GB Women v Australia Women clash cancelled
Lightning and heavy rain denied GB's women a first chance at a win in the FIH Pro League as their second clash of the weekend against Australia was abandoned at half-time.
Anna Toman had given her side the lead with a wicked slap from a corner in the second quarter before the game was halted in the 24th minute. They did manage to restart the game but it was stopped once again at half-time as the extreme weather continued before eventually being cancelled.
Because the Hockeyroos won the first game, they received double points.
Earlier in the day Great Britain's men were heavily beaten by the Kookaburras.
Having more than held their own in a thrilling 4-4 draw the day before, they were not able to replicate those levels this time as their clinical hosts put them to the sword.
Match report
Australia 5 (3): Wotherspoon (14’, FG); Sharp (19’, FG); Craig (29’, FG); Brand (45’, PC); Mitton (55’, FG)
Great Britain 1 (1): Taylor (18’, PC)
Dylan Wotherspoon opened the scoring in the 14th minute for Australia as, unmarked in the circle, he swept the ball past Gibson. That came after the goalkeeper had already made several important stops earlier on.
Early in the second quarter Taylor’s ferocious flick drew the sides level but less than a minute later Australia had the lead again as Lachlan Sharp found the target.
GB then saw two corners saved before the Kookaburras struck a decisive blow at the end of the half through Tom Craig, before Tim Brand beat Gibson in the dying moments of the third quarter.
Trent Mitton then netted for the second time in two days with five minutes to go to seal the win.
After the game, GB captain Adam Dixon said: “Today was a tough game. I think we came out quite sprightly, winning corners early on and keeping them under pressure. But if we stayed open at the back they were going to grind us down with opportunities and that’s exactly what they did.
“We just weren’t on it. We were trying a few new things and it just didn’t work today.
“The job for us now is to stay positive and go again. Last time we were in Christchurch we put a really good performance in against New Zealand so that’s where we’ll be hoping to pick things up again.”
Great Britain’s men and women are next in action against New Zealand next weekend at 4am on Saturday 8 February and 2am on Sunday 9 February.
Starting XI: Ames, Forsyth, Griffiths, Sloan, Gleghorne, Dixon (C), Jackson, Gibson (GK), Sorsby, Calnan, Wallace
Subs (Used): Taylor, Shipperley, Martin, Roper, Gall, Draper
Subs (Unused): Pinner (GK), Ansell, Waller, Sanford