Raipur: Simon Mantell scored twice as Great Britain got their Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 campaign off to a flying start with a 3-1 win over Pool A rivals Canada on Day 2 in Raipur, India.
Mantell needed just two minutes to open his account with a tap-in before Mark Pearson restored parity for the Red Caribous with a speculative cross from the right that found the bottom left corner.
Second quarter goals from Mantell and Alastair Brogdon gave Great Britain a 3-1 advantage at half time, a lead that the dominant Europeans would never relinquish.
It was a good start to get a 3-1 win in first game although we need to improve on a lot”, said Great Britain’s Alan Forsyth after the match. “Now its all about recovery and then focusing on putting in a good performance against Australia.”
Canadian scorer Mark Pearson described being in India as a “special experience”, before commenting on his team’s participation in the event.
“It is the first time that Canada has qualified for a tournament as prestigious as this, and it effectively functions as a Champions Trophy”, said Pearson. “We are not here to be passengers, we want to get results so it is disappointing to come away with a 3-1 loss but there is plenty to build on.”
Hero Man of the Match: Nick Catlin (GBR)
