Great Britain (women) v Argentina

General & Squad

Click on the date to see a match report.

Monday 12 May

Argentina eventually overcame Great Britain 3 – 2 at Reading Hockey Club’s Sonning Lane home, despite the home team twice fighting back to level the scores, in the first of their two-match international series.
 
The game sparked to life after a goalless first half, with Argentina twice taking the lead only to see Great Britain peg them back with goals from Mel Clewlow and Jo Ellis, to level the scores at 2 – 2.  The hosts were to be left empty handed however, as Agustina Soledad Garcia scored with just two minutes remaining to ensure Las Leonas took the win and the enthusiastic home crowd went home disappointed with the result.
 
It was the visitors who had the best of the early chances, as Garcia combined with Luciana Aymar, whose shot flashed across the face of goal in a crowded circle.
 
Great Britain were quick to reply as Alex Danson charged down Mercedes Margalot’s attempted clearance to release Sarah Thomas, but there was no one to get on the end of the Welsh international’s cross.
 
Nor was anyone of the end of Danson’s reverse stick cross from the left, as chances went begging at both ends.
 
A great tackle on Maria De la Paz Hernandez by Rebecca Herbert then allowed Thomas to break free on the right.  Her cross was well dealt with by the Argentine defence, and moments later it was Great Britain called to defend, as Kate Walsh pushed away a threatening through ball by Aymar.

 
With neither side taking control, the game looked likely to peter out as the interval beckoned, but instead the hosts won the first of their nine penalty corners.  Only Paola Vukojicic’s outstretched leg in the Argentinean goal denied Walsh, before Katy Roberts was called into action at the opposite end, standing up well to block Rosario Luchetti’s shot.
 
The second half began with a bang for Great Britain, as Walsh’s penalty corner effort came back of the left hand post and Clewlow saw her effort blocked by Vukojicic.
 
Argentina soon began to pile the pressure back on however, forcing mistakes in the British defence, so it was no surprise when they broke the deadlock – an unmarked Alejandro Gulla poking home at the far post from a corner to give the South American’s the lead.
 
Great Britain very nearly levelled the scores moments later, as Walsh pulled the ball left to Ellis from a penalty corner, but the Bowdon Hightown player’s shot could only ruffle the side netting.

 
The home nation were level not long after, as Clewlow’s powerful strike deflected in off the goalkeeper to make it 1 – 1, but the but the Lionesses were soon back in front.
 
Substitute goalkeeper Abigail Walker made a great reflex save to stop Noel Barrionuevo’s shot, but the rebound fell only as far as Gulla, who made no mistake with a simple finish to take her second goal of the game.
 
With the game entering it’s final ten minutes, an Argentine victory looked certain.  Great Britain had other ideas however, winning a succession of penalty corners, from the last of which they made it two all.
 
In a repeat of the move that had so nearly worked earlier, Walsh switched the ball left from the top of the circle to Ellis, who this time made no mistake, firing inside the left hand post for the equaliser.
 
There was still time for Argentina to take the lead for one last time however.  A long pass found Garcia unmarked in the British circle, and the forward showed why she has twice been named World Young Player of the Year, by rounding Walker and sliding the ball home for the winner.
 
Speaking after the game, Great Britain coach Danny Kerry was pleased with his side’s second half performance, after what he described as a “tough first half”, but “gutted to lose.  We’re definitely moving in the right direction, there’s no question about it.  Today you’re talking about some very young, very green players up against some of the best players in the world.  To keep the game close was good, and there’s no getting away from that, but it is hard to lose.”
 
Started
Mel Clewlow (Canterbury & England), Charlotte Craddock (Cannock & England), Susie Gilbert (Birmingham Uni & England), Rebecca Herbert (Leicester & England), Katy Roberts (Chelmsford & England), Chloe Rogers (Chelmsford & England), Sarah Thomas (Rotterdam & Wales), Rachel Walker (Olton & West Warwickshire & England), Kate Walsh (Slough & England), Kerry Williams (Leicester & England), Lisa Wooding (Chelmsford & England)

Subs
Laura Bartlett (Milne Craig Western & Scotland), Alex Danson (Slough & England), Jo Ellis (Ipswich & England), Jo Ellis (Bowdon Hightown & England), Sam Quek (Bowdon Hightown & England), Abigail Walker (Milne Craig Western & Scotland)

Did Not Play
Hayley Brown (Canterbury & England), Beth Storry (SCHC & England), Lucilla Wright (Olton & West Warwickshire & England)

Tuesday 13 May

Great Britain took revenge for their defeat to Argentina on Monday evening in spectacular style, overcoming the world number two’s 4 – 2 at Reading.
 
Goals from Rebecca Herbert, Laura Bartlett, Hayley Brown and Mel Clewlow helped the home side ensure victory against a side who will be tough Pool B opponents come Beijing and the Olympic Games in August.
 
It was Britain who opened the scoring; reacting quickly to counterattack after Mariana Gonzalez Olivia had put her shot over at the bar at the other end.

 
The hosts broke down the left, and Herbert was on hand to turn home the cross for her first goal for Great Britain.
 
Argentina reacted immediately to going behind, Beth Storry getting down well to her right to deny Mercedes Margalot from a penalty corner, and Sam Quek blocking Claudia Burkart’s attempt from the top of the circle.
 
Monday’s double goalscorer Alejandra Gulla then directed Burkart’s hit over the cross bar as the South American’s sought for an equaliser.
 
Amidst a period of intense Argentinean pressure, Great Britain won their first penalty corner of the evening, from which Clewlow’s powerful strike was well stopped by Maria Belen Succi in the Lionesses goal.

A great run by Luciana Aymar deserved more than to see Storry scramble the ball clear despite ahead of a valiant dive from Gulla, but soon the four time World Player of the Year would get her name on the score sheet.
 
Dummying the ball left from a penalty corner, Aymar held her shot well, before shooting low through a crowded circle into the far corner to make it 1 – 1 at half-time.
 
After the interval both sides had chances to take the lead, a quickly taken hit found Herbert, but an Argentine stick deflected her effort behind, while at the opposite end Storry spread herself well to deny Agustina Soledad Garcia, following more good work by Aymar.
 
It was Bartlett who struck first however, making it 2 – 1 for the home side, after a hit from the left took a deflection, allowing the Scottish international to pounce.

Moments later it was very nearly 3 – 1, Kerry Williams’ cross from the left found Bowdon Hightown’s Jo Ellis in the middle, but the ball seemed to get stuck under her stick with the goal beckoning.
 
The buoyant home support didn’t have long to wait for a third British goal however, as Brown received a long hit out of defence to break into the opposition circle.  The Canterbury forward looked initially to have overrun the ball, but her speculative cross shot was embarrassingly turned in to the goal by Margalot.
 
Argentina replied instantly.  Another fantastic run by Aymar drew the British defence allowing Maria De la Paz Hernandez to tap home at the far post and set up an exciting final few minutes.
 
There was to be no Argentinean fight back however, as Clewlow’s hard hit from a penalty corner proved unstoppable for goalkeeper Succi and rounded off a fine performance from Great Britain.

Coach Danny Kerry was understandably happy with the result but also with the way it was achieved.
 
“I’m really proud of the girls and how they’ve put things into practice and as a coach you can’t really ask for much more than that.
 
"The scoreline is fantastic, but actually what’s more fantastic is the group, what they do and how hard they work and that really makes me proud.
 
"I very much encourage the team to play good constructive hockey rather than playing defensively and just looking to clear our lines, especially when you’re playing against some of the best in the world.  So today we just tried to get that balance right and that was a real plus for us today so I’m quietly optimistic about where we’re going as a team.”

Started
Hayley Brown (Canterbury & England), Mel Clewlow (Canterbury & England), Susie Gilbert (Birmingham Uni & England), Sam Quek (Bowdon Hightown & England), Chloe Rogers (Chelmsford & England), Beth Storry (SCHC & England), Sarah Thomas (Rotterdam & Wales), Rachel Walker (Olton & West Warwickshire & England), Kate Walsh (Slough & England), Kerry Williams (Leicester & England), Lisa Wooding (Chelmsford & England)

Subs
Laura Bartlett (Milne Craig Western & Scotland), Charlotte Craddock (Cannock & England), Jo Ellis (Ipswich & England), Jo Ellis (Bowdon Hightown & England), Rebecca Herbert (Leicester & England)

Did Not Play
Alex Danson (Slough & England), Katy Roberts (Chelmsford & England), Abigail Walker (Milne Craig Western & Scotland), Lucilla Wright (Olton & West Warwickshire & England)