Excellent win over Argentina takes GB to top of Cordoba standings

 


Great Britain’s women pulled off an excellent victory over World
Champions Argentina at the Cordoba Four Nations late on Thursday
night as goals from Leicester duo Kerry Williams and Crista Cullen
moved GB to the top of the standings.

In an open encounter and spurred on by an enthusiastic South
American crowd, Great Britain rose to the challenge, sticking to
the game plan and demonstrating their experience to take all three
points against a team that included seven times World Player of the
Year Luciana Aymar.

Great Britain rotated the goalkeepers with Scottish goalkeeper Abi
Walker replacing Beth Storry in goal.  Slough’s Ashley Ball
also came in having sat out the opening night win over Korea with
clubmate Nicola White sitting the match out.

While she might not have made the score sheet herself, Reading’s
Helen Richardson played a significant role in the victory.
 With 21 minutes on the clock the 30 year old from
Nottinghamshire fed her former Leicester colleague Kerry Williams
for the opening goal.  A week earlier Williams had been
drafted into the squad to replace the injured Vikki Bunce and she
took her opportunity well giving Great Britain the lead.  And
less than five minutes later Richardson showed more of the aptitude
that saw her voted into the International Hockey Federation’s World
All Stars team as she cleared a goal-bound penalty corner effort
off the line, preserving Great Britain’s lead to the break.

Great Britain enjoyed the better of the opportunities in the match
and from one such chance, a 48th minute penalty corner, Crista
Cullen fired home a trademark low drag flick to give GB what would
become an unassailable lead.

After the match Head Coach Danny Kerry was pleased with his squad
for the result and the performance: “It was a thoroughly
professional and disciplined performance against a full strength
Argentina side.  We should excellent concentration, which
allowed them very few opportunities while we created good chances
of our own.

Kerry singled out 22 year old Dilly Newton and 23 year old Laura
Unsworth for particular praise, saying: “Dilly had a game of
maturity beyond her years while Laura Unsworth grows with every
game.  She is becoming a world class player.  Looking at
their ages it bodes well for the future and our development.”

The result takes Great Britain to the top of the tournament
standings, three points clear of Argentina and Korea, who beat New
Zealand 7-4 earlier in the evening.  Great Britain’s last pool
match is against New Zealand on Saturday.  The result also
guarantees them progress to Sunday’s final, with the opposition for
the tournament trophy as yet unknown.

Great Britain’s women pulled off an excellent victory
over World Champions Argentina at the Cordoba Four Nations late on
Thursday night as goals from Leicester duo Kerry Williams and
Crista Cullen moved GB to the top of the standings.

In an open encounter and spurred on by an
enthusiastic South American crowd, Great Britain rose to the
challenge, sticking to the game plan and demonstrating their
experience to take all three points against a team that included
seven times World Player of the Year Luciana Aymar.

Great Britain rotated the goalkeepers with Scottish goalkeeper
Abi Walker replacing Beth Storry in goal.  Slough’s Ashley
Ball also came in having sat out the opening night win over Korea
with clubmate Nicola White sitting the match out.

While she might not have made the score sheet herself, Reading’s
Helen Richardson played a significant role in the victory.
 With 21 minutes on the clock the 30 year old from
Nottinghamshire fed her former Leicester colleague Kerry Williams
for the opening goal.

A week earlier Williams had been drafted into the squad to
replace the injured Vikki Bunce and she took her opportunity well
giving Great Britain the lead.  And less than five minutes
later Richardson showed more of the aptitude that saw her voted
into the International Hockey Federation’s World All Stars team as
she cleared a goal-bound penalty corner effort off the line,
preserving Great Britain’s lead to the break.

Great Britain enjoyed the better of the opportunities in the
match and from one such chance, a 48th minute penalty corner,
Crista Cullen fired home a trademark low drag flick to give GB what
would become an unassailable lead.

After the match Head Coach Danny Kerry was pleased with his
squad for the result and the performance:

“It was a thoroughly professional and disciplined performance
against a full strength Argentina side.  We should excellent
concentration, which allowed them very few opportunities while we
created good chances of our own.

Kerry singled out 22 year old Dilly Newton and 23 year old Laura
Unsworth for particular praise, saying: “Dilly had a game of
maturity beyond her years while Laura Unsworth grows with every
game.  She is becoming a world class player. Looking at their
ages it bodes well for the future and our development.”

The result takes Great Britain to the top of the tournament
standings, three points clear of Argentina and Korea, who beat New
Zealand 7-4 earlier in the evening.

Great Britain’s last pool match is against New Zealand on
Saturday.  The result also guarantees them progress to
Sunday’s final, with the opposition for the tournament trophy as
yet unknown.

 

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