S2H Team

Great Britain climbed out of the cellar with a 5-3 win over Germany in the first of the FIH Pro League men’s doubleheader at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London on Wednesday.

Germany’s women, however, beat GB, the Olympic champions, 3-2 in a match played later in the day.

GB’s men will view the result in perspective. Germany rested a host of experienced players including Florian Fuchs, Christopher Ruhr and Martin Haner and it was bound to tell.

Still, GB playing at the FIH Pro League level after more than six months will relish victory gained with an aggressive performance backed by speed and control but will reflect on defensive uncertainties especially in the first session.

The Germans, on their part, will take heart from a plucky display from their young guards but like GB will also introspect on their defence.

Besides grabbing full points, what’s heartening not just for GB but the hockey community as a whole, was the sight of Sam Ward playing his first international after coming back from a horrific injury sustained in an Olympic qualifier against Malaysia in November 2019 that has left him visually impaired in the left eye.

Sporting a face mask, it would have been fitting that he got on to the score sheet which he almost did with a shot that hit the post in a rousing first quarter.

Germany stuck with the game only 42 seconds old when Moritz Rothlander exploited a defence in disarray but GB recovered not only to equalise but lead 2-1 at halftime.

Liam Ansell scored a gem of a goal, volleying the ball past the experienced Mark Appel in goal in the ninth minute following GB’s high press.

After Sam Ward rattled the crosspiece, GB’s persistence led to their first PC in the 13th minute leading to Brendan Creed scoring his first international goal.

George Pinner, GB’s first-choice goalkeeper remained on the bench throughout the encounter but his understudy Oliver Payne proved his worth with a hatful of quality saves

GB appeared to gain a stranglehold with a penalty corner goal through Phil Roper in the 20th minute to go 3-1 ahead but within the minute Germany pulled one back when Prinz punished a faltering defence.

GB, though, weren’t to be denied a two-goal cushion again when Christopher Griffith got around Appel to finish in style in the 24th minute. Paul Doesch, however, converted Germany’s first PC to reduce the margin to 3-4.

The roles were reversed in the second half when this time it was GB who scored an early goal – Harry Martin’s spectacular deflection of Adam Dixon’s pass amid a PC going high into the German goal to make it 5-3 with the quarter not quite two minutes old.

There was drama at the start of the final quarter with German captain Tobias Hauke shown the yellow card for an error of numbers which saw an extra player on the pitch.

And another yellow with three minutes remaining saw Jack Waller suspended with Germany firing on all cylinders for the equalizer.

GB, however, held fort for three points and arrest Germany’s impressive run in the league that had seen doubleheader away wins over The Netherlands and Argentina.

“It was good fun, good to get back out there,” said Great Britain’s Zach Wallace, who was named Player of the Match. “I know that Germany have a few guys that have stayed at home, having been playing in their various league finals, but they still have a load of guys who I grew up playing junior stuff with, all really good players. We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we managed to control it at the end, so it was good to come off the pitch with a win.”

Germany captain Tobias Hauke said: “It is hard to say, directly after the game. To be honest, if you concede five goals, I think it is clear that we have to be better in the defence tomorrow. We really tried to win today and were emotional from the first second, and directly scored. So, the beginning was quite good, but you could see it was the first time that we have had this [group of players] on the pitch. I think over the 60 minutes you saw that we probably needed this time for a better performance tomorrow.”

The teams meet again on Thursday with Germany second on the table with 19 points from nine matches at a percentage success of 70.37.

GB are eight out of nine with eight from nine at 29.63.

Belgium lead the table with 32 points from 13 matches at 82.05%.

Germany’s women occupy the second spot and have 13 points from seven matches at 61.9 %. GB, are at sixth with 11 from nine at 40.74%.

The Netherlands are runaway leaders with 29 points from 11 matches at 87.88% followed by Argentina with 19 from 10 at 63.33%.