Exciting moments unfolded in the opening minutes of the match, with a short corner awarded to Wales in the 8th minute. However, despite a lively flick by Hoskins, the subsequent second attempt narrowly missed the target, leaving the scores level at the end of the first quarter.
As the second quarter drew to a close, Wales showcased their dominance in possession but struggled to capitalise on opportunities in the attacking circle. The halftime whistle blew, and the game remained deadlocked at 0-0.
The third quarter commenced, and although Wales continued to control the game with possession, they couldn’t break the tie on the scoreboard. The suspense heightened as the match entered the final quarter.
Five minutes into the fourth quarter, Betsan Thomas earned Wales their third penalty corner. Unfortunately, a misstrap during the execution at the top of the circle allowed Austria to launch a swift counter-attack. Despite a good run by Sarah Jones, her attempt to set up Hoskins in the penalty spot was thwarted by Austria’s goalkeeper, who made a good save.
Throughout the match, Wales displayed strength in maintaining possession, but their inability to convert chances in the final quarter became a critical factor. As the clock wound down, tension reached its peak.
With only 40 seconds remaining, Wales managed to secure another penalty corner. However, a miss trap led to a turnover, and the game concluded with the scoreboard still showing a hard-fought 0-0 draw.
A comment from Head Coach Kevin Johnson ‘’We pushed extremely hard throughout the game from the first to the last minute but unfortunately couldn’t find the goal to take the win. Aside from that we played a well balanced game, creating multiple chances and not allowing Austria any chances on our goal. We must take the positives from this forward into our game against France tomorrow”.
Photo is from @CzechFieldHockey
By Hockey Wales
