England miss out on Gold medal match

Other Results from the EuroHockey Nations Championships

Thursday 27 August
Time	Pool
12:00	Women (C)	Azerbaijan	1	(1)	v.	1	(1)	Scotland
14:00	Women (C)	Russia	1	(0)	v.	2	(1)	Ireland
16:00	W. Semi 1	Netherlands	5	(3)	v.	1	(0)	Spain
19:00	W. Semi 2	England	1	(1)	v.	2*	(1)	Germany

*Golden Goal

Forthcoming Fixtures for Final Classification

Saturday 29 August
Time	Pool
08:30	Women (C)	Azerbaijan	v.	Ireland
10:30	Women (C)	Russia	v.	Scotland
13:00	W. Bronze	Spain	v.	England
15:30	W. Final	Netherlands	v.	Germany

Women’s EuroHockey Nations Championships 2009

ENGLAND v GERMANY

Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen

Thursday, 27 August 2009

ENGLAND 1 (1)

Jo Ellis 35 (PC)

GERMANY 2* (1)

Natascha Keller 27 (F)

Maike Stockel 76 (F)

*Golden Goal

England goal scorer Jo Ellis is left disappointed after Germany scored a 76^th minute golden goal to reach the final of the EuroHockey Nations Championships. England will Spain for the bronze medal on Saturday.

In a rematch of the 2007 bronze medal match, England’s women will play Spain for the European bronze medal in Amstelveen after going down 2-1 to a German golden goal in the second semi final at the EuroHockey Nations Championships.

Jo Ellis had earlier equalised Natascha Keller’s 27th minute opener and after a goalless second period the game went to extra time. England weathered an early storm in the golden goal first half but Maike Stockel’s flick over Becky Duggan six minutes into extra time sealed Germany’s place in the final.

With that place in the final against the hosts, the Netherlands, at stake both sides were keen not to make any mistakes early on, with the result that the opening quarter of the match was played at a measured pace with both teams enjoying possession but few clear opportunities.

Germany were awarded an 11th minute penalty for an obstruction but Helen Richardson comfortably dealt with the pass towards the post and at the other end Alex Danson was unlucky not to connect with a Kate Walsh corner, which Danson had done well to win coming from the right.

Becky Duggan was the first of the goalkeepers to be called into action, diving low to her right to produce a stick save to keep out a swept effort but two minutes later she was picking the ball out of the net after Natascha Keller’s strike. A mistake by Chloe Strong in the middle of the park allowed Maike Stockel to pounce and after breaking into the top of the circle her shot was saved by Duggan. Unfortunately though, the clearance went straight to Keller five metres out and she fired the ball back past the Trojans goalkeeper to give Germany the lead.

Another German penalty corner came and went and with three minutes of the half remaining England’s positive response won them a series of three consecutive set pieces. Chloe Rogers won the first off the foot of a defender and Sally Walton won the second, putting the German defence on the back foot as they looked to clear the first corner. At the third attempt Chloe Rogers’ strike was deflected into the goal by the diving Jo Ellis and the England bench was on its feet in celebration.

England found themselves under pressure early in the second period when Keller won a penalty corner off Reading’s Helen Richardson but Becky Duggan blocked well from the shot from the left.

There then followed a short period of scrappy play with England missing out on a number of 50:50 challenges but they put that behind them to win two more penalty corners, both of which resulted in the loose ball bobbling around in front of Barbara Vogel’s goal but the score remained 1-1.

Soon England were forcing Germany into mistakes all across the field and Sally Walton had England’s next chance with 58 minutes on the clock. Receiving the ball at the top of the circle the Bowdon Hightown player shaped to unleash a rocket shot beyond Vogel but a last ditch challenge took the ball high and wide, much to the relief of the German defence.

With five minutes remaining England came under more pressure at another German corner but captain Fanny Rinne fluffed her lines and England breathed a little easier.

England’s own captain Kate Walsh was in inspired form, leading by example with a number of solid, well-timed challenges late in the game.

In the dying minutes Germany piled on the pressure and Duggan was again called into action to save a shot at chest height before the real ‘hearts in mouths’ moment with less than 20 seconds of normal time remaining. A long aerial ball from the left of the German midfield landed deep inside the English circle and Duggan pulled off another good save low in the centre of the goal from the shot on the turn. When the ball was brought back into the circle by Maike Stockel there seemed to be acres of space for the number 24 to pick her shot but she inexplicably missed Duggan’s left post by inches. As the ball ran past the post the hooter sounded, signalling the end of 70 minutes and golden goal extra time.

As the first extra time period began England survived several flash balls across the circle and having weathered the storm they began to probe through the German midfield in search of the golden goal. They might have had a penalty corner when the ball appeared to be deliberately put off the back line by the German defender but the umpire awarded a long corner and Germany cleared their lines.

With 90 seconds of the half remaining a ball down the right inside channel split the English defence and a diving German forward deflected the ball into the path of Maike Stockel in front of goal. With Duggan advancing Stockel did well to chip the ball over her and as it hit the net just above the backboard England’s players knew their shot at the final was over.

Afterward Coach Danny Kerry was disappointed with how things had panned out. “We’re obviously a bit down. I think we let ourselves down with poor basic skills, which can be worked on, and when we do we will be beating teams like Germany.

“We were the second best team out there tonight and we’ve come out of a great game as losers. But we know what we need to do to improve and we will be doing that. The girls will pick themselves up for Saturday’s game against Spain though; after all, there’s a bronze medal at stake.”

Earlier in the day, the Netherlands beat Spain 5-1 in the first semi final in Amstelveen to go through to Saturday’s final where they will meet Germany. England will play Spain in the bronze medal match at 13:00 local time (12:00 BST).

ENGLAND SQUAD v GERMANY

Caps and goals have been updated on the attached sheet

Started

Becky Duggan (Trojans) Goalkeeper

Natalie Seymour (Canterbury) Defender

Chloe Strong (Pinoke) Defender

Kate Walsh (C) (Reading) Defender

Sally Walton (Bowdon Hightown) Defender

Susie Gilbert (University of Birmingham) Midfielder

Helen Richardson (Reading) Midfielder

Chloe Rogers (Leicester) Midfielder

Kerry Williams (Leicester) Midfielder/Forward