2014 08 02 Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Mackay's View AUSTRALIA Gold Medal Final

2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Views and Analysis

By Kirsty Mackay of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Kirsty Mackay has made 32 appearances for England and Great Britain Indoors and Outdoors and represented England recently at the Rabobank World Cup and the Investec London Cup.  Kirsty has competed also at EuroHockey Nations Championships, World League and EuroHockey Nations Indoors.

Thoughts on our semi-final performance ?

I thought it was an excellent performance, the best performance I have seen us put in for a while. We absolutely dominated New Zealand for the 70 minutes. We had all of the possession and when NZ had the ball they looked as though they had run out of ideas. They either hit the ball off the side of the pitch or passed the ball onto an English stick. Our team defence was resolute and we just played with confidence and the determination not to lose any 50/50; any foot race or any tackle. It was great to watch us play with our mojo back! I am sure NZ will be severely disappointed with their team performance here, there was no unity and their experienced players did not deliver. I did think they're young defender Samantha Charlton had an excellent game but we were too strong for NZ today!

Australia in the final; how do you think we will do ?  Who will England need to perform ?

Well, I honestly think it can go either way in a final regardless of previous results and current form. I know that the girls will be up for this today and will be wanting to put the previous result right! I think the crowds will help today; it will be like playing in with a home advantage in England.  The Scottish crowds have bee very supportive of the home nations, it has been a great atmosphere so far and Scotland have done themselves proud as hosts !

Obviously, we have seen Australia attacking with real pace and they have been very clinical. I think if we can minimise them winning penalty corners against us, we will help ourselves massively. As we have all seen and as I've previously alluded to, the Australia short corner routine is the real difference at the moment and has filled their team with a confidence that they have not previously had. Kenny has seemed to have been the favourite choice at this tournament demonstrating some excellent accuracy with her flicking at corners, yet we still need to be mindful of Flanagan who was on top form at the world cup too. I feel that between the D's we competed with them in our first encounter here and came out with some great opportunities. I still think that we can definitely capitalise on their defensive line, apply pressure and use our pace and physicality to get some positive outcomes in the D. 

We need everybody to perform today, no individuals will win us the game. We just need to focus on our game, take it to them and play with confidence. Just another great team performance as per the semi-final and we will see where it will take us!

Kirsty can be seen in action during the coming season playing for East Grinstead Hockey Club.

2014 08 02 Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Kirkham's View AUSTRALIA Semi-Final

2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Views and Analysis

By Glenn Kirkham of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Glenn Kirkham made 223 appearances for England and Great Britain and retired from international hockey at the age of 31 in 2013.  Glenn competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London respectively as well as Commonwealth Games, World Cups, European Nations and Champions Trophy competitions.  Glenn won the European Nations in 2009 with England, defeating Germany 5:3 in the final and is considered to have been one of the most consistent performers to have graced the England and Great Britain sides.

How do you feel England have progressed so far this tournament ?

Obviously I'm sure they will be disappointed to have finished second in the group and therefore play Australia in the semi final but on the whole I believe they'll feel that their performances have improved as the competition has gone on. It was a decent performance against New Zealand despite the result and the attacking play against Canada was really positive. The connections between Catlin, Jackson and Middleton in the final third were excellent. It's great to see our best players playing well which is so important if the team are to medal. 

And the semi-final ?

I would certainly have preferred to see this as the final match but as they say you have to beat them at some stage to win the gold so why not now! Australia have been consistent again but perhaps not winning by the kind of margins that I would have expected before the tournament. They are certainly beatable and I believe with somewhere near England's best performance and a slightly below par showing from Australia and the boys will make the final. A lot will rely on the strong team defence that England have developed over the last two years and then whether we can convert our corners - no pressure Ash! 

Glenn can be seen in action during the coming season playing for East Grinstead Hockey Club.

2014 08 01 Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Mackay's View NZ Semi-Final

2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Views and Analysis

By Kirsty Mackay of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Kirsty Mackay has made 32 appearances for England and Great Britain Indoors and Outdoors and represented England recently at the Rabobank World Cup and the Investec London Cup.  Kirsty has competed also at EuroHockey Nations Championships, World League and EuroHockey Nations Indoors.

We seemed to dominate Scotland for large spells in the first half; what do you think happened ?  Did they work us out or were we a little unlucky with our chances ?

On the whole I was pretty impressed with the England performance, particularly with the number of chances and circle entries created in the first half. I feel it was down to a combination of Scotland stepping up their game in the second half and England not putting more of their chances away earlier on. Scotland had nothing to lose and so they could go for it.  Had they threatened more in their penalty corner attack, it could have been a very different result. Yes it was scrappy, but thats the passion involved in a typical home nations battle. It was a great game for the spectator, hearts were on sleeves and everybody battled to the end.

Big semi-final today v New Zealand; what are your thoughts ?

As I have been watching most of the action from our pool and our men's games I actually haven't seen New Zealand play at this tournament yet. From what i can tell, they haven't yet been tested defensively, only conceding one goal vs South Africa! They have demonstrated that they are clinical, as they have scored a total of 25 goals thus far. 

New zealand are an experienced side and are a quick, direct, counter attacking side. They won silver in Delhi, four years ago and so they will be looking to achieve yet another commonwealth games final. Their key players to be weary of are Anita Punt, Gemma Flynn and Katie Glynn. All are very strong on the ball, Punt is tremendously quick, so we will need to be concentrating on our marking against her and be mindful of our distances. 

We have been putting in some great performances in halves of games and if we can do that for the full 70 minutes, then I think we can beat them today! They had a close encounter with SA, the only team to pressure them at this tournament so far, so I think they will be fearful of what pressure we can apply to them today. A good team performance today will get us a result!

Kirsty can be seen in action during the coming season playing for East Grinstead Hockey Club.

2014 07 30 Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Mackay's View SCOTLAND

2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Views and Analysis

By Kirsty Mackay of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Kirsty Mackay has made 32 appearances for England and Great Britain Indoors and Outdoors and represented England recently at the Rabobank World Cup and the Investec London Cup.  Kirsty has competed also at EuroHockey Nations Championships, World League and EuroHockey Nations Indoors.

How do you review the game v Australia ?

Well it was certainly a great performance from Australia! I do think they were a better outfit than us on the day and deserved the three points.

We went down 2-0 early on, which didn't help us get into the game and as a consequence we were always on the back foot. We were rushed at times and our decision making wasn't as good as it could have been in both of the 'Ds'. However, I felt that this was from Australia's tactical play, pinning us to the sideline, using it as an extra defender, forcing errors. 

We had some great opportunities and applied some great pressure on their defence. Again, we built upon our previous performance which is important and we will hope to do so in the last pool game vs Scotland.

Next up the big derby game ?

I'm sure this will be just as tough as the Australia match for us. If we can put in a performance as we did against the Aussies, we will put ourselves in a great position. With a better goal difference than Scotland, a result and a draw will progress us through.

With so much at stake, and with the home advantage, it is bound to be a great atmosphere. The Scots will want to perform for their crowds and most importantly win for them, particularly if it means putting an England team out of a semi final! The home advantage will help see them through the bad phases of play too.

Watching Scotland so far in Glasgow, I think they have been quite well organised, physically strong and they have had some exciting play going forwards. They also have some really experienced players in their line up such as Linda Clements, Emily Maguire and Vikki Bunce, all of which will be instrumental in their play.

I think this will be a really close game, recent encounters have been in our favour, winning 2-1 at the Investec London cup and again at the European Cup last summer. With both teams battling for a semi-final place, it will be about who can remain composed and perform under pressure under the circumstances.

My prediction is an England 2-1 win! I have the popcorn at the ready!

Kirsty can be seen in action during the coming season playing for East Grinstead Hockey Club.

2014 07 29 Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Kirkham's View NEW ZEALAND

2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Views and Analysis

By Glenn Kirkham of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Glenn Kirkham made 223 appearances for England and Great Britain and retired from international hockey at the age of 31 in 2013.  Glenn competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London respectively as well as Commonwealth Games, World Cups, European Nations and Champions Trophy competitions.  Glenn won the European Nations in 2009 with England, defeating Germany 5:3 in the final and is considered to have been one of the most consistent performers to have graced the England and Great Britain sides.

How do you review the Malaysia game ?

A good win and a confidence boosting scoreline. It's great to have Ashley so prolific from PCs and it makes such a difference knowing that you have a real threat from corners.

I felt our first half performance was too scrappy and we didn't have great flow from defence to attack. We were very rushed at times and our decision making wasn't as good as it could have been. This could be due to the quite surprisingly physical nature of the Malaysian defending.

That said, I felt the second half was much better and the attack in particular looked much more fluid. In the end I felt the scoreline was slightly flattering with the Malaysian team appearing to really slow down in the last 10 mins.

Next up New Zealand ?

I'm sure this will be the toughest pool match for England and a real marker of their current standard. NZ are well organised, physically strong and they have some exciting forwards. They also have some really experienced players in their line up such as Dean Cousins and Phil Burrows, both will be instrumental in the Blacksticks play.

I think this will be a really tight affair and will probably rest on who takes their corner opportunities. Their specialist is Andy Hayward, who joins Hampstead HC this coming season, and he flicks a consistently hard ball and forces the keeper to have to make a save. It will be an interesting match up with George Pinner and I'm sure he'll have studied plenty of video coming in to the match.

I'm sure the winner of this one will top the final group. My prediction - England win 2-1.

Glenn can be seen in action during the coming season playing for East Grinstead Hockey Club.

2014 07 27 Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Mackay's View AUSTRALIA

2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Views and Analysis

By Kirsty Mackay of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Kirsty Mackay has made 32 appearances for England and Great Britain Indoors and Outdoors and represented England recently at the Rabobank World Cup and the Investec London Cup.  Kirsty has competed also at EuroHockey Nations Championships, World League and EuroHockey Nations Indoors.

What is the prediction for England v Australia ?

We definitely need to see our key players performing well and leading the team. I'm also hoping that we can continue to see the forwards attack with confidence. Both Alex and Soph have scored some good goals already and I think our pace going forwards has the potential to rip the Aussie defence apart! 

We have won two games so far without reaching our peak yet and I think we can take the positives in that we can still step it up a gear. We have also started to convert our corners, which will give Australia something to think about because we now have a number of people who have demonstrated the ability to score and pose a threat.

Australia have been setting the pace in our group; do you thick their position at the top is a fair reflection of their performance and capability ?

I think so, they have been very clinical thus far, attacking with pace and direct. As I eluded to in my first blog the Australia short corner routine is the real difference at the moment and that fills a team with confidence knowing that you can rely on short corner routines. I think Flanagan has been drag flicking very well, continuing her form from the world cup and now here at the CWG, Kenny has also been demonstrating that she is just as dangerous and stepping up to the mark. 

However, I do feel that we are the team to be able to compete with them here, as long as we can concentrate in defending our 'D' and not giving short corners away. I feel that on field, we can definitely capitalise on their defensive line with our pace and physicality to get a positive result.

Kirsty can be seen in action during the coming season playing for East Grinstead Hockey Club.

2014 07 23 Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Mackay's View MALAYSIA

2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Views and Analysis

By Kirsty Mackay of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Kirsty Mackay has made 32 appearances for England and Great Britain Indoors and Outdoors and represented England recently at the Rabobank World Cup and the Investec London Cup.  Kirsty has competed also at EuroHockey Nations Championships, World League and EuroHockey Nations Indoors.

What are your initial impressions of England's first match v Wales ?

It was definitely a hard-fought win over Wales. I am sure the girls will not necessarily be happy with their first match performance, however in tournament hockey it is all about getting the three points and they did just that. It was a typical tournament opening match, edgy and nervy. You are typically, eager to play and run out all of the suspense that you have been building up, especially with a tournament such as the CWG where there is such a vast media interest. However, I don't think you can take anything away from Wales they fought for 70 minutes with sheer passion and determination and we struggled to break down their deep defence particularly in the first half. Tournament hockey can be messy and it will not get any prettier as the tournament progresses, I think the lesson learnt from the World Cup was, not to get frustrated and lose confidence if the goals don't come and to just keep playing our game with patience. We certainly did that, so that is already a positive moving forwards from the World Cup.

What are your thoughts for the game v Malaysia ?

Going forwards into the next game they will certainly want to convert more opportunities, which will help them gain confidence and build momentum for the game vs Australia. I think we will want to continue to attack the space and not try to play through them.  Watching the Malaysians play, we can expect them to put their bodies on the line, see some deep defending as per the Wales game and again it will be important that we remain patient, stretch them and focus on breaking them down. I thought that their gk (although unorthodox) made some fantastic saves and the scoreline could have been much more had she not have been in goal. So, if we get some more finishes like Alex's, I doubt any gk would be able to stop them. Ultimately though, we are a much stronger team and player for player we are technically and physically more advanced and we should bear that in mind throughout the game. In a tournament, we are only as good as the team we beat and so the girls will be treating this game as any other, with respect and a willingness to win!

Kirsty can be seen in action during the coming season playing for East Grinstead Hockey Club.

2014 07 26 Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Kirkham's View MALAYSIA

2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Views and Analysis

By Glenn Kirkham of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Glenn Kirkham made 223 appearances for England and Great Britain and retired from international hockey at the age of 31 in 2013.  Glenn competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London respectively as well as Commonwealth Games, World Cups, European Nations and Champions Trophy competitions.  Glenn won the European Nations in 2009 with England, defeating Germany 5:3 in the final and is considered to have been one of the most consistent performers to have graced the England and Great Britain sides.

How do you sum up the Trinidad and Tobago match ?

Job done! It wasn't the most impressive of performances for the whole 70 mins but there were some very good passages of play and it was a nice way to start the tournament. Scoring an early goal was vital, particularly in a game where England were overwhelming favourites, and it helped ease any added pressure on the boys so they could play with more freedom. It was also good to have the corner routine firing with both Ashley and Mark flicking well. I was impressed with the individual play of the Trinidad and Tobago team and of course their goalkeeper Rocke had an outstanding game. 

How do you rate England's next opponents, Malaysia ?

This will be the first fixture for Malaysia and so they will still have that mixture of excitement and nerves about getting started in the tournament. They have selected a mixed squad for the Commonwealths, to give more players a chance ahead of the Asian Games in September, and have decided to leave their star forward Faizal Saari out of the squad. It would be fair to say that Malaysia are prioritising the Asian Games ahead of the Commonwealths as winning a Gold there will give automatic qualification to the 2016 Rio Olympics. With this in mind I don't expect Malaysia to be challenging for a medal in Glasgow.

Prediction for the game ?

I believe England will continue to build momentum as the tournament progresses and will certainly want to be in a good position going in to the New Zealand fixture. With the recent experience of a 2-0 win against a stronger Malaysia squad in the World Cup, I fully expect England to win well on Sunday. The team is primarily built on a strong defence whilst having a number of talented attacking players who can unlock defences. We want to see our key players Pinner, Lewers, Jackson and Middleton performing well and leading the team. I'm also looking forward to watching Phil Roper play again as I feel he is a very talented forward who could become very important for England in the years to come.

Glenn can be seen in action during the coming season playing for East Grinstead Hockey Club.

2014 07 23 Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Mackay's View WALES

2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Views and Analysis

By Kirsty Mackay of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Kirsty Mackay has made 32 appearances for England and Great Britain Indoors and Outdoors and represented England recently at the Rabobank World Cup and the Investec London Cup.  Kirsty has competed also at EuroHockey Nations Championships, World League and EuroHockey Nations Indoors.

How do you think England will fare this tournament ?

I think we will come in to the CWG's more confident after much better performances at the Investec London Cup, on the back of what was a very poor World Cup performance.  On our return from the WC, we just came back and got stuck right in looking forwards to the forthcoming tournaments. We trained with real focus and intensity, which was a key area we were lacking prior to the WC. Obviously, we had distractions upon our return with Jason sadly stepping down as head coach, but with such a short turn around until the CWG I think it was a positive thing that Danny stepped in as he still knew most of the squad and what tactics we had been applying under Jason. 

We do have a number of players that have yet to play in a multi-sport event in this squad, with the omission of more experienced players such as Sally Walton, Hannah McLeod, Helen Richardson and Ashleigh Ball all having been to previous CWG's. So, it will be a great opportunity for those players to step up and perform. I know that going in to this tournament, we will be looking to medal despite the disappointment of the WC. I think the squad has moved onwards and upwards since then and as long as we concentrate on each game in hand, and play with confidence, I know we will have a great chance of returning with some silverware. 

Who will be the main contenders ?

I think the game vs the Aussies on the 28 July will be the toughest match on paper for obvious reasons, and think that the winner of that will go on to the final. However, an England/Scotland encounter is always very much a battle and with the Scots' home advantage this is definitely going to be a tough encounter for sure !  Australia are currently ranked second in the world and recently winning silver at the Hockey World Cup, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with. Our track record against them hasn't been great over the past 18 months, with two wins out of six in the past 18 months. They have had a great attacking penalty corner conversion rate recently through Anna Flanagan and Jodie Kenny and so we will need to defend those threats well.

England, New Zealand, Australia are the teams who I expect will make up semi final places, with the fourth spot up for grabs between Scotland,  and South AFrica. But I will be hoping for an England v Australia final!

What about England's first match against Wales ?

Having played three friendly games against them last month as an England Development Squad and beating them significantly in all three. I feel confident that this will be a straight forward first match for England. However, playing in a tournament is a different ball game and we should still treat that game with respect. Then at the Investec London Cup at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre two weeks ago, we scored eight goals with no reply from Wales. While we will be looking for a repeat performance, Wales will be fighting hard for pride, trying to ensure that this does not happen again. 

Kirsty can be seen in action during the coming season playing for East Grinstead Hockey Club.

2014 07 23 Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Kirkham's View TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Views and Analysis

By Glenn Kirkham of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Glenn Kirkham made 223 appearances for England and Great Britain and retired from international hockey at the age of 31 in 2013.  Glenn competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London respectively as well as Commonwealth Games, World Cups, European Nations and Champions Trophy competitions.  Glenn won the European Nations in 2009 with England, defeating Germany 5:3 in the final and is considered to have been one of the most consistent performers to have graced the England and Great Britain sides.

How do you think England will fare this tournament ?

I think they will come in to the CWG's with a real confidence on the back of what was a very good World Cup performance for this group of players. I know that going in to that tournament they would have certainly taken a top 4 finish and despite the disappointment at not achieving a medal in the end I'm sure they will have picked themselves up quickly knowing that the Commonwealth's gives the team a real chance of silverware again. 

It's easy to talk about the fact that the two previous CWG's have seen England come 4th in what were, personally, incredibly frustrating bronze medal matches and should have both been won based on world rankings. This squad though is significantly different and there are a number of fresh faces for which this is their first encounter of a major 'multi sport' games. This is a really different experience to regular international hockey events. Living in an athletes village and being surrounded by a number of the worlds best athletes and sporting stars, I know that there will be a real buzz in anticipation of what I'm sure will be a fantastic event. 

I feel confident that England can make the semi finals and I truly hope they can go at least one better this time and win a medal.

Who will be the main contenders ?

It's difficult to look too much further than Australia after their outstanding performance in the World Cup although I'm really interested to see how they play with out Ric Charlesworth as coach. They have also picked a number of less experienced players and have left behind some top players such as Jamie Dwyer, Rob Hammond and Glenn Turner not in the squad. 

What about England's first match against Trinidad & Tobago ?

There is no getting away from the fact that this should be a straight forward first match for England. I believe a lot could depend on how Kwan Browne plays and sets up the Trinidad and Tobago team. The fact that he has an in depth knowledge of the systems of play for the English (with his role as England U21 assistant coach) and has played in the English league for number of years may enable his team to frustrate England but if they can get an early break through it should lead to a comfortable victory. 

What will be really nice to see is Kwan playing against Ashley as he had a huge affect on the development of Ashley's game and they are still very good friends off the pitch. I'm sure both players will relish playing against each other and the crowd should be entertained by two of the most skilful players in world hockey.

Glenn can be seen in action during the coming season playing for East Grinstead Hockey Club.

2014 06 13 Rabobank Hockey World Cup: Kirkham's View BELGIUM... NETHERLANDS

2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup Views and Analysis

By Glenn Kirkham of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Glenn Kirkham made 223 appearances for England and Great Britain and retired from international hockey at the age of 31 in 2013.  Glenn competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London respectively as well as Commonwealth Games, World Cups, European Nations and Champions Trophy competitions.  Glenn won the European Nations in 2009 with England, defeating Germany 5:3 in the final and is considered to have been one of the most consistent performers to have graced the England and Great Britain sides.

What are your initial impressions of England v Belgium ?

A much improved performance from the Australia game, not only in defence but particularly in our attacking playing; much more considered and appropriate use of the ball.

Any specifics; would you care to call out anything in particular ?

Our individual defending in the circle and tightness of marking was excellent and showed that there was a real focus on this area of our game. Belgium played well and England contained them for long periods and when chances were created George Pinner and our corner defence were very strong.

How do you think the group did as a team ?

It was a real team effort but I thought all of our big players stood up and put in committed performances. Ashley's goal showed how desperate he was to make another semi final - a 65 yard sprint to tap in on the goal line. George made some good saves at crucial times. Nick Catlin had his best game of the tournament so far. Barry took the ball under considerable pressure and started a number of attacks by playing through the press. Lewers was fantastic, and my man of the match, not only in his defence and communication at the back but to take a stroke under such pressure and flick it in the roof of the net demonstrated what a class act he is.

Friday June 13th is the semi-final against Netherlands.  What are your thought ?

What a fantastic experience that will be for the squad. Playing Holland in Holland in front of a 20,000 strong crowd will be incredible and should push England on to an even better performance. There's no getting away from it Holland have been in very good form and look to be playing with a real freedom, spurred on by the home crowd. England do have a strong defensive game (albeit with a slight blip against Australia) and I feel they are in a good position to go a long way to containing the Dutch attack. We have some dangerous players of our own and again I'm positive that the boys can pull off a famous victory and get to a World Cup final!

Glenn can be seen offering commentary and expert analysis on SkySports throughout the Rabobank World Cup.

2014 06 06 Rabobank Hockey World Cup: Kirkham's View AUSTRALIA

2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup Views and Analysis

By Glenn Kirkham of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Glenn Kirkham made 223 appearances for England and Great Britain and retired from international hockey at the age of 31 in 2013.  Glenn competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London respectively as well as Commonwealth Games, World Cups, European Nations and Champions Trophy competitions.  Glenn won the European Nations in 2009 with England, defeating Germany 5:3 in the final and is considered to have been one of the most consistent performers to have graced the England and Great Britain sides.

Great result against Malaysia; what do you think were the positives other than the result ?

It was a really good result and one that the team couldnt afford to let slip. Result aside, I again felt that we were strong defensively (highlighted by a clean sheet) and I was also impressed with how many chances we created and had it not been for the heroics, and good fortune on occasion, by the Malaysian keeper it could well have been more. A number of those less experienced players in the squad are starting to look more comfortable and the older heads are playing well.

Two big games coming; what do we need to make it through to the semis in terms of outcomes against Australia and Belgium ?

Given the result between the two sides, a win against Belgium puts us in with a really good chance. The Australia and Belgium match was a high class game played at a ferocious intensity and really set the standard for the group. That said, England have been so strong defensively and so well organised that I believe they are going to be a real match for both teams. In recent years we've done well against both teams in major competitions and hopefully this will continue.

Australia - as ever - have been setting the pace in our group; do you think their position at the top is a fair reflection of their performance and capability…?

I think so. Its the pace and physical nature of their game that is the difference between themselves and the rest at the moment. I do feel that England are the team to be able to match them in these two departments and so I feel we can definitely get a positive result.

Jamie Dwyer has been one of the top rated players in the world for many years now; however his name has not been hitting headlines as much as in previous times.  Who are the danger players in the Australia side we might not be so familiar with ?

Jamie is quite rightly regarded as one of the best players to have played the game and his pace, skill and finishing ability made him a diificult proposition for opposing teams. I believe it's more a case that the strength in depth of the Australian squad means that they don't need to rely on him to be the match winner and therefore he doesn't necessarily stand out quite so much as he did a few years back.

The likes of Knowles, Ockendon, Orchard and Kavanagh have been impressive players for Australia for a lengthy spell now but the really exciting talent for me is Jake Whetton. He's quick, makes intelligent runs and is a natural in front of goal. I feel that he's the player that the English team need to make sure doesn't get a sniff.

The England team has had to manage a lot of complications during this tournament; Iain Lewers has just started to play after his dead leg, Dan Fox suffered quite a major blow on the leg and of course Ashley has been nursing his shoulder.  Can you recall another tournament when England had to deal with all these challenges and how do you think the management team and squad are handling them ?

We used to have tournaments on the continent where illness would be an issue but I'm not sure I can quite remember a tournament where injuries have been such a common occurrence.  It's great to see Lewers back on the pitch, he brings so much to the team not only in his technical skills and work rate but also in leading and organising and it's crucial to have him available for the Australia and Belgium games. With regards to Ashley, as long as he is able to get onto the pitch you know he'll give you absolutley everything he can. With all that said, I've been really impressed with the whole squad effort and I absolutely believe we are in a good position to take on the Aussies.

2014 06 05 Rabobank Hockey World Cup: Kirkham's View MALAYSIA

2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup Views and Analysis

By Glenn Kirkham of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Glenn Kirkham made 223 appearances for England and Great Britain and retired from international hockey at the age of 31 in 2013.  Glenn competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London respectively as well as Commonwealth Games, World Cups, European Nations and Champions Trophy competitions.  Glenn won the European Nations in 2009 with England, defeating Germany 5:3 in the final and is considered to have been one of the most consistent performers to have graced the England and Great Britain sides.

Great result against India; how did it feel for you watching - especially the last few minutes…?!

A tense last few minutes thats for sure and it's much easier playing in those types of games then watching from on TV. I'm really pleased for Simon Mantell, who missed the last World Cup through injury, scoring a fantastic winning goal - a really difficult skill playing a bouncing ball on your back hand. It was one of those matches where getting a win was absolutely vital to ensure that they kept on the right path to the semi finals. 

Looks great to see so many players threatening to score; Mark Gleghorne, Simon Mantell, David Condon, Ali Brogden, Barry Middleton and Tom Carson.  Your thoughts on our attack ?

I think Bobby and the rest of the coaching staff will be pretty pleased with the number of open play chances the team are creating and its now a case of taking those chances more regularly. I think I've been really impressed with some of the link up play through the midfield areas with Barry and Ashley showing such a strong understanding of each others game.

England’s défense yesterday had a lot to do.  Dan Fox put in a heroic performance including his injury and they held it together well… and Iain Lewers is still to return to the defensive unit.  Were you impressed ?

I think only letting in two goals in two games against teams who pose a real goalscoring threat is a good start. You don't see too many clean sheets in international hockey anymore so I feel the defense should be pretty confident going in to the Malaysia game. I've been impressed with the back line as a whole but in particularly Mikey Hoare and Dan Fox have been an assured presence together in the absence of Iain Lewers.

We seem to have an array of options at corners; without giving any tactics away how do you feel our corner threat is evolving ?

It was good to see the boys put a couple of corners away yesterday, after struggling somewhat against Spain, it definitely eases the pressure on the team when you know your corners are firing. A number of teams have been struggling with their injection and trap so it may be that it's just a difficult pitch for these skills to be executed perfectly. Mark Gleghorne has been flicking really well for us (East Grinstead) all season and the power he put into his flick against India would have left most keepers flapping. We do have a good number of options at corners but it's clear to see that our main threat in Ashley is still struggling with his shoulder and hopefully a few days recovery will allow him to flick more in the remaining matches.

Malaysia tomorrow for the Men.  Not a side many watching will know much about; what can you tell us ?

Malaysia are a side who are always dangerous at home but then haven't necessarily fared so well on their travels. They play a similar style to Korea and have a fit team with a number of quality players. Their key player is Faizal who is still only 23 but has been a mainstay in the team for a number of years now. He's very quick, skillful and particularly dangerous on the back hand - definitely one for the England defence to keep an eye on.

How do you think the group is progressing ahead of those all important matches against Belgium and Australia ?

I think it's pretty much going to script at the moment. Todays match between Belgium and Australia will be a really interesting one and give a really good indicator of how far this Belgian team have progressed, they certainly looked good against Malaysia. For England it's about making sure that they get maximum points out of todays game against Malaysia and then picking up at least a win against one of Belgium and Australia in the final two matches.

2014 06 02 Rabobank Hockey World Cup: Kirkham's Views / INDIA

2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup Views and Analysis

By Glenn Kirkham of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Glenn Kirkham made 223 appearances for England and Great Britain and retired from international hockey at the age of 31 in 2013.  Glenn competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London respectively as well as Commonwealth Games, World Cups, European Nations and Champions Trophy competitions.  Glenn won the European Nations in 2009 with England, defeating Germany 5:3 in the final and is considered to have been one of the most consistent performers to have graced the England and Great Britain sides.

We seemed to dominate Spain for large spells in the first half; what do you think happened ?  Did they work us out or were we a little unlucky with our chances ?

On the whole I was pretty impressed with the England performance, particularly with the number of chances and circle entries against a notoriously difficult side to break down. I feel it was down to a combination of Spain stepping up their game in the second half and England not putting more of their chances away earlier on. A little hard luck in hitting the post twice but some disappointing work in front of goal as well.

Who would you call out as having particularly good games against Spain ?

I think it was obvious that Ali Brogdon had a very good game and not only took his goal very well but looked dangerous and energetic whenever he got the ball. I was also impressed with Michael Hoare at the back who looked very composed on the ball and assured in his performance despite still being relatively inexperienced at this level.

Having seen a few matches now, what are your thoughts on how the Netherlands have put on the spectacle ?

The main stadium looks incredible and a fantastic atmosphere to play in. It's been great to see the stadiums so full as well and I really think it's giving a great setting for the sport.

Looking ahead to India, what are your reflections of having played them on several occasions ?

A side with fantastic individual skill but doesn't always have that team cohesion. They can match any team in the world on their day and for them it's a case of finding some consistency. They've been very strong at home over recent years and it will be interesting to see how they perform in Europe.

Based on the India / Belgium game, was there anything that struck you as dangerous that England should worry about in the India team / play ?

I thought India played pretty well against a strong Belgium team. No real changes in style but they did look like they were playing much more as a team. They are always a threat from short corners and have a number of good drag flickers. Their talisman is Sardar Singh who is an incredibly skilful player with good vision who at times can look quite lethargic but then suddenly bursts in to life with explosive pace.

What would you like to see from England on Monday ?

I thought the performance against Spain was decent start to the tournament against a strong experienced team. That said, at times I felt we held on to the ball for too long individually and we were a little slow to transfer through the attacking third. Hopefully we'll have a little more success from penalty corners as well. The India game really is a must win game if we're to make the semi finals. 

2014 05 30 Rabobank Hockey World Cup - Kirkham's Views

2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup Views and Analysis

By Glenn Kirkham of East Grinstead Hockey Club

Glenn Kirkham made 223 appearances for England and Great Britain and retired from international hockey at the age of 31 in 2013.  Glenn competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London respectively as well as Commonwealth Games, World Cups, European Nations and Champions Trophy competitions.  Glenn won the European Nations in 2009 with England, defeating Germany 5:3 in the final and is considered to have been one of the most consistent performers to have graced the England and Great Britain sides.

What’s your general impression of the England squad and how its evolved since London 2012 ?

London 2012 was a natural endpoint for a number of players and it certainly needed some fresh impetus looking ahead to the qualification process for Rio. I think it's a very exciting time for the the England squad, it has a great mix of youth and experience and having the centralised programme in place has enabled the newer players to the group to integrate quickly.

How do you rate England’s chances of getting to the Semi Finals ?

The chances are good. We have a number of players who have experienced semi finals in major tournaments and I know have a hunger for further success. Add to this a number of exciting young prospects and I believe the team are in with a good shout.

With Ashley, David and Mark in the squad for the World Cup, having played with them week in week out during the season, how do you think each will perform during the World Cup - what special things will they each bring to the England team ?

Not much needs to be said about Ashley. He's a world class player, one of the most exciting players to watch and has matured in to a real leader. Mark has a huge amount of international experience and has bided his time for his chance in a major tournament. He again is a real team player, a positive influence on others and has been flicking very well this season. David is one of the exciting young prospects in the team. I've been really impressed with him in his first season for EG, particularly as he's added a real goal scoring threat to his game. I'm really looking forward to seeing him in action in the international game.

Other than the three EG players, would you pick out a couple of other match winners form the England team either “old” or “new”…

The spine of the England team is very strong with Pinner, Lewers, Dixon and Middleton and these players will be key to England making the medal matches. I'm also looking forward to seeing Tim Whiteman play as he is a player who has been in fantastic form in the league for the past few seasons. 

Looking ahead to the tournament and reflecting on your own illustrious career, who did you enjoy playing against the most ?

As a player you always want to play against the best teams and in my mind that's Germany, Australia, and Holland. The new kids on the block are Belgium and they'll be a real force this time around. I have great memories of playing in the 2009 European Cup in Holland with such great support and for the team this time around to be playing in such a fantastic stadium - what a time to win a World Cup!

Specifically looking ahead to Saturday, do you have any perspectives on Spain ?

Always a very tough game, excellent individual players in a well organised team. Defensively very compact with a lightning quick counter attack. I expect only a goal in it but for England to come out on top.

Any final words / messages to the boys in NL ?

These opportunities don't come around very often and you absolutely have to make the most of them. If not now, when?!

2014 05 30 Rabobank Hockey World Cup Preview

2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup Preview

The 2014 Hockey World Cup is upon us and for the first time, East Grinstead Hockey Club is represented amongst both the Mens and the Ladies sides.  On the Mens side we are delighted to be represented by Ashley Jackson, David Condon and Mark Gleghorne while former East Grinstead players Barry Middleton and Iain Lewers also make the squad.  On the Ladies side, Kirsty Mackay and recent EG new joiner, Sophie Bray will take part.

To add to that, we're delighted to see Glenn Kirkham has been included in SkySports' experts panel and will be providing insights on TV throughout the competition.


One Day To Go

With one day to go, we are able to share some perspectives from Glenn and Kirsty ahead of the first matches in the competition.  First up is Kirsty with some impressions of the World Cup:

From the outside, the hotel was a little bit underwhelming and we were all a bit disappointed - the glamour of being an international hockey player !

It feels like I'm back in blackpool beside the seaside! My  room overlooks the north sea, and would have a great view, however, the weather has been bleak so far, so have only been able to see mist and to the edge of the balcony ! Lol

However, the food has been great though and the rooms are decent. Comfy 'single' beds, and each room has a balcony, plenty of storage, plug sockets and randomly a microwave. Most importantly we each have a kettle, so I can get on with my PG Tips out here still !

Having recently been photographed on BA with a pop group, we had high expectations for our trip to Holland but this time, it was us who were the famous ones on the plane ! Lol

We had a shout out from the pilot wishing us the best of luck for the World Cup !

The mood is relaxed at the minute, we have briefly talked about our goals for the tournament and are discussing our strengths at the minute. Not training on the stadium pitch until Thursday, so we are eagerly awaiting that !

Kirsty