Calum Giles, the Penalty corner ace, scored a match-clinching goal for the second straight game when he swept in the winner from a second-half corner as Britain assured themselves of a top six finish and a place in next year’s elite Champions Trophy in Lahore.
"We were pretty low after our first three games," said the British captain Jon Wyatt, "but to come back like this shows real guts and courage."
Playing for classification instead of medals, it was India who drew first blood.
Dilip Kumar Tirkey’s penalty corner strike in the tenth minute took a deflection off Tom Bertram’s stick and flew in to the net. But the Brits hit back.
After a couple of near misses by Mark Pearn, the Reading striker broke down the left and following a neat exchange of passes with Craig Parnham. Parnham equalised with a powerfully swept shot past Jude Menezes in the 16th minute.
Adapting better to the wet and slippery conditions, the British took control in the second half with Giles putting away their fourth penalty corner in the 46th minute.
Unable to penetrate Team GB’s solid defence with Wyatt and Bertram in total command, India, lost any slim chance of getting back in to the contest when Baljit Dhillon Singh was sent to the sin-bin for retaliation in the closing stages.
"We seem to be good at coming from behind," Wyatt said. "It’s not the plan, but we don’t panic like some teams do. We have a lot of belief in ourselves."
Victory for the Brits tomorrow in their final Olympic game will determine if they finish in fifth or sixth.
Fighting comeback restores faith
Great Britain will emerge from this Olympic men’s tournament with their reputation restored, a valued place in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan next year and automatic World Cup qualification for 2002.
All thoughts of their depressing start have been banished by excellent wins over Germany and, today, India. Now they meet the Germans again to decide fifth place.
Their captain, Jon Wyatt, admits they like to do things the hard way but at least Britain’s resilience cannot be faulted.
Against India they again had to recover from going a goal down. "We seem to be good at coming from behind," said Wyatt, whose calm authority on the pitch has been impressive throughout. "It's not the plan but we don’t panic like some teams do. We have a lot of belief in ourselves."
After Pakistan humiliated them in their second game, putting them swiftly out of medal contention, that belief was been sorely tested. But Britain have regrouped after a three-day break in the Hunter Valley, which Barry Dancer, the head coach, picked out as the turning point in their fortunes.
"It provided us all with a good environment to lick our wounds and grieve in private," he said. "It was an important respite."
In today's game, Britain fell behind to Dilip Tirkey’s early penalty corner but Craig Parnham arrived unnoticed on the left in the circle to flick in his third goal in four matches within six minutes. They kept a close rein on the dangerous Dhanraj Pillay and found the time and space to play some of their most convincing hockey. Calum Giles had a short corner disallowed when the ball was not stopped correctly but he then found his range and, when the Indians infringed after 46 minutes, he struck again.
David Hacker’s clever reverse pass allowed Ben Sharpe to draw the foul and Giles converted the resulting corner with aplomb. With the Singhs - Baljit and Baljit Dhillon - weaving pretty but ineffective patterns in midfield, the Indians did little to make life uncomfortable for the resurgent British.
Dancer said the guarantee of a top-six placing for the team would secure future funding because they had fulfilled expectations. "In terms of significance for British hockey, it is very, very important," he said.
Either South Korea or the defending champions, Holland, will emerge as champions from this unpredictable tournament on Saturday. The Koreans, who have been threatening to make a big international breakthrough, ended Pakistan’s hopes with a second-half
short corner from the outstanding Seung Tae Song while the Dutch, reprieved by Britain’s surprise victory over Germany two nights earlier, ended
home hopes of a first Olympic title by winning a penalty shootout after a dour goalless draw.
David Chappell
The Times
