Scotland secure important three points with win against Italy

 

Unibet EuroHockey Championships 2015 (W)

Pool B Result

Scotland (Leigh Fawcett 31′, Becky Merchant 36′, Kareena Marshall 39′ ) 3 -1 Italy (Chiara Tiddi 37′)

Scotland Senior Women secured a vital 3-1 win over Italy in their final EuroHockey Nations Championship Pool B match today.

Goals from captain Leigh Fawcett, Becky Merchant on her 100th international appearance, and defender Kareena Marshall ensured that the Scots will carry through three important points to the Pool C stage, where they will face matches against Belgium or Spain and Poland.

Italy’s solitary strike came from captain Chiara Tiddi.

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(Kareena Marshall celebrates her goal with player of the match Nikki Kidd. Photo Credit: Ady Kerry)

Following the win, Scotland’s Unibet Player of the Match Nikki Kidd said, “It was an important win for us as we’re targeting a place in the top six. The win against Italy was obviously crucial; we’ve gone out and done that. We’re very happy.

“We had a good chat at half-time, we wanted to step it up and really put the pressure on them. When Tiddi went off, we had a plan about what we were going to do when they went down to ten and nine [players]. We went out and executed that.

“We targeted this game so if need be, we would carry the three points through. We need to put this game to bed, re-focus on the next game and go out and achieve our objective.”

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(Captain Leigh Fawcett opened the scoring for Scotland against Italy. Photo Credit: Ady Kerry)

A goalless first half was characterised by frantic periods of play and neither side really truly troubled the goalkeepers at each end of the pitch.

Shortly before the end of the first period, the Italians were awarded three penalty corners in a row, but could only manage a speculative shot on goal at the third attempt from captain Chiara Tiddi that Scotland goalkeeper Amy Gibson made light work of.

A further penalty corner set-piece came the way of the Azzurri right on the first quarter hooter but Marcela Casale was unable to connect with Maria Socino’s shot to the back post.

Scottish hopes of scoring an opening goal were boosted when Italy were reduced to nine players for a green and yellow card in quick succession during the second quarter.

Disappointingly, the Scots were only able to fashion one penalty corner opportunity, which Italian goalkeeper Martin Chirico diverted away from goal after Emily Maguire’s reverse stick strike looked destined for the bottom right corner.

Just before half-time, Nikki Lloyd’s snap-shot from the right of the circle was dealt with easily by Chirico and an otherwise scrappy, tense first half concluded with no further goalmouth action.

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(Nikki Llloyd on the attack against Italy. Photo Credit: Ady Kerry)

With Head Coach Gordon Shepherd visibly and audibly frustrated with a lacklustre first half performance from his players, Scotland re-emerged for the second half with greater attacking intent.

Indeed, the game burst into life inside sixty seconds of the re-start after a Scottish penalty corner award.

Nikki Kidd’s initial drag-flick attempt was saved by Chirico, Vikki Bunce’s follow-up was also blocked by the Italian shot-stopper, but the ball fell invitingly to captain Leigh Fawcett to stroke her first international goal into the net to open the scoring.

In echoes of the set-piece that heralded the opening goal against England last Saturday, another penalty corner saw Kidd return the ball to injector Sarah Robertson but unfortunately her cross could not be converted by Bunce.

Sandwiched between two excellent Chirico saves from Kidd drag-flicks, a great chance fell to cap centurion Becky Merchant but the Edinburgh University star could only put the ball wide after great build-up play down the left flank.

Relentless Scottish pressure on the Italian defence was rewarded with a second goal in the 36th minute though.

Maguire and Merchant’s initial attempts were valiantly denied by Chirico but the follow-up from Merchant was bundled into her own net by defender Constanza Aguirre.

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(Scotland rejoice after a vital second goal. Photo Credit: Ady Kerry)

Yet, Italy responded to their hardship in immediate fashion a minute later when Tiddi’s shot from just inside the circle beat a melee of players in front of her and cross the goal-line to reduce the deficit to one goal.

Shortly after, Amy Brodie and Louise Campbell found themselves with a two-on-one opportunity with Chirico dashing off her goal-line to narrow the angle for a shot but her defensive colleagues transpired to give away a penalty corner for illegal use of the foot

Up-stepped Kareena Marshall from the resulting set-play to deflect the ball low into the bottom left corner from Davis’ shot and restore her side’s two goal lead.

Italy had two excellent chances at the start of the fourth quarter but neither Giuliana Ruggieri nor Valentina Braconi could demonstrate the necessary application to find the back of the net.

In the final piece of goalmouth action, a brilliant run and cross from Becky Ward was gathered by Robertson with her back to goal, but her reverse stick attempt went the wrong side of the left hand post.

Scotland Senior Women: Amy Brodie, Leigh Fawcett, captain (both Grove Menzieshill), Fiona Bruce, Ali Howie, Susan McGilveray, Nicki Skrastin (all Clydesdale Western), Louise Campbell, Nikki Cochrane, Becky Merchant (all Edinburgh University), Vikki Bunce, Becky Ward (both Dundee Wanderers), Aileen Davis (Clifton), Amy Gibson (Slough), Nikki Kidd (Mannheimer), Nikki Lloyd (Wimbledon), Emily Maguire (Reading), Kareena Marshall (Western Wildcats), Sarah Robertson (Holcolme)

Visit the official EuroHockey 2015 website for information on the competition.

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