Hockey: Soft goals cost England dearly

England paid the penalty for two basic errors against Germany when they lost their final pool game 2-1 in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup here yesterday.

The powerful, well organised Germans, who have won all their games, play South Korea in tomorrow's final. England will take on India to decide fifth place.

Yesterday England opened confidently against the Germans but it was not until the 17th minute that the first threat came to either goal, Simon Mason saving well from Matthias Witthaus. After Christoph Eimer had slammed a short against the English post the game switched to the German circle where Mark Pearn latched on to a pass from David Mathews to work his way round the German defence to score the opening goal.

With the interval approaching Tom Bertram took a stinging shot off the goal line at a penalty corner. A minute later a harmless shot into the circle rebounded off Mason's pads to be prodded into the empty net by Witthaus in spite of a desperate diving attempt by Bill Waugh to deflect the ball wide.

Germany's winning goal came 12 minutes into the second half. Bjorn Michel created the opening with a right wing dash with Oliver Domke finishing off the move with the English defence static.

England kept up the pressure from then on but without being able to find the way in to the German net.

England: S Mason (Reading); R Todd (Reading), T Bertram (Bournville), J Evennett (Canterbury), B Barnes (Reading); M Kochar (Reading), M Johnson (Cannock), G Fordham (Guildford); C Graham (Bournville), D Hall (Guildford, capt), J Goudie (Loughborough Students). Substitutes used: D Haydon (Teddington), M Pearn (Reading), A Wilkinson (Guildford), D Mathews (Canterbury), B Waugh (Surbiton).

Germany: C Reitz; F Kunz (capt); T Wess, P Crone, C Mayerhofer; S Biederlack, C Eimer, M Green; B Michel, M Witthaus, O Domke. Substitutes used: E Duckwitz, J Moulders, S Reineit, O Hentschel.

Umpires: P Teixeira (Por), M Muneer (Ind).