With just three minutes to go in the match, at least some of the Indian players might have been thinking about a medal. But as they eased off the pressure, England stepped up to first equalise and then win the bronze medal playoff in a shootout at the Hockey Junior Women’s World Cup in Potchefstroom.
India, based on the form they had shown in the tournament thus far, started the match as favourites but both teams started the game a little flat.
Sometimes it takes a little to get going and for India, that something happened to be a goal by England.
India had had two PCs in the early exchanges but there was precious little after that. The moves were breaking down in the midfield but then luck swung England’s way in the 18th minute.
England skipper Millie Giglio took at shot at goal in the 18th minute and the ball bobbled on the way to the Indian goal. However, that is precisely what forced the error out of goalkeeper Bichu Kharibam, who mistimed her kick and then watched the ball sneak through into the goal from under her.
This could have really set India back but the team in blue were levelled proceedings to Mumtaz Khan just three minutes later. This was Mumtaz’s seventh goal of the tournament and once again she showed just how good a goal poacher she is.
India started showing a little more adventure going forward thereon, but this wasn’t the teams at their best.
At half-time, India coach Erik Wonink was pleased that India had managed to find themselves towards the end of the first half.
“Very happy that we found ourselves when the game was progressing. We’re creating opportunities now,” he said.
But the third quarter saw both teams settle into a dull pace, they almost seemed to be saving themselves for the final 15 minutes.
Just ahead of the start of the final quarter, in the huddle, Lalremsiami seemed to exhort the team to believe in themselves and just a few minutes into the final quarter, India showed their belief.
The ball found its way to Mumtaz at the end of a goalmouth scramble and she placed it into the net with a fine reverse hit.
But England weren’t prepared to just sit back after that. They went on the offensive and started controlling the game after that.
A few PCs went England’s way but they went for the variation rather than a direct shot and it didn’t quite work for them. So if a goal was going to come, it was going to come from open play.
Once again, there was a lucky intervention, when the ball hit an Indian stick and bobbled over to Claudia Swain, who was on hand to score the equaliser in the 58th minute.
The match went into the shootout and things didn’t exactly go India’s way. Their first two shots went wide and then the buzzer seemed to sound well before 8 seconds had passed when Salima Tete’s attempt was on. The Indians seemed shocked but they didn’t make much of it at that point.
Maddie Axford then came on and scored the third to give England their best-ever finish at the tournament. They had made it to the semis before but this is the first time they will end up on the podium.
At the end of the match, India had the better stats but it was England who came out victorious in a gritty match and sometimes, that is just how the coin falls.
