Hockey: Speed of Dutch unlocks England

Netherlands 7 England 2

NETHERLANDS, THE world and Olympic champions, gave England a lesson in finishing in Rotterdam yesterday in a game in which England looked promising in midfield, just as they did when losing the first Test on Friday 3-2.

Barry Dancer, the England coach, said after the 7-2 defeat: "We struggled with the speed of their attack and couldn't get outcomes from a lot of promising attacks of our own. Once we gave them two goals start, the game was destined to become open. The result did not reflect the general play of the two teams but was an indicator of the relative quality of the two teams to finish."

The Dutch coach, Maurits Hendriks, was full of praise for England's opening 10 minutes: "They made it very hard for us. The Australian influence is showing through and in [Brett] Garrard they have a good young player of promise."

The game hinged on two goals inside a minute: Teun de Nooijer, tearing down the wing to provide the opening goal for Jaap Derk Buma in the 19th minute and then scoring himself. England's sole first-half threat came from a shot from Bill Waugh after 20 minutes.

Tycho van Meer extended the Dutch lead 11 minutes after the interval before Mark Pearn pulled a goal back for England after a break by Russell Garcia. Nooijer and Bram Lomans then added further goals. England replied with a penalty corner from which Garcia scored with a miscued shot. There was still time, however, for the Dutch captain, Stephan Veen, and Lomans to add further goals to complete the Dutch victory.

England's women started their Australian tour with a 4-1 defeat of Queensland in Brisbane.

ENGLAND: S Mason (Reading); A Humphries (Cannock), J Wyatt (Reading), T Bertram (Bournville), B Waugh Capt. (Southgate); R Garcia (Harvestehuder), B Garrard (Teddington), J Wallis (Teddington); S Head (East Grinstead), D Hall (Guildford), M Pearn (Reading). Substitutes used: C Giles (Southgate), B Sharpe (Cannock), B Crutchley (Cannock), M Johnson (Cannock).

NETHERLANDS: G Vogels; B Lomans; S van der Weide, P Windt, E Jazet; M Rijn, S Veen Capt, J Brinkman; J-D Buma, T de Nooijer, T Meer. Substitutes used: P Geeris, M Eikelboom, S van Heeswijk.

Umpires: E Denis & J Stappaert (both Bel).