GB take two wins from two

Great Britain’s men’s team got their FIH Pro League campaign back underway with a 5-1 win over Ireland courtesy of goals from debutant Henry Croft, Phil Roper, Sam Ward (2) and Gareth Furlong.  

Croft scored inside his first quarter of international hockey to give Paul Revington’s side an early lead before Roper added a second early on in the second 15 minutes.

Ben Walker beat Toby Reynolds-Cotterill from close range to halve the deficit soon after before Ward deflected in from James Gall’s hit to restore the two-goal advantage on his 200th combined international appearance. 

Ward then added another from a penalty corner in the third quarter as Great Britain began to show their attacking class before Furlong, another debutant, added a fifth late on.

The first few chances had fallen Ireland’s way with an early corner drag-flicked wide before Ben Johnson deflected narrowly off-target and he then spurned a good opportunity from close range, with James Mazarelo making a comfortable save. 

Croft, though, broke the deadlock after 12 minutes, receiving the ball from captain Jack Waller on the left side of the circle before turning and striking powerfully past David Harte. 

Three minutes past quarter-time, Revington’s side doubled their advantage after good link-up play between Roper, Ward and Struan Walker, the latter seeing his shot deflected to Roper, who then worked the space expertly to fire off a backhand shot into the top corner. 

Croft could have made it a debut brace soon after but his high pressing did not quite pay dividends - the Beeston forward won the ball back on the edge of the 23 before driving into the circle and lofting a reverse-stick-shot over the bar. 

Ireland did, then, pull a goal back when a hit into the circle was not dealt with, with Walker pouncing to slide past Welshman Reynolds-Cotterill under pressure. 

Before the end of the half, the hosts restored the two-goal lead through Ward - a Liam Sanford slap into the circle was mis-controlled with Gall’s shot, which looked to be heading wide, deflected in by Ward on a landmark day for the Old Georgians man.

Walker could have added a fourth before half-time, too, as he brought down an aerial in the circle before shooting just wide of the near post. 

Ward’s second came from a penalty corner of his own making, he brought down yet another aerial in the circle before Ireland encroached to give him the opportunity to drag-flick into the bottom-right corner past Jamie Carr.

Mazarelo was forced into action again at the other end - with Revington opting to rotate his two goalkeepers on a quarterly basis - making a good save from a close-range push on the turn. 

Nick Bandurak could have added a superb fifth but his upright backhand, which flew past Carr, came after the whistle had already been blown for a penalty corner.

Ireland saw a penalty corner effort cleared off-the-line early on in the final period but the remainder of the chances largely fell the way of the hosts, playing their first home game since June 20th, 2023.

Lee Morton, a constant thorn in the side of the Irish backline, saw a rebound slap saved at a penalty corner with Bandurak then forcing a save from a close-range deflection. 

The scoring was finished by Surbiton and Wales man Furlong in the dying embers of the match, as he flicked brilliantly past Carr to ensure that two of Great Britain’s debutants scored. 

The win moves Great Britain up to seventh in the Pro League table, though Revington’s side do have a large number of games-in-hand on most of the teams above them. 

Great Britain face India, currently third, tomorrow - a team that they beat once and drew with once in last year’s two FIH Pro League meetings at Lee Valley. 

Great Britain’s women made it two wins from two to kick off the London mini-tournaments of this season’s FIH Pro League with a 3-1 victory over the United States.

Elizabeth Yeager had put Javier Telechea’s side ahead in the first quarter but Lily Owsley levelled before the half-time break with goals from Hannah French and then Fiona Crackles in the third quarter completing the turnaround. 

The result leaves the US winless through 13 Pro League matches this season while this was a first win in five for David Ralph’s side as their preparations for the Olympics in Paris step up.

The hosts started much the better side but struggled to create any clear-cut chances barring a solo run from the ever-threatening Owsley which resulted in her seeing a shot well-saved by Kelsey Bing.

Lots of possession in and around the circle was countered by some good defensive work and some occasional poor attacking choices as GB looked to shift the visitors’ backline.

At the other end, the visitors then won the first penalty corner of the match, with a re-award then brilliantly dispatched by Yeager past Miriam Pritchard. 

Owsley, though, was not to be denied a second time when she took on a number of defenders on a mazy, purposeful run, twisting and turning before stretching to unleash a powerful hit into the top corner.

Pritchard did make a save from a deflection to keep the scores level but from the equaliser onwards, Ralph’s side always looked the more likely to go on to take the three points.

Tess Howard’s deflected shot caused problems and almost allowed Sophie Hamilton to sneak in at the far post, but her effort across goal hit a United States foot for a penalty corner which was then drag-flicked wide, leaving the scores level at half-time. 

Amy Costello saw a drag-flick well-saved early on in the second half before another penalty corner saw Ralph’s side take the lead, Grace Balsdon’s low drag being deflected over the goalkeeper by a defender for 2-1.

The chances were coming thick and fast at this point with Tess Howard forcing a good save on the reverse from Ellie Rayer’s through ball before Laura Roper saw a shot saved from the top of the circle.

Another penalty corner almost beat the goalkeeper with a deflection off the number one runner before Rayer was once again involved for Great Britain’s third goal as she drove down the right before squaring for Fiona Crackles who prodded home.

Anna Toman saw a penalty corner variation smartly stopped by Bing, too, with Rayer and Sarah Robertson both failing to get shots off from very good opportunities either side of that corner. 

Sophia Gladieux’s goal, though, with around five minutes to go halved the deficit and made it a nervy ending for Great Britain.

Danielle Grega did very well to drive into the circle before squaring for Gladieux who was able to squeeze the ball under Pritchard.

That was far from Pritchard’s last involvement as the Hampstead & Westminster ‘keeper made a brilliant triple save at a late penalty corner to keep the hosts in front before making an excellent, stretching stop from another corner soon after.

Great Britain were able to hold on for their first Pro League win of the season and moved within four points of tomorrow’s opponents India, who sit seventh, as a result - with seven games-in-hand.

Telechea’s side stay bottom on one point with 11 scored and 46 goals conceded in their 13 matches - having only held onto their Pro League status for this season courtesy of New Zealand’s withdrawal.