England hockey team beat Australia to win historic gold medal at the Commonwealth Games
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England women’s hockey team beat Australia to win historic gold medal at the Commonwealth Games after overcoming New Zealand in dramatic semi-final penalty shootout
- England beat Australia in the final of the Commonwealth Games on Sunday
- It was Holly Hunt who opened the scoring for England in the first half of the final
- Tess Howard, who recently recovered from an ACL injury, added their second
- Australia got themselves on the scoresheet with just 20 seconds left of the game
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England beat Australia in the final of the Commonwealth Games to take home a historic gold medal in front of a home crowd on Sunday evening.
It was Holly Hunt who opened the scoring for England after picking up the ball in the middle of the D and firing it into the bottom right-hand corner.
Tess Howard, who recently recovered from an ACL injury, extended England’s lead by finding the back of the net before the half-time break.
England beat Australia in the final of the Commonwealth Games to take home the gold medal
It was Holly Hunt (above) who opened the scoring for England after picking up the ball in the middle of the D and firing it into the bottom right-hand corner
Tess Howard (middle), who recently recovered from an ACL injury, extended England’s lead by finding the back of the net before the half-time break
Tess, who plays her club hockey at East Grinstead, demonstrated an exceptional level of hand-to-eye coordination to deflect Flora Peel’s cross into the top right-hand corner of the goal.
England stayed disciplined in their defence for the remaining two quarters but did concede in the final 20 seconds of the game after giving away a short corner.
England’s victorious captain Hollie Pearne-Webb spoke to BBC Sport directly after the game and said: ‘I’m a bit lost for words.
‘It’s the first time in history we’ve ever done this. It’s a new group. I think over the next two years it’s pretty exciting when we join up with the GB squad when the Scots and the Welsh come in.
‘The crowd’s support has been absolutely phenomenal. I just feel so lucky that’s it’s in my career that we get a home Commonwealth Games.’
When asked what her immediate thoughts were after the final whistle went, Pearne-Webb added: ‘Just pure relief.
‘It was a bit of an up and down game. we played well first half, stepped off a little in the second half, absorbed a bit of pressure and got there in the end.’
Meanwhile, former GB hockey player and Rio gold medalist Sam Quek shared her thoughts on England’s historic win after the game.
She said: ‘That’s what is so brilliant about being part of a team sport. To be able to have those moments as part of a squad.
‘You go through everything together – thick and thin. The tough times, the brilliant times – so when you have those moments together, and in front of a home crowd, they are the ones you need to cherish.
‘I have got goose-bumps watching this. They are all role models, inspiring the next generation. This is what it is about. It is about making sport cool, especially for the younger generation of young girls.
‘It’s not about winning international medals – it is about being part of a team and enjoying the moment.’
She went on to add: ‘This win keeps the momentum going [after the Lionesses victory in the Euros] but we also see a sign from the women’s cricket and netball teams that it is OK to lose as well. We can’t win everything.
‘Give it a few years and you will start to see those other teams bounce back. We will start winning again in the cricket, hopefully, in World Cups and there is talk of T20 appearing at the Olympics.
‘It shows what sport does. It takes you from the highs to the lows – it is all character building.’
More to follow…