SCOTLAND V ENGLAND WOMANS HOCKEY COMMONWEALTH GAMES GLASGOW

I only found out later the Scotlands Womans team only turned profession five months before this match against a vastly experienced , expectant English team.After a very bright and disciplined start the Scots fell behind to a deft chip by the English forward and looked out of the match by the time a penalty corner was converted to make it 2-0.
The Scots crowd was temporarily silenced , allowing a very healthy English contingent to make themselves known all around the ground.But , the Scottish ladies stormed back with an inspired performance which energised the majority Scots into a state of passionate frenzy.A penalty corner just before half-time gave a hopeful lifeline and justice to a performance of great focus and temperament.
In the second half the Scots outclassed the increasingly physical and desperate English in all aspects except finishing , missing 6 penalty corners which in footballing equivalent is akin to 6 one on one chances with only the keeper to beat.
This Guardian report gives a semblance of the match

"Nikki Kidd, Scotland’s midfielder, worked harder than anyone to keep them in the game. “We took the game to them and really performed excellently so we’re absolutely gutted not to be progressing to the semi-finals,” she said. “We threw everything at them and I think we had them rattled ... we’ve come such a long way in the past few years. And we took another step again today. We did ourselves proud.”

The Scottish Hockey website also gives a reflection of the performance of the team from the low expectations prior to the tournament.
 

"Scotland Head Coach Gordon Shepherd added, “It was a fantastic performance, one I’m very proud of. I’m so proud of the players, I couldn’t have asked for any more from them.
“We prepared so well for this game, we had a game plan that very nearly came off. In the second half, I don’t know if I’ve seen them play with such conviction, they were amazing.
“We had the corners, we had the open play chances. We had six corners so no-one can say we didn’t create chances, but we just didn’t execute, that was the only thing."

Its good to see even the Woman can join the Men in giving Scotland heroic defeats which are to be more savoured than a mere win.

ENGLAND v NEW ZEALAND HOCKEY at the COMMONWEALTH GAMES GLASGOW

I went to the Hockey segment at the new National Hockey Centre at Glasgow Green not even knowing who was playing.The happened to be England v New Zealand with the winner getting to avoid a certain knock-out in the semi-finals against the rampant Australians , as dominant in hockey as the Germans are at football.

In the first half New Zealand played a deep pressing game at around their own halfway line , in hockey , unlike football, having most players in the midfield area means it is easy for the defence to bypass the hectic midfield and find the forwards by playing aerial or into the wings.The English defence passed the ball around themselves laterally without challenge and found the wingers who with a mixture of skill and guile managed to penetrate deep into the New Zealand defence , in saying that they only got a couple of close calls on goal in a goalless first half.

In the second half New Zealand got their tactics right , pressed high up the English defenders who then began to give the ball away allowing New Zealand to get quality possession in the vital last third.Soon the tone of the match changed and English resorted to a very rough and ungainly physical game with the player Jackson being a particularly vicious cad.New Zealand got a deserved goal from a penalty stroke.

Alas , the New Zealanders again pressed too deep allowing England to equalise.After that the momentum was with the English who had many chances to seal the game.Eventually the New Zealand team recovered their equanimity and got a late penalty corner winner.

This report from The Telegraph gives a fair reflection of a pulsating , highly intriguing game.