SCOTLAND LADIES EDGED OUT BY KOREA
Posted by on 3 May 2014
Women’s FIH Champions Challenge I, Classification Match Result, Glasgow National Hockey Centre, Scotland
Scotland (Ailsa Wyllie 6', Catriona Ralph 65') 2-3 Korea (Seul Cheon 1', Miyun Park 50', Jin Hye Cho 53')
Scotland Senior Women were left frustrated after succumbing to a 3-2 defeat against Korea in their Women’s FIH Champions Challenge classification match this morning.
Despite Scotland controlling much of the possession, a clinical performance in front of goal by the Koreans, including strikes from Seul Cheon, Miyun Park and Jin Hye Cho, results in the Scots dropping into the 7th/8th place play-off against India tomorrow (10.30).
Striker Ailsa Wyllie and vice-captain Catriona Ralph, on the occasion of her 150th international cap, were the Scottish goal-scorers.
Two quick goals at the start of the game and a flurry of activity in the final 20 minutes kept this game very much alive until the final whistle. Both Korea and Scotland battled to finish their Champions Challenge 1 campaign as high up the rankings as possible, but it was Korea who prevailed despite a late Scotland flourish.
The opening goal came from Seul Cheon (3') who scored with unerring precision from a penalty corner. However, just five minutes later Ailsa Wyllie (7') benefited from a great through ball from Emily Maguire and slotted the ball past the 'keeper Soo Ji Jang. The remainder of the half was end-to-end with both sides playing some nice flowing hockey, but interspersed with simple errors that gave away possession too easily.
In the second half Korea's goal-scoring machine, Mihyun Park (50') scored when she showed great composure to turn her close-marking defender and place the ball past Amy Gibson in the Scottish goal.
This goal was followed just three minutes later when Darae Kim received a ball from captain Jong Eun Kim and was able to slam the ball home. These two quick goals threatened to sink Scotland, but the host nation had other ideas and took the game to Korea. Catriona Ralph, who celebrated her 150th cap today, was able to capitalise on this pressure and scored from a penalty corner (65'). Unfortunately for Scotland, there was too little time for them to find the equaliser.
Speaking after the game, Ralph said. "We felt we had done our homework and were able to put them under pressure. We played with a real intensity, and felt that we had the ability to beat them. We are really disappointed with the result."
