HOCKEY: Stacy foils England's game plan

HOCKEY

BY BILL COLWILL

Australia 3

England 1

"Just because we lose a few games against Australia is no reason to suddenly stop trying to develop an aggressive style," said England's coach, David Whitaker, following his team's second successive defeat in the second of the six-match Test series in Adelaide on Saturday.

The coach went on to point out that by the second half the players were becoming more comfortable with their new game plan and beginning to profit from it. They have the opportunity this evening in Adelaide to prove the point in the third Test.

England were troubled in a free-flowing first half, trailing to goals from Paul Lewis and Jay Stacy. It took a cracking shot on the volley from Jason Lee four minutes into the second half to pull a goal back.

While the impressive Ben Sharpe and Rowan Davies made effective use of speed along the flanks, a series of brave saves from East Grinstead's David Luckes kept England in the game until the 59th minute when Stacy scored a second penalty corner to restore Australia's two-goal margin.

ENGLAND: D Luckes (East Grinstead); J Halls (Old Loughtonians), P McGuire (Teddington); A Humphrey (Hull), Soma Singh (Southgate, capt), M Sutton (Bournville); C Mayer (Cannock), J Shaw (Southgate), D Williams (Havant), Kalbir Takher ( Cannock), B Crutchley (Hounslow). Substitutes used: R Thompson (Hounslow), J Lee (East Grinstead), B Sharpe (Canncok), R Davis (Polo Barcelona).

AUSTRALIA: D Diletti; M York, K Wark; D Sproule, L Elmer, B Garrard; L Bodimeade, J Stacy, S Davies, P Lewis, D Duff. Substitute used: M Smith.