Team GB WIN bronze in the women’s hockey as Hollie Pearne-Webb and Co fight back to edge out India in dramatic seven-goal thriller after throwing away an early lead
- Team GB got off to a fantastic start, scoring two goals in the second quarter
- Elena Rayer’s cross was deflected in before Sarah Robertson struck shortly after
- However, India’s Gurjit Kura wiped out the deficit from two penalty corners
- India incredibly scored a third just before half-time to turn the game on its head
- However, Team GB responded, scoring in the third and fourth to retake the lead
- Find out the latest Tokyo Olympic news including schedule, medal table and results right here
Headline news in Brazil, not so big in Japan. But this bronze for Team GB is certainly not a bad way to back up their golden heroics of five years ago.
The way Great Britain’s women’s hockey team became Olympic champions for the first time in Rio remains fresh in the memory, sealing victory in a dramatic late-night shootout win over the Netherlands, which delayed the BBC News at 10.
This morning in Tokyo, the medal at stake was no so shiny. Yet their victory over India in the bronze medal match was equally as entertaining as Grace Balsdon sealed a topsy-turvy seven-goal thriller.
Team GB secure the bronze medal in the women’s hockey after beating India on Friday
The Indian players are distraught at the final whistle after just missing out on a medal
Team GB captain Hollie Pearne-Webb passionately celebrates after scoring her side’s fourth
Great Britain’s womens team came out on top in the thrilling bronze medal clash with India
Another medal means Team GB have now picked up a women’s hockey gong at each of the last three Games, while Laura Unsworth becomes the most successful British Olympic hockey player having been part of all three teams.
And third place will go down as a huge success given Britain required a play-off against Chile to even qualify for Tokyo and only seven of their squad from Rio remain.
Two days after their 5-1 semi-final revenge defeat to rivals Holland, Team GB were back in the heat at the Oi Hockey Stadium to take on India, who they had beaten in the earlier group stage.
After a goalless first quarter, Team GB took the lead in the first minute of the second, as Elena Rayer’s cross was deflected in to her own net by India’s Deep Grace Ekka.
Team GB got off to a fantastic start, scoring two goals in the second quarter in Tokyo
However, India responded brilliantly, scoring three quickfire goals to turn the game on its head
Gurjit Kaur (centre) scored two goals in a matter of minutes from successive penalty corners
They doubled their advantage eight minutes later through a fine goal by Sarah Robertson, who was mobbed by her team-mates in celebration.
But Team GB then collapsed in spectacular fashion, with India scoring three goals in four minutes.
The first two came in identical fashion as Gurjit Kaur scored from two penalty corners, before Vandana Katariya beat a static Maddie Hinch to give the Indians the lead for the first time.
In the third quarter, Britain hit back with a snap shot from skipper Hollie Pearne-Webb and they took charge of the rest of the game, finally making a fourth penalty corner of the final quarter count through Balsdon.
However, Team GB held their nerve to score two second half goals to secure the bronze