Pearn strikes late to give GB victory over Korea
Great Britain 4-3 Korea

Great Britain will play Germany in tomorrow’s 5^th-6^th place play-off match after sealing a 4-3 victory over Korea in an entertaining Pool D clash here in Auckland. Mark Pearn scored the winning goal with just two minutes of the match remaining shortly after Korea had tied the scores at 3-3 thanks to a penalty stroke from Hyun Woo Nam.

The winner of Sunday’s meeting between Germany and Great Britain will guarantee a place in the 2012 edition of the Champions Trophy. For Korea, the result means that they will face Pakistan in the play-off for 7^th place, which also takes place on Sunday.

Great Britain - who went into the match knowing that a draw would be good enough to put them into the 5-6 Play-Off game - were arguably the better team in the early exchanges, but Korea grew in confidence as the match progressed and took a 31^st minute lead when Hyo Sik You scored from close range.

Ashley Jackson and Barry Middleton both went close to levelling the scores early in the second half but were denied by Korea keeper Jae Hyeon Kim who produced some outstanding saves to keep his side ahead.

Star striker Jong Ho Seo made the score 2-0 in the 45^th minute with a smart deflection at the near post before Great Britain deservedly pulled a goal back with a typical poachers goal from James Tindall.

The last ten minutes of the match were packed with drama. Great Britain pulled themselves level in the 60^th minute thanks to a nicely worked penalty corner variation before Korea keepe Kim somehow let a weak James Tindall squeeze through his legs to give GB a 3-2 lead with four minutes remaining. Incredibly, Korea immediately won a penalty stroke which was expertly converted by Hyun Woo Nam, but a smart 68^th minute finish from Mark Pearn ensured that Great Britain won the match and kept alive their chances of playing in next year’s Champions Trophy.  

Great Britain – Korea 4-3 – Owen G Glenn FIH Champions Trophy Men 2011

> GB recorded their first CT victory over Korea in 3 CT matches.
> GB play Germany in the fifth lace play-off. Korea and Pakistan face each other in the Final 7-8.
> GB converted 1 of 6 penalty corners awarded in this match and are now on 3 from 21 for the tournament.
> Korea did not get any penalty corners in this match and stay on 1 for 15 in terms of penalty corners converted at Auckland 2011
> Ashley Jackson scored his first goal of the tournament and his 7th career CT goal, 6 of which came from penalty corners and 1 from a penalty stroke.
> James Tindall has now scored twice in the last 3 CT matches he scored in; ENG - NZL 4-3 in 2010 and ENG - ESP 3-3 in 2009.
> Mark Pearn scored his 9th CT career goal and his 3rd against Korea. He also scored 3 against Pakistan and 1 against India making Asian opponents his favourites in CT competition.
> You Hyo Sik scored his 2nd goal against G this year. He also scored in Korea's last match against GB a 3-1 win at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in May 2011.
> Seo Jong-Ho scored his 2nd CT goal against GB. He also scored against GB at the 2007 Champions Trophy GBR - KOR 2-2.

Great Britain – Korea (10 Dec 2011, 14:05) – Owen G Glenn FIH Champions Trophy Men 2011 

Head-to-heads

> Great Britain and Korea meet for the third time in CT competition. Korea are unbeaten in the 2 previous meetings winning 3-1 in 2000 and drawing 2-2 in 2007.
> Including England, GB/ENG are unbeaten in their last 4 CT matches against Korea, since losing 3-1 in 2000.
> England/GB’s biggest CT win over Korea came in their last CT encounter in 2009 (4-2).
> Their last meeting came at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in May 2011, and saw Korea beat Great Britain 3-1 through goals by Yoon Sung-Hoon, Jeon Byung Jin and You Hyo Sik. Daly Matthew scored for GB.

Great Britain Facts

> GB qualify for the Final 5-6 if they beat Korea. A draw will only see them through if Germany beat Pakistan.
> GB have finished 5th or 6th in their last 8 Champions Trophy appearances (1988-2007).
> Great Britain (5) and Korea (6) have scored fewest goals in their 4 matches so far.
> Great Britain have converted 2 of 15 penalty corners awarded (13%).
> Great Britain have conceded 4 PC goals from 17 PCs they faced.
> Simon Mantell has scored 2 goals (1FG, 1PC) for GB at Auckland 2011. The other GB goalscorers are Barry Middleton (PC), Mark Pearn (FG) and Glenn Kirkham (FG).
> 19-year-old Harry Martin can become the third teenager to score for GB or England in CT competition joining Mark Pearn (age 18) in 1995 and Simon Nicklin (age 19) in 1992.
> Mark Pearn retired from international hockey in 2005. He made his international comeback in the Four Nations tournament in the Netherlands in June 2011.
> GB’s Ben Hawes was sidelined for nine months after breaking his ankle at the 2010 Champions Trophy.

Korea Facts

> Korea only qualify for the Final 5-6 if they beat GB and if their goal difference is better than that of any other team on 4 points from 3 matches in  Pool D.
> At their last Champions Trophy tournament Korea finished third (at Melbourne 2009). Their lowest CT rank is sixth (and last) in 1997, 2001 and 2002.
> Korea’s 6 goals have been scored by Cho Suk-Hoon, You Hyo-Sik, Kim Young-Jin, Seo Jong-Ho, Lee Nam-Yong and Nam Hyun-Woo (PC).
> Korea have conceded most goals (17) so far at Auckland 2011 (12FG – 4PC – 1PS).
> Korea have conceded most field goals (12). GB have conceded 11 FG.
> Korea are on 1 for 15 in terms of penalty corners converted at Auckland 2011.
> You Hyo-Sik’s father You Young Chae also played hockey at international level for Korea in the 1970s. He was the assistant coach of Korea's women's hockey team when they won a silver medal on home turf at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul and again when they collected the silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
> Seo Jong-Ho was named on the FIH All Star team in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.