Scots lose out to South Africa in Champions Challenge quarter-final

 

Women’s FIH Champions Challenge I, Pool A Result,
Glasgow National Hockey Centre, Scotland
Scotland (Emily Maguire 64′) 1-2 South Africa (Shelley Russell 1′, 37′)
Scotland Senior Women missed out a semi-final place in the Women’s Champions Challenge after falling 2-1 to South Africa in tonight’s last eight encounter at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.
Two goals from Shelley Russell was the difference between the two sides in the end, Emily Maguire scoring the Scots’ goal late on.
Scotland now progress to the Classification matches this weekend, meeting Korea on Saturday morning (09.00)
A disappointed Scotland Senior Women Head Coach Gordon Shepherd said, “We didn’t play for seventy minutes today, we got caught cold right at the start when they scored so that was a tough one to take. It gave South Africa huge confidence and the players got a bit nervous.
“We gave them a stern talk at half-time and in the second half they were much better than the level at which they had been playing, causing them some problems but not as many as we would have liked. The girls showed character in the second half and we’ve told them to take away the positives to build on for the rest of the summer so we can improve.
We know we can get better and we just need to show that level of consistency in the performances we deliver from now on.”
Scotland got off to the worst possible start, conceding the opening goal inside the first minute. Shelley Russell picked the ball up in midfield, subsequently driving into the circle to dispatch a low shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net to give South Africa an early 1-0 lead.
Striker Ailsa Wyllie attempted to get the Scots back on level terms in the ninth minute, cutting in from the right flank into the circle but South African goalkeeper Anelle van Deventer was quickly out from her goal to smother the Grove Menzieshill star’s shot.
Nicki Skrastin was next in line to seek an equalising goal, but her shot on goal was miscued wide of the target after she had engineered a promising opening inside the circle.
South Africa were awarded a penalty corner in the 15th minute for an illegal tackle but Scotland goalkeeper Amy Gibson made light work of Lisa Marie Deetlefs’ attempt on goal.
An excellent break from Sulette Damons down the right flank ended in disappointment as her shot was rushed and skewed well wide of the Scottish goal, while Kathleen Taylor squandered a golden opportunity to extend her side’s lead shortly before the half-time break, thundering the ball past the right hand upright from close range.
The last action of a fairly nervous first half for both sides saw Deetlefs’ second penalty corner strike being saved by Gibson’s stick.
Having conceded inside the first minute of the first half, the Scots suffered a similar fate at the start of the second half, South Africa going 2-0 up in the 37th minute. Deetlefs struck a low drive towards goal from a penalty corner, with Russell intervening in the ball’s trajectory to deflect it past Gibson for her second goal of the game and silence the home crowd.
South Africa looked to put the game out of sight for the national side shortly after; Celia Evans narrowly missing out at the back post following Taylor’s drive across goal, and Damons squeezing the ball off the toe of her stick when the goal was at her mercy.
Scotland were awarded a penalty corner in the 52nd minute, defender Becky Merchant switching to Aileen Davis but the Clifton defender’s shot was easily dealt with by van Deventer.
Three minutes later, both Lilian du Plessis and Bernadette Coston was denied by a fantastic double save from Gibson.
Olympian Emily Maguire then breathed life into Scotland’s efforts to claw back their deficit, bundling home the home side’s first goal in the 64th minute after captain Linda Clement had crashed a Nikki Lloyd pass off the underside of the bar.
However, it was South Africa who closed out the contest at 2-1 and progressed to Saturday’s semi-finals.
Please visit the FIH Women’s Champions Challenge website http://events.fih.ch/new/competition/284 for full information including match reports, highlights, fixtures, results and pool standings.
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), Linda Clement (Captain, Grove Menzieshill), Ailsa Wyllie (Grove Menzieshill), Leigh Fawcett (Grove Menzieshill), Rebecca Merchant (Edinburgh University), Nikki Kidd (Canterbury), Susan McGilveray (Clydesdale Western), Nicola Lloyd (Canterbury), Nicola Skrastin (Clydesdale Western), Emily Maguire (Reading), Aileen Davis (Clifton), Amy Gibson (Old Loughtonians).

Women’s FIH Champions Challenge I, Pool A Result, Glasgow National Hockey Centre, Scotland

Scotland (Emily Maguire 64′) 1-2 South Africa (Shelley Russell 1′, 37′)

Scotland Senior Women missed out a semi-final place in the Women’s Champions Challenge after falling 2-1 to South Africa in tonight’s last eight encounter at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.

Two goals from Shelley Russell was the difference between the two sides in the end, Emily Maguire scoring the Scots’ goal late on.

Scotland now progress to the Classification matches this weekend, meeting Korea on Saturday morning (09.00)

BSC_9914

(Scotland’s Emily Maguire celebrates her late goal against South Africa Photo Credit: Duncan Gray)

A disappointed Scotland Senior Women Head Coach Gordon Shepherd said, “We didn’t play for seventy minutes today, we got caught cold right at the start when they scored so that was a tough one to take. It gave South Africa huge confidence and the players got a bit nervous.

“We gave them a stern talk at half-time and in the second half they were much better than the level at which they had been playing, causing them some problems but not as many as we would have liked. The girls showed character in the second half and we’ve told them to take away the positives to build on for the rest of the summer so we can improve.

We know we can get better and we just need to show that level of consistency in the performances we deliver from now on.”

Scotland got off to the worst possible start, conceding the opening goal inside the first minute. Shelley Russell picked the ball up in midfield, subsequently driving into the circle to dispatch a low shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net to give South Africa an early 1-0 lead.

DSC_4677

(South Africa team celebrate the winning goal from Shelley Russell, centre. Photo Credit Duncan Gray)

Striker Ailsa Wyllie attempted to get the Scots back on level terms in the ninth minute, cutting in from the right flank into the circle but South African goalkeeper Anelle van Deventer was quickly out from her goal to smother the Grove Menzieshill star’s shot.

Ailsa

(Ailsa Wyllie tests South Africa goalkeeper Anelle van Deventer. Photo Credit: Duncan Gray)

Nicki Skrastin was next in line to seek an equalising goal, but her shot on goal was miscued wide of the target after she had engineered a promising opening inside the circle.

South Africa were awarded a penalty corner in the 15th minute for an illegal tackle but Scotland goalkeeper Amy Gibson made light work of Lisa Marie Deetlefs’ attempt on goal.

An excellent break from Sulette Damons down the right flank ended in disappointment as her shot was rushed and skewed well wide of the Scottish goal, while Kathleen Taylor squandered a golden opportunity to extend her side’s lead shortly before the half-time break, thundering the ball past the right hand upright from close range.

The last action of a fairly nervous first half for both sides saw Deetlefs’ second penalty corner strike being saved by Gibson’s stick.

BSC_9894

(Striker Nikki Lloyd looks to get Scotland moving. Photo Credit: Duncan Gray)

Having conceded inside the first minute of the first half, the Scots suffered a similar fate at the start of the second half, South Africa going 2-0 up in the 37th minute. Deetlefs struck a low drive towards goal from a penalty corner, with Russell intervening in the ball’s trajectory to deflect it past Gibson for her second goal of the game and silence the home crowd.

South Africa looked to put the game out of sight for the national side shortly after; Celia Evans narrowly missing out at the back post following Taylor’s drive across goal, and Damons squeezing the ball off the toe of her stick when the goal was at her mercy.

Scotland were awarded a penalty corner in the 52nd minute, defender Becky Merchant switching to Aileen Davis but the Clifton defender’s shot was easily dealt with by van Deventer.

Three minutes later, both Lilian du Plessis and Bernadette Coston was denied by a fantastic double save from Gibson.

Olympian Emily Maguire then breathed life into Scotland’s efforts to claw back their deficit, bundling home the home side’s first goal in the 64th minute after captain Linda Clement had crashed a Nikki Lloyd pass off the underside of the bar.

However, it was South Africa who closed out the contest at 2-1 and progressed to Saturday’s semi-finals.

Please visit the FIH Women’s Champions Challenge website for full information including match reports, highlights, fixtures, results and pool standings.

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), Linda Clement (Captain, Grove Menzieshill), Ailsa Wyllie (Grove Menzieshill), Leigh Fawcett (Grove Menzieshill), Rebecca Merchant (Edinburgh University), Nikki Kidd (Canterbury), Susan McGilveray (Clydesdale Western), Nicola Lloyd (Canterbury), Nicola Skrastin (Clydesdale Western), Emily Maguire (Reading), Aileen Davis (Clifton), Amy Gibson (Old Loughtonians).

 

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