England Hockey Results Service, BDO FIH World Cup
Rosario, Argentina
Saturday 4 September 2010
ENGLAND 2 (1)
Helen Richardson 9, 48 (F, PC)
SOUTH AFRICA 1 (0)
Pietie Coetzee 58 (PC)
England’s unbeaten World Cup run continued in Rosario as Helen Richardson led the European and Champions Trophy bronze medalists to a third win in four outings with a goal in either half of a 2-1 victory over South Africa.
The three points could have been wrapped up well before the end had England taken their chances and South African goalkeeper Mariette Rix not been in outstanding form to deny Charlotte Craddock, Crista Cullen and Alex Danson among others. As it was, a powerful first half shot and a diving second half penalty corner deflection from Reading’s Richardson put England in the driving seat but backed by the noisy South American crowd, South Africa made in a tense finish as they came back into contention through Pietie Coetzee’s penalty corner flick.
There were nervous moments late on for England, who were temporarily down to nine players at one stage with Hannah Macleod and Alex Danson both yellow carded, but marshalled by captain Kate Walsh they held on for victory.
England and South Africa had not met since 2005 and the match in Rosario represented the 50th competitive meeting of the two sides with England having won 27 to South Africa’s 11. Five years ago, England ran out 3-0 winners at the Champions Challenge in Virginia Beach, USA.
Clifton’s Georgie Twigg joined her clubmate, reserve goalkeeper Gemma Ible in the stand for the match with Leicester’s Katie Long restored to the matchday squad. Bowdon Hightown’s Sally Walton started despite suffering a chest injury in the first half of England’s 1-1 draw with Korea on Friday.
England began positively, playing the ball around with confidence and creating a series of early opportunities. Helen Richardson, scorer of England’s goal against Korea, had the first sight of goal as she shot from the top of the circle in the third minute. South African goalkeeper Mariette Rix dealt comfortably with the strike down the middle, kicking clear just beyond the reach of the lingering Alex Danson. Slough’s Nicola White then had a deflection inside the circle blocked by Rix before the 29 year old goalkeeper came to the rescue of her side in the fifth minute with a critical intervention.
Leicester’s Crista Cullen won the ball in midfield and found Reading’s Danson with a pass to the left. Danson used her strength and skill to get in behind the defender on the baseline before cutting the ball back. A South African stick looked to have diverted the ball beyond Rix and into the path of Clifton’s Charlotte Craddock, who had the goal at her mercy but Rix recovered to throw out her stick and chip the ball over the stick of the Craddock who was diving in.
South African captain Marsha Marescia served a two minute suspension for a green card and shortly afterwards Helen Richardson gave England a deserved lead with her second goal in two games. There was nothing Rix could do about the experienced midfielder’s shot this time. Crowded out on the edge of the circle by two South Africa defenders, Richardson looked to have lost possession but she won it back before turning and unleashing a powerful shot beyond Rix from around 12 metres out. It was her 20th international goal, her 17th for England adding to the three she has scored for Great Britain.
Following the goal, South Africa attempted to gain a foothold in the match with Kathleen Taylor getting a shot on target at the second attempt, which Beth Storry comfortably cleared through the right of the circle.
A probing run from Cullen resulted in the defender entering the South African circle on 15 minutes and she fired a reverse stick shot wide of the near post. The umpire, Carolina De La Fuente, had played several advantages for Cullen and she followed up by showing Lisa-Marie Deetlefs a yellow card for repeated fouling.
Leicester’s Hannah Macleod, England’s match winner against China, won the game’s first penalty corner in the 20th minute when she found the foot of a defender in the circle. A mistake at the top of the circle looked to have cost England the opportunity but Lenise Marais broke the defensive line early and another corner was awarded with Marais sent to halfway. Cullen’s shot from the second corner was kept out by Rix, who also kept out Cullen five minutes later.
With 30 minutes on the clock, England put the South African defence under pressure with a series of drilled crosses into the circle but the defence dealt well with the English forwards searching for deflections.
Clifton’s Craddock was shown a green card for a clumsy challenge in the midfield on 31 minutes but just as England were restored to full strength Alex Danson earned a penalty corner. It was captain Kate Walsh at the top of the circle and her slapped effort was just inches away from being met for a diving deflection. But the shot went wide and despite England’s dominance the sides went in at the break separated by just one goal.
The Champions Trophy bronze medalists began the second period as they had played throughout the half, attacking at pace and pressing South Africa. Leicester midfielder Chloe Rogers demonstrated great athleticism with a run that began on the halfway line and finished with Mariette Rix turning her effort behind. And England won an early penalty corner, which Rix again kept out before receiving assistance from her defence in clearing the danger.
With only one goal separating the sides, South Africa knew they were still in the match and after battling well in midfield they drilled the ball into the England circle but Cullen was on hand to cut out the danger.
South Africa goalkeeper Rix kept her side in it with another excellent save in the 47th minute, sliding out and hooking the ball away from Alex Danson who had broken through into the circle at pace.
England breathed a sigh of relief a minute later though when Danson won a penalty corner and Rix could do nothing to prevent Helen Richardson from scoring her second goal of the match. In a carbon copy of two of the goals she scored on home turf at the Champions Trophy in July, Richardson dived in bravely at the back post to connect with Kate Walsh’s pass, deflecting the ball over the line to put England 2-0 up.
Immediately following the goal Hannah Macleod was shown a yellow card and she was followed to the sin bin shortly afterwards by Danson, who was yellow carded for kicking the ball away. Danson argued that she was merely clearing one of two balls that had been thrown on by the ball person but her suspension handed South Africa the initiative.
The South Africans were coming back into the match and battling work by Lesle-Ann George and Marsha Marescia created a half chance as they won the ball high in the English half. The cross from the right hand side was only just missed by the South African forward diving through the middle of the circle.
Soon after, Reading goalkeeper Storry had to be alert to kick clear on her near post from Tarryn Bright’s shot but two minutes later, South Africa pulled a goal back through their veteran penalty corner taker Pietie Coetzee, who flicked powerfully into the net to Storry’s right hand side to make it 2-1.
Sensing a South African comeback the crowd turned on England, cheering the South Africans forward at every opportunity. England faced another penalty corner just before the hour mark but Coetzee’s flick missed the target. And soon after Coetzee saw a flashed shot go three metres wide off the stick of Kate Walsh. The South Africans used their team referral to ask the video umpire if it had come off Walsh’s foot but the replay was inconclusive and South Africa lost their right to appeal for the remainder of the match.
As they looked to reassert their grip on the game, England won their third penalty corner of the half but the injection into the circle stuck and Hannah Macleod had to retrieve the situation before she was tackled and South Africa won the ball back.
As the match entered its final five minutes there was an injury scare for England when Macleod went down with nobody near her and she was helped from the pitch. The game was taking on a frantic pace with both sides turning over possession as they attacked in search of a goal.
South Africa were awarded a penalty corner with 90 seconds remaining when the umpire adjudged Helen Richardson to have deliberately stick checked her opponent in the 23 metre area. Kate Walsh used England’’s team referral to appeal the decision but it stood. The tension in the stadium was palpable but as the corner came out it was miss-trapped at the top of the circle and when the shot eventually came in from the right England cleared the danger.
With the clock ticking down England relieved the pressure on the back line, holding the ball high up the pitch until victory was assured.
Afterwards a frustrated Head Coach Danny Kerry said he thought the brace of yellow cards shown to Hannah Macleod and Alex Danson midway through the second half played a critical part in the change in the balance of the match: “We controlled the game and outplayed South Africa for the majority of it but the sending offs changed the game.”
Kerry added, “We should have scored more goals. The South African goalkeeper played well but we could have taken our chances better. We managed to play ok with nine players and our defence had to make some big tackles; both Laura Unsworth and Kate [Walsh] played well in the situation.”
The victory means England have now amassed ten points with just one Pool B match to play, against the hosts Argentina. That game takes place on Monday evening and gets underway at 23:30 BST (19:30 local time).
By the time they take to the field on Monday, England will know what they have to do to reach the semi finals. Korea is the only side capable of catching England in the race for the last four. They must win both of their final Pool games, against Spain and South Africa, hope England lose to Argentina and turn around an inferior goal difference to leapfrog England
