Hockey World Cup 2018, England vs Australia: 3 Standout Players from the Bronze-medal match

Australia's pursuit of a hat-trick of World Cup titles may have ended in despair following their penalty shootout defeat in the semifinal against Netherlands. However, the Kookaburras bounced back with a vengeance by pummelling England 8-1 in the bronze medal match at the 2018 Hockey World Cup.

In what was an absolute demolition job, Tom Craig scored thrice to help Australia assert their dominance over a mentally deflated England side. Jeremy Hayward converted two of his penalty corners into goals even as Blake Govers, Trent Mitton and Tim Brand also found the back of the net.

Barry Middleton's goal towards the end of the third quarter could only offer scant consolation for England. Having gone down 0-6 against Belgium in the semifinal, they could not quite pick themselves up and simply went through the motions in the face of Australian imperiousness.

Here are the three standout players from Australia's dominant victory over England in the bronze-medal match.

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#3 Blake Govers (Australia)

Blake Govers' relentless approach created numerous scoring opportunities for Australia

Aside from the semifinal, Blake Govers has scored in each of Australia's matches in the 2018 World Cup. Reiterating that the previous game was just an aberration, he continued his goal-scoring spree with an early goal in the bronze medal match.

Receiving a splendid pass from Tom Craig, Govers outclassed his marksman with a steely turn and nonchalantly unleashed a tomahawk from a difficult angle. The ferocity, as well as accuracy of the shot, was more than enough to beat England goalkeeper Harry Gibson.

Although he scored Australia's first goal in the 8th minute, this was a game of missed opportunities for Govers. He could have easily had another two or three goals. While two of his shots found the post, the 22-year old's selflessness came to the fore when he acted as a conduit for Tom Craig's brilliance in the 19th minute.

Govers finished his tournament with seven goals. Unless Belgium's Alexander Hendrickx scores in the final against Netherlands, the Australian will have an equal share of the title of leading goal-scorer in the 2018 World Cup.

#2 Tim Brand (Australia)

England's defenders had no answer to Tim Brand's exhilarating stick-work along the baseline

After missing a penalty in the shootout against Netherlands, Tim Brand was under considerable pressure in the bronze medal game. However, the 20-year old belied his age and showed tremendous fortitude by coming up with a tireless display.

Brand set up Australia's second goal by trapping a tough pass and confounding the England defenders along the baseline. Upon controlling the ball against some chaotic defending, he fed a sublime pass for Craig who duly deposited it into the goal.

Brand's wily manoeuvres and incisive circle penetrations made life difficult for the opposition backline. The Netherlands-born striker etched his name on the scoring sheet with a stunning goal in the third quarter. Latching on to a through ball from Trent Mitton, he weaved his way past the defence and outsmarted the advancing Harry Gibson.

#1 Tom Craig (Australia)

Tom Craig's hat-trick exemplified Australia's imperious performance

Scoring three goals and creating another, Tom Craig was undoubtedly the Player of the Match. The 23-year old's creativity was at the forefront of Australia's ultra-aggressive approach during the early stages of the game.

After stealing possession, Craig unfurled a scarcely believable pass to the lurking Blake Govers. Vindicating his reputation of being able to think on his feet, the assist caught England off guard.

A minute after Govers' opening goal, Craig extended Australia's lead with a deft finish. Although Tim Brand's stick-work along the baseline was largely responsible for the goal, his composure in front of goal was rather impressive.

Australia's third goal had Craig written all over it. During the 19th minute, the NSW player embarked on a jaw-dropping run penetrating through the heart of the England defence. Tagging his teammates along the way, his passing and receiving was too hot to handle. Eventually, he himself slotted the ball into the back of the net.

At the 34th minute, Craig completed his hat-trick off a quick counterattack. With Dylan Wotherspoon serving as an effective foil, he found his mark after penetrating the inner circle for the umpteenth time.

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