| Scotland men lost 6-1 to France in the first of two uncapped training matches in Le Touquet. The experimental Blue Sticks were in the contest but for the third quarter, where a quality French outfit took advantage and scored some clinical goals.
The first half was a good contest and ended 1-1 at half time – Rob Harwood scored for Scotland after a great run and setup by Lee Morton.
The third quarter was where the damage was done. Scotland changed its system to try something new and the French quickly sensed the opportunity. Scotland also went a man down and it ended up 5-1 going into the fourth quarter.
The final quarter saw Scotland play their way back into the contest but it was France who added to their score line and took the win.
Scotland men’s Head Coach Derek Forsyth said, “These are good training games so we’re experimenting and we learned a lot from it. It’s a really good space for us to try things out and add things to our game as we prepare for the Hockey Series Finals.
“The third quarter was difficult for us. We completely changed our system to try something new and it showed us there’s a lot to work on. In the final quarter we went back to our original system and we settled, but were always playing catch up at that point.
“We’re disappointed to lose the match, and with the score line, but it is great learning for us. We’re getting the players together again and playing catch up against a well prepped team, but it’s not about now – it’s about four weeks from now. That’s what we’re working towards.” |
