SA women triumph in ‘angry’ match

Glasgow - The world’s 12th-ranked Investec South Africa women’s hockey team beat world number 18 Scotland 4-2 after the scores were 1-1 at half-time in a hot-tempered third Test in Glasgow on Thursday.

The win gave South Africa an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the five-Test series. The first Test was a 2-2 draw with the second international 2-1 to South Africa.

The SA goals went to Kathleen Taylor, Jen Wilson, Tarryn Bright and Sulette Damons, while Scotland scored through Sam Judge and Nikki Kidd.

In the third minute, umpire Tim Hart allowed play to continue and Taylor finished with a reverse-stick strike into the far corner. Investec SA were moving the ball at pace in a very physical, high-tempo match that they dominated, but Scotland equalised midway through the first half after winning a highly controversial penalty corner that the South Africans contested vigorously; all to no avail as Sam Judge’s well-struck shot evaded a diving Sanani Mangisa in goal, the ball deflecting cruelly off a defender’s stick.

Soon after the re-start, Nikki Kidd put Scotland 2-1 up via a PC that went past replacement keeper Mariette Rix, who appeared to be unsighted by the traffic in front of her, before SA equalised with an excellent far-post deflection by Jen Wilson. Dirkie Chamberlain, the excellent Marsha Marescia and Wilson were unfortunate not to get more goals while Scotland also came close a few times, but Tarryn Bright and Sulette Damons made certain of South Africa’s 4-2 victory with excellent strikes.

Scotland rested influential captain Linda Clement and goalkeeper Amy Gibson, who was replaced by Nicki Cochrane on debut, and she had a brilliant match.

As in the first two Tests, SA were missing world record goalscorer Pietie Coetzee and fellow double Olympian Kate Woods, who are scheduled to join the team Thursday for the fourth and fifth Tests, as well as striker Lauren Penny (shoulder injury), while Scotland were missing their four Great Britain Olympic squad members, as well as Clement and Gibson.