Russians dash English hopes

Karen Brown was on target yesterday in the second of the two-match series with Russia at Bisham Abbey, but it was not enough to save England from a 2-1 defeat, writes Bill Colwill.

Having soaked up a lot of English pressure in the torrential rain of the first half, the visitors came out of their shell. Within 12 minutes of the resumption, England were trailing 2-0.

Elena Kalinichenko was allowed space down the right with Elena Polovkova lurking unmarked in the centre on both occasions to slot home. A minute later, Jane Smith was upended by the Russian goalkeeper to win a penalty stroke which Brown converted.

England: S Knight (Slough); S Chandler (Slough); S Lister (Ipswich, capt), L Bayliss (First Personnel Sutton Coldfield), A Burd (Slough); S Wright (Slough), K Brown (Slough), F Lee (Hightown); S Eyre (Slough), J Smith (Ipswich), S Gibson (Trojans). Substitutes: C Burr ( Clifton), L Culliford (Clifton), K Bowden (Peterborough).

Russia: A Setiukova; M Chegurdayeva (capt); N Kravchenko, O Leksina, T Lastochkina; E Kalinichenko, N Chegurdayeva, T Vasukova; E Polovkova, I Sviridova, I Piskunova. Substitutes: O Chelysheva, O Ushkova.

Umpires: M Hunnaball, D Prewett (Eng).