Scottish Veterans round-up from International Hockey Masters Classic

Scotland’s veteran international teams have been in
action over the last five days competing at the International
Hockey Masters Classic in Singapore.
There are five Scottish sides competing across four
competitions; over 40s (Masters), over 50s (Senior Masters), over
45s/over 55s (Vintage Masters), and the Scotland LX over 60s (Grand
Masters Cup).
Over 40s
The over 40s got off to a great start last Saturday
by holding current world champions New Zealand to a 1-1 draw.
Although under pressure for a long period of the match, the Scots
finished the match as the stronger side after a Jon Williams
equaliser cancelled out New Zealand’s first half strike, and could
have clinched the match following extended pressure over the final
ten minutes.
A 2-0 lead over Ireland was established during
their second match, but the energy sapping heat and humidity took
its toll on the Scots, who tired after the previous day’s exertions
against NZ, and the Irish pegged the score back to 2-2.
The over 40s play Malaysia today to determine their
progress in the competition.
Senior Masters (over 50s)
Scotland over 50s had the honour of playing the
host nation Singapore in their opening fixture and, despite missing
a hatful of chances early in the game, eventually went to the
interval 2-0 to the good, thanks to a penalty flick netted by Brian
Edwards and a well worked penalty corner from Davie Rowlands.
The second half was a game of cat and mouse, with
the Scots content to play possession hockey, controlling the game
for long periods but never seriously threatening their opponents.
 Even so, goalkeeper Batchelor was called into action late in
the game as the hosts threw everything into the attack during the
last 20 minutes but the Scots held out for a well-deserved
win.
Despite a spirited performance, the over 50s
narrowly lost out to rivals Australia 1-0 in their second match,
with goalkeeper Scott Chisholm in fine form between the
posts.
The O50s completed their group games with an
emphatic 7-0 win over Korea.  Scotland’s fitness and overall
squad strength was too much for their opponents and, once they had
created an opening for the first goal after 15 minutes, they
continued to score at regular intervals, with Edwards grabbing the
final goal (and his second of the match) with just two seconds to
go on the clock.
That left the team second in their group with a
resulting quarter final tie with Austria who have brought a strong
and experienced squad to these championships, including a number of
players who were once regulars at the Glenfiddoch Indoor Tournament
hosted by Glasgow Western in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
The Scots got off to the worst possible start,
conceding a goal within two minutes through a comedy of errors in
midfield and defence.  But a spirited fight back saw them
gradually establish control over Austria and the pressure finally
told just before half-time when a superbly struck through ball from
Rowlands was met in some style by Edwards who launched the ball
first-time into the roof of the net.
The second period was more a cat and mouse affair,
with both sides having chances to re-establish the lead before a
well worked move down the right created a chance for Scot’s captain
MacKenzie who wasted no time in planting the ball in the roof of
the net.  That was the end of the scoring which leaves England
as Scotland’s semi-final opponents on Friday.
Vintage Masters (over 45s, over 55s)
Both Scotland over 45s and over 55s were in action
in the Vintage Masters against England in their first matches, with
the two sides ending up on the end of 2-0 losing scoreline
In their second match, the over 45s encountered a
high quality New Zealand side, who gave a master-class in hockey to
beat the Scots 9-0. The pace of the game, combined with the heat,
took its toll on the Scots.  And pitching three NZ forwards
with Olympic experience gave their embattled defence too much to
cope with.
They then came up against a rampant Australian side
on Tuesday, going down 6-0 although the score would have been well
more than that but for a superb display from Jim Frail in goal, a
clear man-of-the-match winner.    However, they crashed
out of the competition with a 2-1 defeat to hosts Singapore on
Wednesday, who bagged the last semi-final spot in that competition.
 An early lead promised much for the Scots in what was a must
win game for them, but tired legs contributed to a series of lapses
and Singapore took their chances to seal victory.
A strongly fancied Kiwi side faced the over 55s in
the first of two encounters for Scotland.  The Black Sticks
had the Scots penned in their own half for most of the first period
and the Scots were fortunate to go in only a goal down, some
outstanding defending by Moulds, Stephen and Hudson restricting the
number of clear cut chances NZ were able to create.  The
second half was a different story, however.  Scotland found
their second wind and slowly established a grip on the game which
ultimately led to the equalising goal, a brilliant effort from John
Candlin who deflected a strongly hit cross over the advancing NZ
goalkeeper and into the top corner of the net.  This spurred
the Scots on, and they created enough chances to have stolen the
game in the final quarter but a 1-1 draw represented a creditable
performance against one of the strong sides in the O55
competition.
The O55s were then fancied to beat the hosts and
secure a place in the semi-finals but found themselves turning
round at half-time 1-0 down after a lack lustre showing.  The
second half proved a different story as the Scots pressed for an
equaliser which eventually arrived in the shape of an exquisitely
executed 5 man move penalty corner – John Bennett being on hand at
the back post for the tap-in for a 1-1 draw.
The O55s also found Australia rather too much for
them, going down 5-0 in their last round robin match, although they
did have the satisfaction of holding the Aussies at bay in a
scoreless second half.  They now move on to a semi-final
encounter on Friday, also against England.
Singapore Grand Masters Cup (over 60s)
This year’s tournament got underway on Friday night
with Scotland’s LX team pitted against their auld enemy, England,
in the opening fixture in the Grand Masters tournament.  But
even with true veteran George Black in fine form between the posts,
they found themselves outpaced by the opposition and ended up on
the wrong side of a 5-0 scoreline.
Scotland’s teams enjoyed mixed fortunes on Sunday
on the second day of the IMHT in Singapore.  The Grandmasters
were first in action in the relative cool of the morning but once
again met very tough opposition in the form of Australia who proved
rather too agile, running out 5-0 winners despite some dogged
defending from the Scots.
The over 60s play their final group match against
New Zealand on Friday.

Scotland’s veteran international teams have been in
action over the last five days competing at the International
Hockey Masters Classic in Singapore.

There are five Scottish sides competing across four
competitions; over 40s (Masters), over 50s (Senior Masters), over
45s/over 55s (Vintage Masters), and the Scotland LX over 60s (Grand
Masters Cup).

The over 50s and 55s have made it to the semi-finals!

Here is a round-up of the teams’ progress over the last five
days.

Masters – over 40s

The over 40s got off to a great start last Saturday by holding
current world champions New Zealand to a 1-1 draw. Although under
pressure for a long period of the match, the Scots finished the
match as the stronger side after a Jon Williams equaliser cancelled
out New Zealand’s first half strike, and could have clinched the
match following extended pressure over the final ten minutes.

A 2-0 lead over Ireland was established during their second
match, but the energy sapping heat and humidity took its toll on
the Scots, who tired after the previous day’s exertions against NZ,
and the Irish pegged the score back to 2-2.

The over 40s play Malaysia today to determine their progress in
the competition.

Senior Masters – over 50s

Scotland over 50s had the honour of playing the host nation
Singapore in their opening fixture and, despite missing a hatful of
chances early in the game, eventually went to the interval 2-0 to
the good, thanks to a penalty flick netted by Brian Edwards and a
well worked penalty corner from Davie Rowlands.

The second half was a game of cat and mouse, with the Scots
content to play possession hockey, controlling the game for long
periods but never seriously threatening their opponents.  Even
so, goalkeeper Batchelor was called into action late in the game as
the hosts threw everything into the attack during the last 20
minutes but the Scots held out for a well-deserved win.

Despite a spirited performance, the over 50s narrowly lost out
to rivals Australia 1-0 in their second match, with goalkeeper
Scott Chisholm in fine form between the posts.

The O50s completed their group games with an emphatic 7-0 win
over Korea. Scotland’s fitness and overall squad strength was too
much for their opponents and, once they had created an opening for
the first goal after 15 minutes, they continued to score at regular
intervals, with Edwards grabbing the final goal (and his second of
the match) with just two seconds to go on the clock.

That left the team second in their group with a resulting
quarter final tie with Austria who have brought a strong and
experienced squad to these championships, including a number of
players who were once regulars at the Glenfiddoch Indoor Tournament
hosted by Glasgow Western in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

The Scots got off to the worst possible start, conceding a goal
within two minutes through a comedy of errors in midfield and
defence.  But a spirited fight back saw them gradually
establish control over Austria and the pressure finally told just
before half-time when a superbly struck through ball from Rowlands
was met in some style by Edwards who launched the ball first-time
into the roof of the net.

The second period was more a cat and mouse affair, with both
sides having chances to re-establish the lead before a well worked
move down the right created a chance for Scot’s captain MacKenzie
who wasted no time in planting the ball in the roof of the net.
 That was the end of the scoring which leaves England as
Scotland’s semi-final opponents on Friday.

Vintage Masters – over 45s, over 55s

Both Scotland over 45s and over 55s were in action in the
Vintage Masters against England in their first matches, with the
two sides ending up on the end of 2-0 losing scoreline

In their second match, the over 45s encountered a high quality
New Zealand side, who gave a master-class in hockey to beat the
Scots 9-0. The pace of the game, combined with the heat, took its
toll on the Scots.  And pitching three NZ forwards with
Olympic experience gave their embattled defence too much to cope
with.

They then came up against a rampant Australian side on Tuesday,
going down 6-0 although the score would have been well more than
that but for a superb display from Jim Frail in goal, a clear
man-of-the-match winner.    However, they crashed out of
the competition with a 2-1 defeat to hosts Singapore on Wednesday,
who bagged the last semi-final spot in that competition.  An
early lead promised much for the Scots in what was a must win game
for them, but tired legs contributed to a series of lapses and
Singapore took their chances to seal victory.

A strongly fancied Kiwi side faced the over 55s in the first of
two encounters for Scotland.  The Black Sticks had the Scots
penned in their own half for most of the first period and the Scots
were fortunate to go in only a goal down, some outstanding
defending by Moulds, Stephen and Hudson restricting the number of
clear cut chances NZ were able to create.  The second half was
a different story, however.  Scotland found their second wind
and slowly established a grip on the game which ultimately led to
the equalising goal, a brilliant effort from John Candlin who
deflected a strongly hit cross over the advancing NZ goalkeeper and
into the top corner of the net.  This spurred the Scots on,
and they created enough chances to have stolen the game in the
final quarter but a 1-1 draw represented a creditable performance
against one of the strong sides in the O55 competition.

The O55s were then fancied to beat the hosts and secure a place
in the semi-finals but found themselves turning round at half-time
1-0 down after a lack lustre showing.  The second half proved
a different story as the Scots pressed for an equaliser which
eventually arrived in the shape of an exquisitely executed 5 man
move penalty corner – John Bennett being on hand at the back post
for the tap-in for a 1-1 draw.

The O55s also found Australia rather too much for them, going
down 5-0 in their last round robin match, although they did have
the satisfaction of holding the Aussies at bay in a scoreless
second half.  They now move on to a semi-final encounter on
Friday, also against England.

Singapore Grand Masters Cup – over 60s (Scotland
LX)

This year’s tournament got underway on Friday night with
Scotland’s LX team pitted against their auld enemy, England, in the
opening fixture in the Grand Masters tournament.  But even
with true veteran George Black in fine form between the posts, they
found themselves outpaced by the opposition and ended up on the
wrong side of a 5-0 scoreline.

Scotland’s teams enjoyed mixed fortunes on Sunday on the second
day of the IMHT in Singapore.  The Grandmasters were first in
action in the relative cool of the morning but once again met very
tough opposition in the form of Australia who proved rather too
agile, running out 5-0 winners despite some dogged defending from
the Scots.

The over 60s play their final group match against New Zealand on
Friday.

For more information, please visit the International Grand Masters Classic
website.

 

 

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