Women’s EuroHockey Championship II (Gniezno, Poland) – day four round-up
Wales created a piece of history as they won promotion back to the top division of the EuroHockey Championships, ending a wait which dates back to Barcelona in 2003.
They struck late to beat Austria, setting up a final date with Italy who were too strong for Switzerland.
In Pool C, Poland bounced back well to defeat Czechia while Lithuania edged out Croatia.
Semi-final
Wales 2 Austria 1
Wales will play in the top tier in 2027, ending a 24-year wait, after they got the better of Austria in the first semi-final to confirm their promotion.
Amy Cradden provided the memorable moment from an innovative corner variation with 90 seconds to go, switching right and then back to the left where she delivered the powerful push.
They had led earlier on when Cradden’s drag-flick was saved but only as far as injector Beth Bingham who volleyed in the second phase. Austria did get back on terms with 11 minutes to go when Kristine Vukovich cleaned up a slightly messy corner move to make it 1-1 but Wales had their moment soon after for a famous success.
Italy 3 Switzerland 0
Three second half goals earned Italy a return back to the top tier of European hockey and a spot in the Championship II final into the bargain. Italy looked the more likely to get something from a scoreless first half but they did get their breakthrough 40 seconds into the second half when Victoria Cabut’s corner shot took a heavy deflection into the top of the net.
Delfina Granatto’s amazing diving backhand clipped the inside of the post en route to making it 2-0 and some sharp rebounding from Lola Brea completed the win. For the Swiss, they now settle for a third place playoff with Austria where they will hope they can make fuller use of their eight penalty corners earned today.
Pool C
Croatia 1 Lithuania 2
Lithuania won the penalty corner battle as they eked out a 2-1 win over Croatia with Rimantė Gudeliauskytė’s 37th minute goal the defining factor. Darija Žigytė’s clean strike in the eighth minute had given Lithuania the lead but it was countered by a Lucija Nizek strike just two seconds before half-time to make it level.
Poland 3 Czechia 2
Poland bounced back from the disappointment of missing the semi-finals as their set piece routine finally clicked into gear.
Czechia went in front in the 23rd minute when Apolena Al-Amelova got the last touch from a swift counter-attack.Poland replied by scoring two corners in quick succession, Hanna Wochna’s rebound and a Julia Rymer touch at the right post swapping the lead.
Marlena Rybacha thumped in a third in the third quarter and saw them through to the final minute when Natálie Hájková scored a stroke with six seconds left.
Saturday schedule
