Switzerland’s poor LEN European Nations Trophy continued as they were swept aside by Belarus 25-5.
It was the first time in the tournament that the Belarussians had been able to really dictate a match in Manchester this week.
The first quarter was rather tentative as both sides tried to figure out how the other would play. In the end Belarus edged it thanks to goals from captain Sviatlana Arlova and Maryna Fedarenka before the ever impressive Swiss captain Nadia Knobel pulled one back for her team.
Prior to the game, Switzerland were the worst team defensively, conceding over 20 goals in each group match, but had scored more goals than their opponents.
Neither facet of the Swiss game was on show, though, as they conceded over 20 goals yet again and could only manage to score five.
Belarus then ran away with the second quarter, scoring eight to their opponent’s two. Arlova completed a first half hat-trick as Alena Samsonova and Katsiaryna Kuzhanava claimed two apiece.
Alena Panchuk and Alena Faschanka finished off the scoring for Belarus as Caroline Item and Paolo De Feo pulled goals back for the Swiss
Their coach made them practise their shooting at half-time but even that did not help and they rattled the woodwork more times than they would care to remember.
It was a similar story and Switzerland could only manage one goal in each of the last two quarters, one coming from Knobel and the other from De Feo.
Arlova and Samsonova impressed throughout, the former finishing with seven; the latter with six, as Belarus racked up the most goals in a match from an individual team.
