Scotland narrowly defeated despite towering performance against England

 

EuroHockey Nations Championship: Scotland (Kidd 48′) 1-2 England (Macleod 35′, Quek 53′)

Despite a valiant and dominant performance, Scotland Senior Women were desperately unlucky to go down to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of world number four England in the EuroHockey Nations Championships in Belgium today.

A second half penalty corner drag-flick from Scotland midfielder Nikki Kidd had deservedly cancelled out Hannah McLeod’s opener for England on the stroke of half-time, but Samantha Quek netted the winning goal midway through the second period to leave the Scots disappointed at full-time.

The national side will now progress to the relegation pool beginning on Thursday, where two wins may be required to retain their place in the competition for 2015. Their likely opponents will be Ireland and Belarus.

Speaking to the BBC’s reporter Ollie Williams, Scotland defender Emily Maguire said, “Maybe we’ll look back and think it was a good performance, but we know we could have got something out of that game.”

“We’re not quite the finished article yet, we’ve got the finishing touches to put on things,” said Maguire. “But now we’ve got two more really crucial matches to fight for our survival and I know we’re going to go out there and give it everything.”

“Maybe we’ll look back and think it was a good performance, but we know we could have got something out of that game,” said Scotland’s Emily Maguire.
“We’re not quite the finished article yet, we’ve got the finishing touches to put on things,” said Maguire.
“But now we’ve got two more really crucial matches to fight for our survival and I know we’re going to go out there and give it everything.”

 

Maguire v Eng 2

(Scotland’s Emily Maguire battles for the ball. Credit: Frank Uijlenbroek)

It was England who started well in the opening stages, forcing a penalty corner that was well cleared by the Scottish defence in the second minute, while Scotland goalkeeper Amy Gibson had to be alert to deny both Alex Danson and Laura Unsworth in the eighth minute. England captain Kate Walsh dispatched a penalty corner attempt only sixty seconds later but it flashed wide of the target.

The Scots began to settle into the match however and Catriona Ralph forced England goalkeeper Maddie Hinch into a smart save from a penalty corner in the 12th minute. Two minutes later, good work from Vikki Bunce enabled Scotland to have another opportunity from the set-piece but again Hinch was alive to Ralph’s attempt and the ball was cleared from the danger area.

Gibson was then called into action in the 16th minute to prevent a Scottish own goal as the ball bobbled toward the goal-line, before Kareena Marshall made an excellent defensive block from Walsh’s penalty corner two minutes later to keep the score deadlocked at 0-0.

With England down to nine players following two green cards, Scotland started to dominate proceedings and chances fell to Emily Maguire, Nikki Kidd and Nikki Lloyd inside a three minute burst, only for Hinch again to prove England’s saviour in goal.

Maguire v Eng

(Scotland’s Emily Maguire in action against England. Credit: Frank Uijlenbroek)

The England number one made her best save of the half to prevent Bunce and Ali Bell combining to open the scoring with a timely diving intervention to snuff out the Grove Menzieshill attacker.

With Scotland on top as the first half drew to close, England struck a cruel blow right on the stroke of half-time when Hannah McLeod turned in a cross at the back post to put her side 1-0 up at the interval, a goal that came very much against the run of play.

Nevertheless, Gordon Shepherd’s side started the second half in determined mode and opportunities were carved out by Linda Clement and Lloyd as both players came close to giving Scotland an equalising goal.

Moreover, it was Hinch again who thwarted the Scots when she made a good block from Maguire’s shot on target ten minutes into the second period.

The pressure on the England goal finally paid off in the 48th minute though when Walsh was penalised for use of a foot inside the circle. Up stepped Kidd to rifle home the resulting penalty corner past Hinch to put Scotland deservedly back on level terms at 1-1.

Kidd v Enga

(Nikki Kidd fires home Scotland’s equalising goal against England. Credit: Frank Uijlenbroek)

Kidd Maguire Eng

(Emily Maguire celebrates with Scotland goalscorer Nikki Kidd. Credit: Frank Uijlenbroek)

Unfortunately, the lead only lasted five minutes as England regained their one goal advantage. An English counter-attack ended up with Gibson saving well from the first attempt on target but Samantha Quek was quick to capitalise on the subsequent rebound and divert the ball into the left hand corner of the goal.

The Scots continued to exert pressure on the English defence, and were awarded four penalty corners in a row shortly afterwards, but a combination of Hinch and good defending denied both Ralph and Bunce from getting a second Scotland goal.

Nine minutes from time, striker Holly Cram thought she had restored parity when she turned in Bunce’s cross from the right but the goal was chalked off by the umpires for illegal use of the foot.

Cram vs Eng

(Striker Holly Cram is convinced of her argument against her disllowed goal. Credit: Frank Uijlenbroek)

With Scotland still in the ascendency as full-time approached, they had a massive opportunity to grab an equaliser right at the death when Bunce expertly created space for herself on the right flank, only for her dangerous cross to be missed by both Kidd and Lloyd with the goal at their mercy.

The full-time hooter sounded with Scotland’s players and coaches knowing they had been desperately unlucky not to take anything from the match.

Merchant v Eng

(Defender Becky Merchant disappointed at the full-time hooter. Credit: Frank Uijlenbroek

For all Scotland’s fixtures, results and pool position, please visit the EuroHockey 2013 website.

Scotland Senior Women: Amy Gibson (Clydesdale Western), Nicola Cochrane (Edinburgh University), Vikki Bunce (Dundee Wanderers), Morag McLellan (Clydesdale Western), Alison Bell (Grove Menzieshill), Catriona Ralph (Clydesdale Western), Samantha Judge (Edinburgh University), Holly Cram (Clydesdale Western), Linda Clement (Captain, Grove Menzieshill), Kareena Marshall (Western Wildcats), Leigh Fawcett (Grove Menzieshill), Rebecca Merchant (Edinburgh University), Nikki Kidd (Edinburgh University), Susan McGilveray (Clydesdale Western), Nicola Lloyd (Sevenoaks), Alison Howie (Clydesdale Western), Nicola Skrastin (Clydesdale Western), Emily Maguire (Reading).

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