Scotland’s women face New Zealand in a crunch clash in the classification round of the FIH Hockey World Cup, four years on from a controversial call in the meeting between the sides in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The Kiwis were 1-0 ahead against the Tartan Hearts when Scotland were awarded a penalty corner. The ball sped across the circle and was rammed into the net. Scotland celebrated.
Unfortunately, the video umpire disagreed, arguing that the ball had not left the circle before being hit.
Video evidence from fans in the stands claimed otherwise, but the video umpire’s decision stood and Scotland were denied.
The Scots go into the game after their moral boosting 2-1 success over Ireland in their opening game in classification Pool H in Belgium.
Charlotte Watson’s superb strike was the difference and that goal helped the Scots move to No 13 in the world, their highest ever standing.
New Zealand are No 11, one behind the USA who edged Scotland 3-2 in Belgium last week, with Ireland now No 12.
Chris Duncan, Scotland’s head coach, said: “To get a win at a World Cup takes a lot of effort and that is something that everybody should be proud of.
“Next up is New Zealand. We are not thinking about 2022, we are thinking about the team that will face us on Monday and the opportunities that will present for us in that game.
“They (New Zealand) are a very versatile side and they come with a lot of systems and variety in the way that they play. That is something we have to get right.”
Lothians-based Duncan added: “From a rankings perspective, it is great to reach No 13 (in the world) and it is another sign that we are progressing forward. We have another 60 minutes to prepare for, one nation against another, and that is the most important thing ahead of us.
“What happens in the rankings we can control by the way we approach games and that will be our focus.”
Looking back at the win over Ireland, Duncan added: “We were really dominant in the way we approached the game. That was something we carried through from the first whistle and I was really proud of the performance and the way the players tackled it.
“It has given us a foundation and an opportunity in our next game. We go forward to that with exactly the same intensity.”
ON ATTACK: Charlotte Watson (blue strip) in action for Scotland in a recent international. Picture Nigel Duncan
