Great Britain men go down 3-1 to Germany on day one of the Test Event

3rd May 2012

Home » News » Great Britain men go down 3-1 to Germany on day one of the Test Event

In their first game at the Visa International
Invitational Hockey Tournament Great Britain gave a gutsy
performance against Beijing Olympic Gold medallists Germany, but
found themselves on the end of a 3-1 defeat.

In the absence of East Grinstead’s Barry Middleton,
club teammate Glenn Kirkham took over the role of Captain for the
match.

The game started at a fierce tempo, both sides with
chances early doors. Germany had the best of these chances with two
penalty corners inside the first five minutes. The first of
which was well saved by goalkeeper James Fair of Cannock and the
second of which was stopped by Reading’s Iain Mackay at the expense
of an injury which saw him take little part in the rest of the
game.

The match was played with fantastic home support;
the 4000 strong crowd singing throughout the game despite the
persistent rain.

Mid-way through the first half Surbiton’s Richard
Alexander found himself with time on the edge of the circle after
some neat 1-2-1 play with Ashley Jackson, but his searching pass
across goal didn’t manage to find a stick.

When the Germans did attack they looked dangerous,
but the defensive line stood strong; Richard Smith with a fantastic
block to stop one goal bound shot and Fair looked making several
top draw saves to keep Germany at bay.

The video umpire was called on successfully by Iain
Lewers and Great Britain with ten minutes left to overturn a
penalty corner decision. In the final few minutes of the half
a chance fell to Germany as they piled bodies into the circle to
attack, but Matthias Witthaus shot wide from a narrow angle leaving
the score line blank at half time.

The first goal came in somewhat unusual
circumstances at the very start of the second half as Great Britain
were still returning to the pitch. The Germans were instructed to
start by the officials and immediately attacked the scrambling GB
defence; Florian Fuchs hitting a deflected shot past Fair in
goal.

Following some good build up play, Surbiton’s James
Tindall created space inside the circle and hit a good reverse
stick shot at Nicolas Jacobi in the German goal who made a good
save. Germany went down to ten men for five minutes following
a yellow card for Tobias Hauke on 44 minutes.

With a one man advantage Great Britain pushed
forward with some good build up play, but the only half chance fell
to Ashley Jackson who cheekily flicked a ball backwards towards
goal only to see it come off the post after the keeper had been
beaten.

The second goal came on the 52nd minute; a straight
forward penalty corner routine finished off by Christopher Zeller
who drove the ball low and to the left of a diving Fair. It
took just another two minutes for the Germans to take a three goal
lead as Great Britain gave away a penalty stroke for a stick tackle
on Thilo Stralkowski in the circle. Moritz Fuerste adding his name
to the score sheet.

With just nine minutes to go Great Britain won
their first penalty corner of the half. Some intricate
passing between Jackson and Smith resulted in a penalty stroke
being awarded, which Jackson finished with precision flicking the
ball into the top left of the netting to bring a goal back.

Great Britain pushed forward and in the final
minute they were awarded another penalty corner. Once again
the duo of Jackson and Smith lined up, but this time Jackson shot
just wide of the left hand post leaving the final score at
3-1.

Speaking after the game GB Head Coach Jason Lee
said, “This was our first game with the crowd in the Olympic Park
and it’s encouraging to think that the 16,000 Olympic crowd is
going to be four times noisier than the 4000 we had tonight.
The result today is a little disappointing, particularly one
of the goals, but there is a lot to be optimistic about and I think
that the performances of both teams will be better in the
summer.”

Earlier on in the day Australia beat India 3-0 to
top the pool. Great Britain’s next encounter is against India
tomorrow at 18:30.

Great Britain men’s Squad v Germany

Name (Club) Position

Started

James Fair (Cannock) Goalkeeper

Iain Lewers (East Grinstead) Defender

Richard Smith (Loughborough Students)
Defender

Ali Wilson (Beeston) Defender

Ben Hawes (Wimbledon) Defender/Midfielder

Ashley Jackson (East Grinstead) Midfielder

Glenn Kirkham (East Grinstead) Midfielder

Iain Mackay (Reading) Midfielder

Harry Martin (Old Loughtonians) Midfielder

Mark Pearn (East Grinstead) Forward

James Tindall (Surbiton) Forward

Sustitutes Used

Richard Alexander (Surbiton)
Midfielder/Forward

Jonty Clarke (Reading) Forward

Simon Mantell (Reading) Forward

Dan Fox (Hampstead and Westminster) Defender

Nick Catlin (Reading) Midfielder/Forward

Did Not Play

Adam Dixon (Beeston) Defender/Midfielder

Rob Moore (Surbiton) Midfielder/Forward

Visa International Invitational Hockey Tournament
Standings

Australia 3 pts

Germany 3 pts

Great Britain 0 pts

India 0 pts

In the absence of East Grinstead’s Barry
Middleton, club teammate Glenn Kirkham took over the role of
Captain for the match.

The game started at a fierce tempo, both sides with chances
early doors. Germany had the best of these chances with two penalty
corners inside the first five minutes. The first of which was
well saved by goalkeeper James Fair of Cannock and the second of
which was stopped by Reading’s Iain Mackay at the expense of an
injury which saw him take little part in the rest of the game.

The match was played with fantastic home support; the 4000
strong crowd singing throughout the game despite the persistent
rain

Mid-way through the first half Surbiton’s Richard Alexander
found himself with time on the edge of the circle after some neat
1-2-1 play with Ashley Jackson, but his searching pass across goal
didn’t manage to find a stick.

When the Germans did attack they looked dangerous, but the
defensive line stood strong; Richard Smith with a fantastic block
to stop one goal bound shot and Fair looked making several top draw
saves to keep Germany at bay

The video umpire was called on successfully by Iain Lewers and
Great Britain with ten minutes left to overturn a penalty corner
decision. In the final few minutes of the half a chance fell
to Germany as they piled bodies into the circle to attack, but
Matthias Witthaus shot wide from a narrow angle leaving the score
line blank at half time.

The first goal came in somewhat unusual circumstances at the
very start of the second half as Great Britain were still returning
to the pitch. The Germans were instructed to start by the officials
and immediately attacked the scrambling GB defence; Florian Fuchs
hitting a deflected shot past Fair in goal.

Following some good build up play, Surbiton’s James Tindall
created space inside the circle and hit a good reverse stick shot
at Nicolas Jacobi in the German goal who made a good save.
Germany went down to ten men for five minutes following a
yellow card for Tobias Hauke on 44 minutes.

With a one man advantage Great Britain pushed forward with some
good build up play, but the only half chance fell to Ashley Jackson
who cheekily flicked a ball backwards towards goal only to see it
come off the post after the keeper had been beaten.

The second goal came on the 52nd minute; a straight forward
penalty corner routine finished off by Christopher Zeller who drove
the ball low and to the left of a diving Fair. It took just
another two minutes for the Germans to take a three goal lead as
Great Britain gave away a penalty stroke for a stick tackle on
Thilo Stralkowski in the circle. Moritz Fuerste adding his name to
the score sheet.

With just nine minutes to go Great Britain won their first
penalty corner of the half. Some intricate passing between Jackson
and Smith resulted in a penalty stroke being awarded, which Jackson
finished with precision flicking the ball into the top left of the
netting to bring a goal back.

Great Britain pushed forward and in the final minute they were
awarded another penalty corner. Once again the duo of Jackson
and Smith lined up, but this time Jackson shot just wide of the
left hand post leaving the final score at 3-1.

Speaking after the game GB Head Coach Jason Lee said, “This was
our first game with the crowd in the Olympic Park and it’s
encouraging to think that the 16,000 Olympic crowd is going to be
four times noisier than the 4000 we had tonight. The result
today is a little disappointing, particularly one of the goals, but
there is a lot to be optimistic about and I think that the
performances of both teams will be better in the summer.”

Earlier on in the day Australia beat India 3-0 to top the pool.
Great Britain’s next encounter is against India tomorrow at
18:30.

Great Britain men’s Squad v Germany