Scotland girls received 2-1 towards Wales to win the EuroHockey Qualifier on the Glasgow Nationwide Hockey Centre. The Scots will compete at subsequent summer time’s EuroHockey Championships in Germany.
Amid an enormous ambiance within the stands, the 2 residence nations Scotland and Wales confronted off for qualification into the EuroHockey Championships in 2025, battling not solely one another however the situations on a wet Scottish Sunday.
Scotland had been instantly on the assault from the very first whistle as they aimed to make use of their residence benefit – however it was Wales who earned a primary penalty nook inside three minutes. The primary hit the primary runner’s foot, incomes Wales a redo, and the second flew large of the put up. The sport then settled right into a rhythm – earlier than some thunderous runs down the proper hand channel from Rebecca Daniel began to trigger Scotland some defensive issues.
An instantaneous Scotland assault following a bully was stopped on the again put up as they seemed to get their recreation plan again on monitor. Some sensible particular person play from Frances Lonergan adopted, forcing a stretching hand save from Ella Jackson and beginning a interval of Scottish stress. Nevertheless, the rating remained stage at 0-0 on the finish of the primary quarter.
At the beginning of the second, Wales escaped stress of their very own with an aerial out the again to use it onto the Scotland defence. They received a penalty flick following a poor deal with inside the circle – and captain Elisabeth Bingham duly slotted the ball into the underside proper nook as Wales took the lead.
They had been again at it once more moments later, solely to be denied by Amy Costello. She performed the ball onto Charlotte Watson who performed the ball onto Sarah Jamieson after some sensible particular person expertise – a clear reverse stick strike discovered its well beyond the goalkeeper to stage the rating. 1-1.
It was Scotland who got here out firing within the second half, instantly piling the stress onto Wales and profitable a penalty nook – but Costello was denied twice from the highest of the circle, earlier than Lonergan’s shot was additionally saved at their third retake. The stress tolled for Wales as Hannah Diamond obtained a inexperienced card quickly after. As the 2 minute benefit ran out, captain Sarah Robertson and Heather McEwan mixed to power one other save out of Jackson.
Seconds later, McEwan was again at it once more, hitting previous the proper pads of the Welsh keeper. The tactical excessive press from Scotland stored profitable them the ball excessive up the pitch and stored the Welsh defence beneath fixed stress for almost all of the third quarter. A superb shot on the flip from Lonergan was one of many highlights of the ending performs, however the rating remained at 2-1 to the house aspect.
Wales had the primary actual likelihood of the ultimate quarter of the event, a brief vary hit from a slender angle forcing a save from Murray. An end-to-end interval of play adopted as Scotland seemed to construct their lead and Wales seemed to search out an equaliser, earlier than captain Robertson acquired a inexperienced card for not being 5 yards from a foul.
Regardless of the drawback, Scotland’s Bronwyn Shields beat a number of gamers with particular person stick expertise solely to search out nobody ready on the again put up. As soon as again to 11 gamers, Scotland continued to press as they aimed to seal the win. Extra possibilities went begging in entrance of the face of purpose – earlier than Wales took off their goalkeeper to achieve an outfield benefit.
The ultimate two minutes had been fuelled by an expectant ambiance from the largely Scottish crowd hoping for his or her workforce to see out the victory – as they efficiently did.
Scotland will now transfer into the EuroHockey Championships high division subsequent 12 months.
Austria 2-3 Czechia
The primary match of Finals day on the Glasgow Inexperienced Nationwide Hockey Centre noticed Austria face off towards Czechia within the third/4th playoff, with Czechia taking the victory.
From the beginning of the sport, the Austrian coach was extremely vocal, spurring on his aspect in moist and windy Glasgow situations. It was a extra affected person begin from the Czechs, who had been holding the ball and ready for clear reduce attacking alternatives. Inside 5 minutes, Austria stole the ball after a unfastened go and took the lead following some highly effective swept passes and tidy play – 18 year-old Anja Haselsteiner completed the sequence with a composed end on the flip.
There was an virtually instant response from Czechia down the opposite finish with an opportunity for Linda Nova however she was denied by the goalkeeper. Austria continued to steal passes in the midst of the pitch, helped by the situations slowing down lengthy Czech balls. Czechia remained affected person, ready for the proper alternatives to maneuver ahead, with some notable expertise and crosses in from Lucie Duchková – however the rating stay 1-0 to Austria on the finish of a stable first quarter from each groups.
Because the rain elevated within the second quarter, so did tempers with the primary playing cards popping out with purpose scorer Haselsteiner receiving a inexperienced. A good battle for management within the center third of the pitch adopted with neither workforce capable of construct their performs in addition to they may within the first interval of the sport. A second card shortly adopted for Austrian Marianne Pultar, however Czechia had been unable to capitalise on their overload.
There have been few possibilities for both workforce till the 18 year-old was concerned as soon as once more, discovering a foot to win Austria’s first penalty nook. Their straight strike whistled previous the left put up.
Czechia’s finest possibilities continued to come back down the left hand aspect, however Stella van Rahden was largely untroubled in objectives. With 30 seconds left of the half, they began their first risk down the proper which led to a penalty nook. A technical routine involving a dummied flick and go again to the injector required a primary diving save, however the rating remained 1-0 shifting into halftime.
Penalty corners seemed like Czechia’s finest likelihood of scoring they usually clearly aimed to win extra outcomes because the second half started. An early take from the sideline caught the Austrian defence off-guard and earned Czechia a penalty nook. One other diverse routine, this time the strike went centimetres large of the put up. Czechia had been the workforce holding the ball higher and placing stress on the Austrian workforce in all areas of the pitch – and it clearly obtained to them. Luisa Mayer acquired a yellow as the sport grew to become fraught and the umpires aimed to settle down two more and more annoyed groups. Extra alternatives adopted for Czechia with a neat flip and shot from Veronika Decsy simply lacking the goal. They shortly reset to win their third nook of the match however this time the drag flick was saved excessive of the bar. Czechia continued to power extra saves within the following minutes as they seemed to even the rating, they usually did quickly after, with a ball fired in ricocheting off the keeper straight again to Czech striker Decsy who rolled the ball into the backboard.
Czechia had been as soon as once more the extra aggressive workforce within the early phases of the ultimate quarter. With the match within the stability at 1-1 with 10 minutes to go, each groups aimed to discover a winner and safe third place within the event. Czechia stole a unfastened go from the Austrian defence which was held up within the rising puddles on the astroturf and Eliška Fousková received one more penalty nook. One other rebounded shot was transformed by Czechia as they turned the match round with simply 5 minutes left – Katerina Basova discovered the online this time.
With Austria behind on the scoreboard for the primary time within the match, it was their flip to develop into the attacking workforce once more. A careless collision gave the workforce in pink their first actual likelihood of the second half, however gradual pitch situations thwarted their first nook effort. A second penalty adopted shortly afterwards and Austria’s sweep from Johanna Czech deflected into the again of the online to even the rating with two minutes left.
Czechia instantly took the ball from the centre spot and drove proper again up the opposite finish to steal the lead once more simply moments later with Decsy scoring her second of the match in an unimaginable end to the sport.
After a topsy-turvy last passage of play, the match ended with Czechia profitable 3-2 and ending third within the EuroHockey Championship Qualifier A.
