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.