England will play in the top tier of European indoor hockey in two years time after a thrilling victory over Sweden in their final EuroHockey Indoor Nations Trophy match in Poznan on Sunday. Switzerland will also join England in the Championship in 2012 after finishing level with Poland; they are promoted on account of their win over the Poles. The victory over Sweden, coupled with Switzerland’s 4-2 win over Poland, means that England have also qualified for the 2011 Indoor World Cup in Poznan, just over two years after returning to international indoor hockey at the very lowest level.
There was even more reason to celebrate at the culmination of the tournament on Sunday afternoon when England goalkeeper Nick Brothers was awarded the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award and teammate Ashley Jackson won the Player of the Tournament trophy.
Going into their final match in Poland, Sweden and England, both of whom were promoted two years ago after finishing first and second in the Challenge at Ponds Forge in Sheffield, were gunning for a second consecutive promotion. Anything less than an English win would hand promotion to the Swedes, while England required a victory and a goal difference swing of three goals to reach the 2011 EuroHockey Indoor Nations Championship.
Knowing they required goals, England were the quicker out of the traps and with Sweden content to sit deep it was the English who created the best chances of the opening five minutes. However, it looked as though the frustrations of Saturday would continue when three English chances came and went without the deadlock being broken.
Jonas Bjorkman then stunned England by giving Sweden the opening goal on eight minutes but England rallied strongly with three goals in the final five minutes of the first half to go in 3-1 up at the break. Reading’s Jonty Clarke equalised in the 15th minute and in the final minute of the half Loughborough Students’ Richard Smith and England captain Richard Mantell both netted, the former from a penalty corner, to put England in front.
The second half was somewhat eventful as England began to take their chances but rode their luck at times. It seemed to be going to plan when Smith scored his second, this time from open play, but just before the half hour mark Christopher Hellstrand pulled one back for Sweden. There then followed a match turning moment when Sweden were awarded a penalty stroke. Reading goalkeeper Nick Brothers saved the Swedish effort and England immediately countered, charging upfield where Clarke was on hand to knock home his second of the match and his fifth of the tournament to put England 5-2 up.
As Sweden could see their grasp on promotion slipping away they upped the intensity and England were grateful to Brothers for a series of outstanding saves. With five minutes remaining even Brothers was watching as Sweden hit the post but England survived the scare and pressed forward again. Richard Smith rounded off the scoring in the 37th minute with his hat-trick goal from an England break and despite Sweden replacing their goalkeeper with a sixth outfield player England held on to win by four goals and secure promotion to the Championship division.
Speaking afterwards, Head Coach Andy Halliday told how he always believed England could secure promotion going into the final match: “We had a disappointing day yesterday but deep down I knew we could beat Sweden by three goals today,” he said. “It’s a tremendous achievement for us but one that we thoroughly deserve because we stuck at it. We have found it difficult at times to break down the defensive zones we have come up against but today we were much more creative.”
After watching Switzerland beating Poland 4-2, a scoreline that handed England a first ever Indoor World Cup place Halliday said, “Qualification is another great lift in what has been an excellent year for the England senior men’s group.”
The third Indoor World Cup will take place from 8-13 February 2011 in Poznan, Poland.
Courtesy of England Hockey
