England Hockey Results Service

Lilleshall National Sports Centre, England

 

England 4 (0)

Glenn Kirkham 41 (F)

Iain Mackay 45 (F)

Rob Moore 63 (PC)

Simon Mantell 67 (F)

 

France 0 (0)

 

 

ENGLAND continued their preparations for the Commonwealth Games with a good 4-0 victory over France at Lilleshall National Sports Centre on Saturday.

 

But it took a strong second half performance to secure the win, with the sides level at 0-0 at the break as England failed to find their rhythm.

 

“We were poor in the first half,” said Team Manager Andy Halliday. “But we were much better after the break. It was a good result in the end, which is always good as we prepare to embark on the Commonwealth Games.”

 

After a goalless first half East Grinstead midfielder Glenn Kirkham finally broke the deadlock six minutes after the break, the 27-year-old scoring his seventh England goal.

 

It was an opportunist shot from the top of the D, which went to the right hand corner of the net and gave the French goalkeeper little chance.

 

With one goal now in the bag, England wasted no time in adding another on 45 minutes from Reading’s Iain Mackay. A fantastic England move down the left split the defence, and a quick pass from Richard Mantell led to Ashley Jackson’s cross which Mackay turned in at the post.

 

England made it 3-0 on 63 minutes with Wimbledon’s Rob Moore netting at the near post after a penalty corner drag flick from Richard Mantell was turned in.

 

And three minutes from time, Simon Mantell got on the scoresheet with a reverse-stick shot following another good England move from the edge of the circle.

 

England will travel to Delhi next week to prepare for the Commonwealth Games with four practice matches against India and Australia, before their first match of the games against Trinidad and Tobago on October 6.

 

 

ENGLAND SQUAD v FRANCE

Started
Richard Alexander (Surbiton)

Nick Brothers (Reading)

Andy Bull (Brooklands MU)

Nick Catlin (Loughborough Students)

Ben Hawes (Wimbledon)

Ashley Jackson (East Grinstead)

Glenn Kirkham (East Grinstead)

Iain Mackay (Reading)

Richard Mantell (Reading)

Simon Mantell (Reading)

Rob Moore (Wimbledon)



Used Substitutes
Ally Brogdon (Bowdon)

Harry Martin (Old Loughtonians)

Barry Middleton (Der Club an der Alster)

Richard Smith (Loughborough Students)

James Tindall (Surbiton)

Ali Wilson (Beeston)

 

 

Did Not Play

Darren Cheesman (East Grinstead)

Jonty Clarke (Reading)

Adam Dixon (Reading)

James Fair (Cannock)

Dan Shingles (Southgate)

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHY

Credit: Ady Kerry/EHB

Caption: England's Glenn Kirkham challenges with France's Valentin Migneau during their test match at NSC Lillieshall, Telford, Shropshire, 18th September 2010.