Hockey: Organ on song after slow start for Wales

Commonwealth Games

WALES' MEN flew the only British flag in the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia yesterday with a 2-0 victory against Trinidad and Tobago. The Welsh women, due to play Canada in their second game, had the match postponed, probably until Monday, after eight of their team were ill with gastro-enteritis. The source of the illness has not been established but could relate to a meal they had together three days ago outside the village.

Wales made heavy weather of the match. After a very tentative start they won a string of penalty corners but it was not until their eighth, 13 minutes into the second half, that they opened the scoring. Simon Organ wove his way through the packed ranks of Trinidad defenders to win the penalty corner, which he then converted.

Wales continued to control the game but had a scare in the 63rd minute when the Trinidad captain Kwan Browne, who hopes to play for Southgate in the coming season and had looked very impressive, broke from midfield to send Anthony Marcano goalwards.

To the dismay of the Welsh players the umpire awarded a goal, which, following Welsh protest and consultation, he disallowed. The ball apparently hit a Trinidadian foot on route to goal.

With just two minutes remaining, Organ, after good work by Ian Hughes- Rowlands, put the game beyond doubt with his second goal.

WALES: C Ashcroft (Cannock), A Grimes (Southgate), A Carruthers (Canterbury), P Edwards (Cannock), A Colclough (Teddington), G Egan (Bournville), D Hacker (Canterbury, capt), T Moore (Whitchurch), I Hughes-Rowlands (Cannock), S Organ (Cannock), R Markham (Guildford). Substitutes used: M Williamson (Hounslow), Z Jones (Hounslow), O Griffith-Jones (Hounslow), G Terrett (Cannock).

Trinidad and Tobago: G Francis, K Noreiga, D Francois, P Edwards, A Jasper, N Wren, K Browne (capt), N Lashley, R De Silva, A Marcano, E Chance. Substitutes used: D Quan Chan, R Daniel.

Umpires: R Irugalbandara and N Randiek (both Malaysia).