S2H Team

Defending champions Great Britain scored a deserved 4-1 victory over India to enhance their chances of qualifying for the quarterfinals from Pool A in women’s Olympic hockey match at Tokyo’s Oi stadium on Wednesday.

It was Great Britain’s second successive win after their opening match defeat to Germany and boosted their chances of booking a quarterfinal spot from the six-team pool.

For India, a third straight defeat brings enormous pressure to win the last two pool matches against South Africa and Ireland to hold any chance of making the quarterfinals. A look back at the encounter would reveal the familiar tale of spurning opportunities by India including seven penalty corners, just one of which led to a goal.

Hannah Martin’s brace put Great Britain 2-0 ahead with goals in the first two quarters. India showed promise while pulling a goal back through injector Sharmila Devi’s diving one-handed deflection of Gurjit Kaur’s penalty corner attempt before half-time.

But Great Britain took the match away when Lily Owsley, a Rio 2016 gold medallist, made it 3-1 late in the third quarter before a penalty stroke by Grace Bladson settled it three minutes from time.

With India appearing lethargic, Hannah struck her first with the match in the second minute after Shona McCallin’s initial attempt from top of the circle took a deflection.

Her second goal came early in the second quarter when she found the boards through the Savita’s pads, capitalizing on a rebound after Sarah Jones first attempted to score from top of the circle.

The Rio gold medallists came roaring back with a goal by Owsley as the third quarter drew to a close. It followed a penalty corner and a lost referral for dangerous play.

It was a moment packed with a rash of reverses for India. Salima Tete was shown a yellow card for the foul that fetched the award and after the ball went in following the ensuing penalty corner, Rani’s referral for dangerous play was turned down.

Another yellow card to Navjot Kaur early in the fourth and final quarter deepened the crisis.

India, however, attempted to make a match of it and Vandana Katariya’s back-hander drew star goalkeeper Maddie Hinch to a fine save.

Great Britain put the match to bed when Baldson pushed to Savita’s left from the dreaded spot after Owsley’s shot at goal during a penalty corner found Sushila’s body in front of an open goal.