Hero Hockey World League Finals 2015: Great Britain begin campaign on a winning note

The experienced Brits had no trouble with the Canadians, who are debutantes in the HWL

Simon Mantell scored twice as Great Britain got their Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 campaign off to a flying start with a 3-1 win over Pool A rivals Canada on Day 2 in Raipur, India.

Mantell needed just two minutes to open his account with a tap-in before Mark Pearson restored parity for the Red Caribous with a speculative cross from the right that found the bottom left corner.

Second quarter goals from Mantell and Alastair Brogdon gave Great Britain a 3-1 advantage at half-time, a lead that the dominant Europeans would never relinquish.

It was a good start to get a 3-1 win in first game although we need to improve on a lot”, said Great Britain’s Alan Forsyth after the match. “Now it’s all about recovery and then focusing on putting in a good performance against Australia.”

Canadian scorer Mark Pearson described being in India as a “special experience”, before commenting on his team’s participation in the event.

“It is the first time that Canada has qualified for a tournament as prestigious as this, and it effectively functions as a Champions Trophy”, said Pearson. “We are not here to be passengers, we want to get results so it is disappointing to come away with a 3-1 loss but there is plenty to build on.”

Hero Man of the Match: Nick Catlin (GBR)