in the first half and Great Britain went in 1-0
up.

On their return it took Great Britain just four minutes to earn
their first penalty corner of the half, Helen Richardson using the
video referral successfully after a Chinese defender blocked a shot
on goal with her body. The corner resulted in another one
being awarded which Crista Cullen once again fired at the goal, but
this time Zhang was equal to the shot and saved well.

The game was played at a high tempo with three yellow and two
green cards shown. Early in the second half Great Britain
gained a one player advantage following a five minute enforce break
for Sinan Sun only to be followed one minute later by Leicester’s
Anne Panter to even the play back up again.

Great Britain continued to push forward though and with 19
minutes to go they won another penalty corner which was again saved
by Zhang who was having a good game. Seconds later Richardson
made space for herself in the circle and hit a surging pass across
the face of the goal, but the diving Laura Bartlett just couldn’t
get her stick to it.

Great Britain had a plethora of penalty corner decisions during
the second half, three of which came in quick succession mid way
through the half. The first was blocked and another awarded,
the second was over turned following a great run into the circle by
Bartlett and the third was again saved by Zhang.

In a rare break up the field China threatened the GB goal
following a mistake in the circle by Reading’s Emily Maguire, but
Storry stood tall to foil China’s attempts.

It was looking like it wouldn’t be Great Britain’s day with
converting chances, but with just two minutes to go Richardson’s
good work in the circle was rewarded when her rebounded shot at
goal came high in the air to University of Birmingham’s Susie
Gilbert who fired home a well deserved goal.

In a thrilling finish GB won three successive penalty corners,
the last of which was finally converted. It was another goal
for Cullen as she followed up her initial shot and hit it high into
the netting for her second of the game to make it 3-0.

Speaking after the game GB head coach Danny Kerry said, “We had
a very quick debrief following yesterday’s game. We knew
exactly what we needed to do and I think we did it today. I
am still frustrated that we went into the break only one goal up
after the number of chances we had but I am really pleased with the
goals we did score, especially the second one because we have been
doing a lot of work on that in training.”

Great Britain captain, Kate Walsh, added,

“I think we started very positively today and dominated large
parts of the game. We seemed to have more space to play in
compared to yesterday and it was really good to see some of the
work we do in training come off so successfully on the pitch.”

Great Britain women’s next game will take place on Saturday at
11:45 against Argentina.

After two days of competition Great Britain are top of the
standings with six points and have guaranteed themselves a place in
the final on Sunday at 12:15.