Indoor hockey – Scotland in 27-goal blitz

EuroHockey Indoor Championship III: Scotland 13, Cyprus 1; Greece 0, Scotland 14 (in Nicosia, Cyprus) (in Nicosia, Cyprus)

Edinburgh-based players were to the fore as Scotland opened their promotion bid in the EuroHockey Indoor Championship, Division Three, with a goal blitz.

Coach Stuart Neave guided his men to a 13-1 win over hosts Cyprus and then a 14-0 hammering of Greece.

In the first game, Inverleith striker Patrick Christie claimed four goals against Cyprus. Luke Cranney (Grange), Jamie Carnegie (Grove Menzieshill), Gordon Amour (Edinburgh University) and Fergus Sandison (Dundee Wanderers) all scoring doubles in the goal blitz.

Captain Gavin Byers (Grove Menzieshill) chipped in with a single and Sandison opened Scotland’s account after eight minutes.

They stormed to a 7-0 lead at the break but a yellow card for Kelburne’s set-piece expert Josh Cairns provided an opportunity for Cyprus to pull a goal back early in the second-half and from a penalty corner, Antonis Efthymiou (Edinburgh University) making it 7-1.

Scotland kept on attacking and Neave said: “The team worked hard to break down their defence and we got there by being patient and positive.

“We scored some really good goals, had chances to score more and it was a very positive team performance.”

Later, Cairns (Kelburne) claimed five goals and Christie (Inverleith) four as Scotland brushed Greece aside 14-0.

Cranney (Grange) scored two with skipper Gavin Byers Grove Menzieshill), Fergus Sandison (Dundee Wanderers) and Callum Milne (Grange) adding singles.