Brit grit stuns mighty Aussies in Hockey World Cup

NEW DELHI: After 14 penalty corners and innumerable video referrals, favourites Australia lay beaten by a determined England 3-2 in a major upset in the second game of the Hockey World Cup on Sunday.

It was a memorable day for England hockey as they posted their fifth-ever victory against Australia. In fact, the last time they beat their archrivals was 25 years ago in a friendly in Melbourne.

James Tindall scored a brace in the 33rd and 45th minutes after England replied superbly to Australia’s 23rd-minute goal with a thundering penalty corner conversion by Ashley Jackson.

Skipper Jamie Dwyer put his team ahead with a penalty stroke before returning in the second half to find the other off a penalty corner.

It was a story of missed chances for the Australians. Up against a determined England that had jam-packed its defence, they were clueless. England were too resolute, pushing and prodding but getting their reflexes and edges right.

The first few minutes did provide the foretaste but the pendulum swung inexorably towards Australia. There were penalty corners that were close and there were others which brought the best out of goalkeeper James Fair. However, a stickcheck on Edward Ockenden saw England fall back in arrears when Dwyer converted the penalty stroke.

Then came the Jackson stunner. Dragging the ball with all his might, he relayed it home in a mighty heave, leaving the Kookaburras gasping and the Englishmen celebrating. In the 33rd minute, an indirect conversion of a penalty corner by Tindall had them sense victory for the first time as they went into the break.

The reasons for the optimism were plenty. For one, Australia were hopelessly off target. For another, they were mysteriously tense in the striking circle, either letting go of chances or making a hash of penalty corners.

The trend was pretty much the same in the second half. England pushed their luck with referrals too, winning a few of them and quite naturally breaking the Aussie rhythm.