8th August: Pool A teams were in action today and hosts Scotland lie top of the table overnight.
Match 7: Ukraine 1-5 France
France earned their first points of the tournament with a comfortable 5-1 victory over Ukraine.
The opening quarter saw both sides cancel each other out with most of the action taking place in the middle of the pitch.
France took the lead early in the second quarter from a penalty corner. The initial effort was blocked by the Ukrainian defence but Cristoforo Peters-Deutz was on hand to slot the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper to make it 1-0.
It was 2-0 a few minutes later when the French drove forward in numbers and a very nice reverse stick touch put the ball past the goalkeeper for Etienne Tynevez to knock the ball into the empty net.
Hugo Genestet was next to add his name to the score sheet when after a neat spin at the top of the D he slotted the ball into the corner of the net to make it 3-0.
It was 4-0 to France after half time; the French swept into the D from the left and Gaspard Baumgarten finished well from close range.
Ukraine pulled one back from a sensational penalty corner finish. Viacheslav Paziuk launched the ball into the top right corner to make it 4-1.
Eliot Curty made it 5-1 in the final quarter to finish off the scoring and give the French their first victory of the tournament.
Match 8: Scotland 6-1 Portugal
Scotland made it two wins from two with a comfortable 6-1 win over Portugal in their second match of Men’s EuroHockey Championship II in Glasgow. The Scots have now qualified for the semi-finals and currently top Pool A on six points.
It took Scotland just 28 seconds to open the scoring. The Scots broke into the D from the right and Lee Morton struck from a tight angle to make it 1-0.
It was nearly two nil a short while later with Morton against causing all sorts of problems on the left, but the ball bobbled wide with Nick Parkes bearing down on goal.
Portugal found an equaliser in the second quarter. Luis Taveres finished from close range in the third phase of a penalty corner to level the scores.
Scotland very quickly responded and Kenny Bain scored to restore Scotland’s lead. Bain surged into the D and used Gordon McIntyre as a decoy before sliding the ball under the goalkeeper into the back of the net.
The Scots dictated the play as half time approached. They were rewarded with a goal after they were awarded a penalty stroke. Alan Forsyth stepped up to strike and buried the ball into the bottom left corner to make it 3-1.
After the break Scotland continued to dominate play but the Portugal defence was a tough nut to crack. A fourth goal would eventually come for Scotland and it was Alan Forsyth who struck. A good first touch took Forsyth away from his marker and he finished nicely on the reverse to make it 4-1.
Forsyth had his hat trick in the fourth quarter; a superb cross pitch pass by Gavin Byers for Jamie Wong opened up the pass for Forsyth who scored from close range.
As the game came to a close a well-earned second goal for Morton completed the scoring, giving Scotland a fine 6-1 win.
*************
Watch back today’s games HERE
Day tickets can also be purchased in advance online HERE
We will be active on our social channels – so keep up to date on:
- Instagram – @eurohockeyorg – #EHC2017
- Facebook gallery (thanks to Duncan Gray)
- Twitter – @eurohockeyorg – follow us for all the final results of the games
- Results and standings – click here
Photograph credit Duncan Gray (c)