England Hockey Results Service, BDO FIH World Cup
Rosario, Argentina
Friday 3 September 2010
ENGLAND 1 (0)
Helen Richardson 37 (F)
KOREA 1 (1)
Kim Jong-Eun 1 (F)
England’s unbeaten start to the BDO FIH World Cup continued on Friday as an excellent team performance and a solo effort from Reading’s Helen Richardson earned a share of the spoils against the skilful Koreans in Rosario.
The match got underway more than 19 later than originally scheduled after torrential rain flooded the pitch on Thursday afternoon, resulting in the postponement of all of the Pool B matches on day five of the tournament.
Things started badly for England with Kim Jong-Eun scoring the quickest goal of the tournament so far when she dived in at the back post to put Korea ahead inside the first minute. There were penalty corners aplenty in the first period with England winning four to Korea’s three. The defences stood firm though and Korea went in ahead at the break.
England came out for the second period in search of the equaliser and an excellent solo effort from 2009 World Player of the Year nominee Helen Richardson pulled England level two minutes into the half. Korea enjoyed the better of the second half opportunities and had the ball in the net once, from a penalty corner, but the goal was ruled out and the points were shared.
Afterwards England Hockey Head Coach Danny Kerry praised his side for sticking to the game plan saying, “I’m really happy with the result. It was an excellent team performance against what I see as one of the best teams in the tournament.”
The second of six matches on Friday following Thursday’s wash out, the game was the fourth meeting between England and Korea at World Cups. It was the Koreans who beat England to bronze in 1990, they also won in 1998, while England gained some revenge in 2002, winning the fifth place playoff on penalty strokes.
After missing the 1-0 victory over China, Clifton’s Georgie Twigg replaced Katie Long in the squad for the match.
Things started badly for England as Korea’s Kim Jong-Eun gave her team the lead inside the first minute, diving onto Kim Ok-Ju’s pass across the face of goal. From Korea’s first attack, Park Mi-Hyun threaded a pass through to Kim Ok-Ju on the edge of the circle and her cross from the left to the goal scorer was just out of reach of England goalkeeper Beth Storry.
Responding to the goal, Reading forward Alex Danson won England two penalty corners in the fourth and 12th minutes. Crista Cullen saw her first effort charged down while an illegal deflection from the second earned England a third opportunity. This time it was pulled out to captain Kate Walsh and the Reading defender found the diving Danson on the penalty sport. The 25 year old forward connected well but Korean goalkeeper Moon Young-Hui reacted quickly to block with her leg.
Just over midway through the half Bowdon Hightown’s Sally Walton went down with a chest injury and there was a short delay as she was treated and helped from the pitch.
Between the 23rd and 26th minutes Korea won three corners in quick succession. The first was deflected high over Storry’s crossbar but a couple of feet in the English circle gave Korea two more opportunities. Both were hit from the top of the circle but England’s defence stood firm.
Three minutes from the break Leicester’s Chloe Rogers showed good skill inside the right of the Korean circle only to be fouled. Umpire Soledad Iparraguirre waited to see if Rogers could gain any advantage but soon signalled for the penalty corner. Again it was Crista Cullen, this time on the left slip, but Park Seon-Mi was out quickly to deflect the shot wide.
More of the same was the message from Danny Kerry at the break and just two minutes after the restart the plan was rewarded with a goal from Reading’s Helen Richardson. The experienced midfielder showed some of the skill that earned her a nomination for the 2009 World Player of the Year Award as she drove through the heart of the Korean defence, riding the challenges of four defenders before adjusting her body and slotting the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper.
Korea responded, winning two penalty corners in the 40th minute. Cullen’s foot blocked the first but from the second, back to the injector Kim Jong-Hee, Korea had the ball in the net. The English defence immediately claimed that the ball had been hit into the goal above the height of the backboard, a claim that was backed up by the umpire. Korea appealed to the video umpire, saying that the effort was flicked but the replay showed a slapped shot and the goal was disallowed.
In the 46th minute, Korea’s Kim Sung-Hee served a two minute suspension. Despite the green card Korea were looking dangerous and 2006 World Young Player of the Year Park Mi-Hyun had half a chance soon after when she rolled around two defenders before unleashing a reverse stick shot over the bar.
For their part, England won several free hits around the edge of the Korean circle but found clear cut efforts on goal harder to come by in the second half.
Ten minutes from time Kim Bo-Mi looked to have taken up a prime position outside Beth Storry’s back post but as the pass came to her she slipped, the ball hitting her body. And it was a bad couple of minutes for the Korea number five who was shown a green card soon after.
England defended a sixth penalty corner two minutes from full time but Tuesday’s heroine Beth Storry dived full length to her right to tip the ball clear with her right glove. On the breakaway, England countered and Alex Danson won a free hit outside the circle with less than a minute remaining. But as England attempted to force one last opportunity Korea stole the ball back and the match concluded, finishing one apiece.
A pleased Danny Kerry praised his side afterwards for sticking to the plan: “I’m really happy with the result. It was an excellent team performance against what I see as one of the best teams in the tournament. We stuck to the game plan and did what said we would in preparation for the game.”
With the rescheduling of the Korean match, England’s fourth Pool B fixture comes hot on its heels when they meet South Africa at 18:30 BST on Saturday. South Africa, who had a good victory over Spain on Tuesday, lost 4-1 to China in Friday’s first match.
ENDS
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