Scotland Win 4 Nations Tournament

SCOTLAND’S senior men’s team were today reflecting on winning the Four Nations trophy in Poland by topping a table which contained sides eight and nine places above them in the world rankings, writes Nigel Duncan.

Coach Derek Forsyth guided his men to a 2-2 draw in their opener against France, ranked No 17 in the world.

Scotland followed with a 5-4 win over hosts Poland, rated No 18 in the world, and completed their unbeaten run with a 4-0 victory over Italy who are ranked No 34.

Kenny Bain was presented with a commemorative Quaich before the Italy game to celebrate his 150th game for Scotland.

Sean Hadfield (Grange) secured a shutout on his senior debut against Italy and three other players – Patrick Christie (Durham University), Duncan Riddell (Grove Menzieshill) and Ed Greaves (Loughborough University) – also made their Scotland senior debuts in the opening game against France.

Coach Forsyth was pleased to open the squad’s season with the win and to have welcomed four new players to international hockey as he strives to build a squad with real depth for the World League, Round 1, in Glasgow from September 6-11. There, Scotland play Switzerland, Wales, Portugal and Slovakia.

In Poland, Scotland, ranked No 26 in the world, finished on top of the table with the hosts second, France third and Italy, who come to Glasgow for three internationals in August, in fourth place.

Greaves, Hamish Imrie (Beeston), Cameron Fraser (Grange) and Willie Marshall (Surbiton), who captained the team against France and Poland, scored two goals each during the tournament.

Cammy Fraser (Grange) scored 53 minutes into his return to the international scene after a five-year absence, slotting home from a penalty corner. Greaves netted nine minutes later on his senior debut, nipping in front of a defender from a Fraser cross to prod the ball home to put the Scots 2-1 ahead. France’s drag-flick No 1 Victor Charlet, the team captain, netted his second penalty corner with four minutes remaining to deny Scotland victory.

Scotland started strongly against the highly-fancied Poles in high wind and driving rain and Imrie netted after nine minutes, deflecting the ball home from an acute angle on the right. Poland then hit Scotland with a double salvo in the 21st and 22nd minutes to go 2-1 ahead but Forsyth’s men did not buckle and Greaves scored his second in two games after 23 minutes. Poland went ahead again after 28 minutes and the scoreline stayed that way until the break but Scotland secured a confidence-boosting win with three goals in eight devastating second-half minutes. Marshall scored to level from a penalty corner after 56 minutes, slamming the ball home from the middle of the circle, before Imrie scored his second four minutes later. Poland were back on level terms two minutes after that but Nicholas Parkes (Surbiton) dived to prod the ball home through a ruck of players with six minutes remaining to secure the win following a penalty corner award.

Scotland took 31 minutes to break through the Italians in the final game despite dominating the early play, Michael Bremner, who plays his hockey in Germany, taking his time to pick a spot and firing home following a penalty corner. Amsterdam-based Bain, who was captain for the day to mark his 150th cap, then scored No 2 ten minutes later and five minutes after that Marshall was again on target from a penalty corner. Fraser completed the win with a fourth, also from a penalty corner, after 51 minutes.

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