Scotland face familiar foes Ireland as Commonwealth Games loom large

 

With just over a month to go until the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Scotland Senior Women continue their preparations for this summer’s showcase with two international matches against familiar foes Ireland at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre this week.
Following last week’s team announcement in Stirling, Head Coach Gordon Shepherd will now work with the sixteen selected players and four named reserves during the forthcoming internationals to shape his final plans for the Games.
Scottish vice-captain and Grove Menzieshill defender Leigh Fawcett is in line to win her 100th international cap in the first match against the Irish.
Discussing his side’s chances against Ireland, Shepherd said, “Now the team announcement is public the girls are a bit more relaxed. The process of selection for those in and out is always a tough one. They have been in a training phase, working hard and have been really looking forward to the games coming up. Now it’s about going out and seeing if we have made the improvements we needed, which I think we have as the girls have been working hard.
“It will be a real test against Ireland; when they played in Glasgow they finished second in the Champions Challenge so we know we have to step up our game but that’s what it’s about. The games against Spain coming up and the Investec Cup in London too, it’s all about improving all the time and we are all really looking forward to it.
The national side have clashed against their Celtic opponents several times over the last few seasons, with the two teams evenly matched, although the Scots can claim a slim superiority after winning a relegation decider to dump their adversaries out of the European Championship last summer.
Ireland come into the series in good form after claiming a silver medal in the Women’s FIH Champions Challenge staged in Glasgow last month.
For Irish Head Coach Darren Smith and his charges, the games against the Scots represent the start of his side’s preparations for the World League competition on home soil next year.
Scotland Senior Women: Nicola Cochrane (Edinburgh University), Vikki Bunce (Dundee Wanderers), Morag McLellan (Clydesdale Western), Alison Bell (Grove Menzieshill), Rebecca Ward (Dundee Wanderers), Catriona Ralph (Clydesdale Western), Sarah Robertson (Edinburgh University), Holly Cram (Clydesdale Western), Linda Clement (Grove Menzieshill), Ailsa Wyllie (Grove Menzieshill), Leigh Fawcett (Grove Menzieshill), Rebecca Merchant (Edinburgh University), Nikki Kidd (Canterbury), Susan McGilveray (Clydesdale Western), Nicola Lloyd (Canterbury), Alison Howie (Clydesdale Western), Nicola Skrastin (Clydesdale Western), Emily Maguire (Reading), Aileen Davis (Clifton), Amy Gibson (Old Loughtonians).

With just over a month to go until the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Scotland Senior Women continue their preparations for this summer’s showcase with two international matches against familiar foes Ireland at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre this week.

Following last week’s team announcement in Stirling, Head Coach Gordon Shepherd will now work with the sixteen selected players and four named reserves during the forthcoming internationals to shape his final plans for the Games.

Scottish vice-captain and Grove Menzieshill defender Leigh Fawcett is in line to win her 100th international cap in the first match against the Irish.

Leigh Fawcett v Ireland

(Scotland defender Leigh Fawcett in action against Ireland at the European Championship last summer.)

Discussing his side’s chances against Ireland, Shepherd said, “Now the team announcement is public the girls are a bit more relaxed. The process of selection for those in and out is always a tough one. They have been in a training phase, working hard and have been really looking forward to the games coming up. Now it’s about going out and seeing if we have made the improvements we needed, which I think we have as the girls have been working hard.

“It will be a real test against Ireland; when they played in Glasgow they finished second in the Champions Challenge so we know we have to step up our game but that’s what it’s about. The games against Spain coming up and the Investec Cup in London too, it’s all about improving all the time and we are all really looking forward to it.

The national side have clashed against their Celtic opponents several times over the last few seasons, with the two teams evenly matched, although the Scots can claim a slim superiority after winning a relegation decider to dump their adversaries out of the European Championship last summer.

Ireland come into the series in good form after claiming a silver medal in the Women’s FIH Champions Challenge staged in Glasgow last month.

For Irish Head Coach Darren Smith and his charges, the games against the Scots represent the start of his side’s preparations for the World League competition on home soil next year.

Scotland Senior Women: Nicola Cochrane (Edinburgh University), Vikki Bunce (Dundee Wanderers), Morag McLellan (Clydesdale Western), Alison Bell (Grove Menzieshill), Rebecca Ward (Dundee Wanderers), Catriona Ralph (Clydesdale Western), Sarah Robertson (Edinburgh University), Holly Cram (Clydesdale Western), Linda Clement (Grove Menzieshill), Ailsa Wyllie (Grove Menzieshill), Leigh Fawcett (Grove Menzieshill), Rebecca Merchant (Edinburgh University), Nikki Kidd (Canterbury), Susan McGilveray (Clydesdale Western), Nicola Lloyd (Canterbury), Alison Howie (Clydesdale Western), Nicola Skrastin (Clydesdale Western), Emily Maguire (Reading), Aileen Davis (Clifton), Amy Gibson (Old Loughtonians).

Match Schedule:
20 June – Scotland Women v Ireland, Glasgow National Hockey Centre, 7pm
22 June – Scotland Women v Ireland, Glasgow National Hockey Centre, 1pm

 

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