Led by a Matt Daly hat-trick, England dispatched France for eight goals at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre as their preparations for the EuroHockey Nations Championships, which start in ten days, come to a climax.
The hosts got off to the perfect start with a goal inside two minutes from Loughborough Students’ Richard Smith, firing home a penalty corner to add to the one he scored against India in Birmingham two weeks ago.
Daly netted the first goal of his eventual hat-trick in the sixth minute before Bowdon forward Alastair Brogdon put his name on the score sheet for the first time in senior international hockey, giving England a three goal lead inside 22 first half minutes.
Surbiton’s James Tindall made it four just three minutes later, devastating the French side who went in at the break four goals behind.
The one-sided affair continued into the second half with another four English goals. Daly scored twice in eight minutes to complete his hat-trick and then, with fewer than ten minutes remaining on the clock, the French goalkeeper was shown a yellow card. With only one goalkeeper in the squad it was left to an outfield player to pad up and step into the net.
With two minutes remaining Richard Mantell was happy to exploit the temporary suspension to fire home number seven from a late penalty corner and captain Barry Middleton wrapped things up in the very last minute from open play.
Afterwards, Team Manager Pete Nicholson was pleased with how his side had played: “Obviously it was a very one-sided game but we are happy with the performance of our guys looking towards the Europeans in just over a week.”
The two sides meet again in the final match of the series on Friday morning.
England-France 8:0 (4:0)
Goals England: Richard Smith 2 (PC), Matt Daly 6, 54, 62 (F, F, F), Alastair Brogdon 22 (F), James Tindall 25 (F), Richard Mantell 69 (PC), Barry Middleton 70 (F)
Source: England Hockey
