Men’s EuroHockey Championship Qualifier II (Helsinki, Finland)
Lithuania’s men became the first side to secure a place in next summer’s EuroHockey Championship II as their 4-0 win over Hungary guarantees them a top two finish from their qualifier in Helsinki.
Four second half goals did the damage after a scoreless first half. At the start of the third period, Povilas Sinkevičius scored from a short corner and set them on the way; he scored his second before the end of Q3
And the end of the match belonged to Lithuanian captain Andžej Burkot who finished with two goals in the final minutes to secure a convincing victory.
It means they will top Pool A and advance to Sunday’s final, meaning they have already won one of the two places in next year’s Championship II.
In Pool B, Finland came from a losing position to an important 3-1 victory over Malta in the final game of the day.
The first half of the match was even. Malta managed to put up active pressure but the Finnish defence stood tall until the second quarter when Tom Degiovanni scored from the penalty spot for a half-time lead.
After the break, the hosts were completely renewed Finland, moving the ball faster and creating dangerous situations for the Maltese goal. The reward came late in the third period when Elmeri Rihtilä tied the match at 1–1.
In Q4, Ari Laiho put Finland in the lead and, in the final moments, Santeri Määttänen sealed the final score 3–1.
Photos: Ville Järvinen
Experienced Finnish national team player Tommi Rantala was pleased with the team’s ability to turn the match into a victory.
“In the first two periods we had a few good scoring opportunities,” he said. “But we couldn’t finish in the same way as in the test games against Norway. At half-time we decided to be more patient with the ball, circulate it through the defensive line faster and thereby gain better control of the midfield.
“I’m really happy that we got the equaliser. That really encapsulates what we’ve been practicing with the national team.
“It’s great to see these young players. Elmeri to name the first, but also many others. I’m a bit of an older player myself, but it’s great to see how well the chemistry between the young and the more experienced players on the pitch meets. We have a really good generation of players growing up, and I’m very proud of that.”
The win lifts them up to three points alongside Malta but Gibraltar sit top on their own with six from six after they beat Greece 2-0.
Both of the goals came in the 11th minute through Ian Rodriguez and, moments later, Craig Bossano-Anes extended the lead to two goals.
Women’s EuroHockey Championship Qualifier II (Helsinki, Finland)
Gibraltar continued their winning ways to sit on six points and top of the table after two days as they won 3-0 against Finland.
Gibraltar dominated the early stages of the game with several short corners being awarded, but the Finnish defence and goalkeeper Reija Jokinen held their own. The first goal came midway through the opening period when Rebecca Elliot gave Gibraltar the lead.
In the second period, Gibraltar was able to use their pressure again. After several short corners, Eva Silva increased the lead to 2–0.
And the final decision was seen at the very end of the match when Paris Chellaram made the final score 3–0.
Finnish player Elisa Järvinen saw a lot of positives in the game, saying: “We improved like crazy from yesterday’s game. As a team, we have agreed that we will improve every game.
“It will be difficult to improve from this point on because we played really well. The game ended up falling apart due to small mistakes and the goal scoring was lame. Goalkeeper Reija ‘Rekku’ Jokinen saved the team in many places and was deservedly awarded the best player of the game.”
** Gibraltar celebrate
Hungary, meanwhile, got their first win with an important 4–2 victory over Luxembourg.
Hungary took the lead in the second minute of play with a goal from a short corner by Nóra Ilkei but Luxembourg equalsed before the end of the first period with a goal from Louise Van der Looven.
After a scoreless Q2, Sára Józan put Hungary ahead again from a short corner and Rio Esperanza extended the lead to 3–1 at the start of the final period.
Luxembourg reduced the deficit with a goal from Diane Krüger but Zsuzsanna Tóth sealed Hungary’s victory in the final minute of the match.
It means Gibraltar need a draw from the opening game on Saturday to assure their passage to the final. Lose to Luxembourg, though, and it opens up a range of permutations for the Finland match against Hungary.
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