Scotland Senior Masters runners-up in Home Countries International Championship

Scotland Senior Masters finished runners-up to
England in the Home Nations Championships in Swansea at the
weekend. Scotland opened up on Saturday morning with a game against
Wales and it was the home team who got off to a great start with a
well worked goal in only 10 minutes. If the Welsh thought the early
goal would demoralise the Scots they were badly mistaken as it had
the opposite effect. The Scots surged forward and some great hockey
led to a penalty corner where a well rehearsed routine saw Alan
Kerr drill a ball across the keeper and into the bottom corner.
Within 10 minutes another short corner saw the Scots attempt the
same routine but with different results. This time Alan Kerr was
unable to get his shot away but had the presence of mind to flick
the ball through to an unmarked Brian Edwards who calmly slotted
the ball away at the back post and just before half time Niall
Sturrock slipped the first runner and finished low in the bottom
corner after yet another corner.
The second half was a procession of chances for
Scotland but some great goalkeeping and defending kept the score at
3-1 until the end.
Scotland’s second game was against Ireland and both
teams were curiously flat as a dull affair led to a 1-1 draw.
Scotland Captain Gordon McKenzie scored from a penalty corner half
way through the first half but the Irish equalised just before
half-time and neither team really looked like winning the game in
the second half with the Irish probably creating slightly more
chances.
Sundays game against England gave Scotland the
chance to win the Championship for the third time in five years and
the game started well with the Scots frustrating the English attack
all over the pitch.
Unfortunately an English foot on the edge of the
Scots circle was missed by the umpire and from a subsequent corner
England put the ball low to keeper Scott Chisholm’s right side. The
Scots pushed forward again and created a number of chance but were
unable to score and were once again hit by an unlucky decision as
England scored their second goal. With both teams tiring the
younger England team applied more and more pressure and this
eventually paid off with a third goal from yet another penalty
corner. There was no doubt that England deserved to win but the
Scotland team, 9 of who move up to the Over 55s next year, were not
disgraced and gave England their hardest game of the weekend.
Scotland now head off the the European
Championships in Germany before heading the Singapore in October
for the World Masters.

Scotland Senior Masters finished runners-up to England
in the Home Countries International Championships in Swansea at the
weekend.

Scotland opened up on Saturday with a game against Wales and it
was the home team who got off to a great start with a well worked
goal in only 10 minutes.

If the Welsh thought the early goal would demoralise the Scots
they were badly mistaken as it had the opposite effect. The Scots
surged forward and some great hockey led to a penalty corner where
a well rehearsed routine saw Alan Kerr drill a ball across the
keeper and into the bottom corner.

Within 10 minutes another short corner saw Scotland attempt the
same routine but with different results. This time Alan Kerr was
unable to get his shot away but had the presence of mind to flick
the ball through to an unmarked Brian Edwards who calmly slotted
the ball away at the back post. Just before half time Niall
Sturrock slipped the first runner and finished low in the bottom
corner after yet another corner.

The second half was a procession of chances for Scotland but
some great goalkeeping and defending kept the score at 3-1 until
the end.

Scotland’s second game was against Ireland and both teams were
curiously flat as a dull affair led to a 1-1 draw. Scotland Captain
Gordon McKenzie scored from a penalty corner half way through the
first half but the Irish equalised just before half-time and
neither team really looked like winning the game in the second half
with the Irish probably creating slightly more chances.

Sunday’s game against England gave Scotland the chance to win
the Championship for the third time in five years and the game
started well with the Scots frustrating the English attack all over
the pitch.

Unfortunately, an English foot on the edge of the Scots circle
was missed by the umpire and from a subsequent corner England put
the ball low to keeper Scott Chisholm’s right side.

The Scots pushed forward again and created a number of chances
but were unable to score and were once again hit by an unlucky
decision as England scored their second goal.

With both teams tiring the younger England team applied more and
more pressure and this eventually paid off with a third goal from
yet another penalty corner.

There was no doubt that England deserved to win but the Scotland
team, 9 of who move up to the Over 55s next year, were not
disgraced and gave England their hardest game of the weekend.

Scotland coach George Guy was delighted with his teams efforts
and said:

“This group of players have been amazing to play with and coach
over the last five years. Their dedication to the program has been
phenomenal and there is no doubt that this has played a big part in
their success. These successes have included two Home Nations
Championships, three runners-up places and an unprecedented third
place in the World Masters in Hong Kong in 2009”

“The Scotland Senior Masters have been a great example to other
Scottish squads and I know they will go on to even greater things
at the Europeans and Worlds later this year.”

Scotland now head off the the European Championships in Germany
before heading the Singapore in October for the World Masters.

 

 

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