Hockey: Rise of Waugh

BILL WAUGH, the England captain, scored two well-taken penalty- corner goals to help the Under-21s to a 3-0 win over Switzerland here yesterday in the opening game of the BMW European Junior Cup. Scotland, in their first game, were crushed 8-1 by the Netherlands.

Although England dominated from the opening whistle, with Rowan Davis, in the unfamiliar left-wing position, combining well with centre-forward Duncan Woods to create havoc in the Swiss defence, it was not until the 22nd minute that Waugh put his team into the lead from their third penalty corner, engineered by Woods.

England might have gone further ahead two minutes later but for the first of a series of brilliant saves by Hannes Muller, a converted ice hockey goal-minder. The Swiss, who had failed to open the English defence with long aerial balls in the first half, changed tactics at the beginning of the second, creating a number of chances by going around behind the English defence down the right.

Having survived this difficult period England went further ahead 19 minutes into the half. Taking advantage of the rolling substitutes rule, being played for the first time at international level, Peter Gibbins, returning to the fray after resting following a knock just before the interval, latched on to a perfect square pass from Simon Nicklin to take on Muller and slam his shot into the roof of the net. Waugh iced the cake with his second goal two minutes from time.

Wales, trailing 3-0 against Spain at the interval, fought back to draw 4-4, with the captain, Graham Dicken, scoring the equaliser with just three seconds remaining.

ENGLAND UNDER-21: S Mason (Firebrands); A Humphrey (Welton), B Waugh (capt, Southgate), D Main (Durham University), J Wyatt (Reading), B Cope (St Albans), J Hauck (Teddington), P Gibbins (St Albans), D Woods (St Albans), S Nicklin (Slough), R Davis (St Albans). Substitutes used: P Way (Slough), J Wallis (Teddington).

SWITZERLAND UNDER-21: H Muller; T Grandchamp (capt), R Stehle, R Muggli, R Schuerch, P Frauenfelder, M Conz, M Bilgeric, P Stutz, S Bircher, C Cavalett. Substitutes used: O Bilgeric, T Hochstrasser.

Umpires: R Kentwell (US) and J Mokry (Cz).

BMW EUROPEAN JUNIOR CUP (Vught) Pool A: Germany 12 Czechoslovakia 0; Wales 4 Spain 4. Pool B: England 3 Switzerland 0; Netherlands 8 Scotland 1.