Hockey: Commonwealth Games: Pool B: women: Scotland 11, Kenya 0: Pool A: men: South Africa 5, Scotland 4 (University of Birmingham).
Sarah Jamieson, Fiona Burnet and Charlotte Watson all netted doubles as Scotland thrashed group minnows Kenya 11-0 in their third Commonwealth Games, Pool B, game.
Saturday’s controversial 1-0 defeat to New Zealand is now parked and Scotland, who beat South Africa 4-2 in their opener, came out quickly against the African side.
They were 6-0 ahead after the first quarter and kept up the pressure to get another goal before the half-time break.
Two more arrived in the third and fourth quarters as Scotland pounded the Kenya side and four of the Tartan Hearts’ strikes came from penalty corners and one from a penalty stroke plus six from field goals, the first coming from Burnet after three minutes.
Watson made it 2-0 from a penalty stroke three minutes later and Jen Eadie, Jamieson, Louise Campbell and then Amy Costello added to the total before the first break.
Watson netted her second in the third and the next three goals came in six minutes from Jamieson, Burnet, Bronwyn Shields with Katie Robertson adding the final stroke with four minutes left.
Edinburgh-based Jamieson admitted that the Keynan side were very physical and said: “We expected that. We had to be really strong on the ball.
“Possibly, we underestimated how difficult it was going to be at the start when they were really spread out but, as the game went on, we were riding the tackles.
“We got loads of penalty corners but, overall, today was always about finding the space and we did that really well as they packed their D and the 25, particularly after the first quarter.”
Now to Australia and she said: “Everybody wants to play the best and that is why we train so much. They are up there. It is a really exciting opportunity for us and we really don’t have much to loose.
“If we can put out what we did on Saturday then we have nothing to be afraid of.”
Meanwhile, Scotland men were twice ahead against South Africa but suffered heart-break as they lost 5-4 with their rivals, who are No 16 in the world, slotting the game-winner in the final minute.
It was a key game for both sides but Scotland skipper Alan Forsyth fell to his knees while other members of the Blue Sticks covered their faces at the final whistle in boiling temperatures at the University of Birmingham Arena.
Coach Derek Forsyth’s men, ranked No 19 in the world, played superb hockey to be 5-1 ahead of New Zealand, ranked No 9, in their opening game but were held 5-5 and then lost 12-0 to world No 1 Australia.
They were 2-0 down to highly-physical South Africa side, but dug deep to level at 2-2 before going ahead 3-2 and 4-3 ahead but two goals in the final four minutes means then are bottom of Pool A.
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