David Chappell
 |
Great Britain are finishing this Olympic women’s hockey competition as they wished they could have started it. They produced their best performance in five matches today and gave themselves a belated chance to salvage respect from a difficult campaign.
Seventh place is as good as they can achieve but the manner in which they beat South Africa 3-2 suggests that they are learning from their experiences here. The midfield and attack played with hitherto unseen pace and verve and their victory should have been by a far greater margin.
Some of the old neuroses surfaced after South Africa had survived a first-half bombardment. “We were a bit wobbly in the second half,” Jon Royce, the head coach, admitted. “We should have closed the game out and used South African pressure to launch counter-attacks. We didn’t handle the pressure again.”
But Royce was pleased his players had shown something of their true form. “They were geared up for success out here and it hit them very hard,” he said. “The girls were devastated. It is something they spent 152 days preparing for, sometimes four or five hours a day on the pitch.”
Britain got off to a flying start today, scoring within three minutes through Rhona Simpson after Jane Smith had cut in along the byline on the right. They immediately conceded a careless equaliser when Alison Dare nipped in front of Hilary Rose in goal to touch in Kerry Bee’s free hit.
Mel Clewlow struck her third short corner goal of the tournament to restore Britain’s advantage and renewed confidence flooded through the side. Jane Sixsmith enjoyed a supply of passes for the first time and Simpson might have had a hat-trick before the break. Tina Cullen also provided a lively threat from the left wing.
It was a surprise that South Africa reached half-time on level terms. A long ball upfield found the experienced Pietee Coetzee and she led Kath Johnson, back in the side after an elbow injury, a merry dance on top of the circle before shooting into the corner of the goal.
Smith got what proved to be the decisive goal three minutes into the second half, lifting a shot from a short corner over the goalkeeper. “Mel dummied to get the keeper down but it wasn’t one of my best flicks,” she said modestly. “But we let it slip in the second half.”
Britain will relish the chance to meet Germany, who have also under-achieved here, in the seventh-place play-off on Wednesday. A match against such a traditional rival will provide a fitting close to Sixsmith’s international career which has brought more than 300 appearances, 50 goals and Olympic bronze in Barcelona.
David Chappell
The Times
