Match two between Great Britain and Spain ended in deadlock as the sides played out a 1-1 draw at the Polideportivo Virgen del Carmen Betero.
In similar fashion to yesterday, Great Britain’s Alex Danson* got her team off the mark with a goal in the fourth minute thanks to a searching run into danger from Holcombe’s Nicola White.
Spain drew level with the visitors just before half time when Lola Riera Zuzuarregui converted a penalty stroke. The flick was awarded when the umpire adjudged the ball had struck a Great Britain foot on the line after a save by goalkeeper Maddie Hinch from a penalty corner.
With the score tied at 1-1 going into the third and fourth quarters Great Britain upped the pressure and were unlucky not to go ahead as they created plenty of opportunities; Slough’s Shona McCallin and Reading’s Susie Gilbert with perhaps the best of the chances to take the victory. However, Spain’s defence stood strong and the hosts held on for the draw.
Speaking after the game Great Britain Head Coach Danny Kerry said: “I was much happier with the performance today. We created a lot more opportunities compared to yesterday and Spain had no open play shots and only one penalty corner. We’ve been working really hard on certain areas of our game in training and I think we’re much harder to break down as a unit now and we are able to defend higher up the pitch which is paying dividends for us. I’m obviously disappointed with the final result, but it was a really good step forward from yesterday.”
Great Britain’s final match against Spain will take place on Friday at 1030 [UK time]. The three matches are taking place at Polideportivo Virgen del Carmen Betero, the same venue Kerry’s team will travel to in June when they battle for Olympic qualification at the FIH Hockey World League Semi Final.
Great Britain Women v Spain – Match 2
Name – Club
Started
Maddie Hinch – Holcombe
Emily Maguire – Reading
Laura Unsworth – Holcombe
Hollie Webb – Surbiton
Alex Danson – Reading
Kate Richardson-Walsh – Reading
Nicola White – Holcombe
Georgie Twigg – Surbiton
Sophie Bray – East Grinstead
Steph Elliott – Holcombe
Susie Gilbert – Reading
Substitutes used
Sally Walton – Wakefield
Sarah Robertson – Holcombe
Lily Owsley – University of Birmingham
Susannah Townsend – Canterbury
Shona McCallin – Slough
Joie Leigh – Clifton
Did not play
Morag McLellan – Buckingham
Holly Payne – Leicester
Lucy Wood – Holcombe
Grace Balsdon – Canterbury
Amy Gibson – Slough
