England bullied by Holland in crushing loss

There have been plenty of low moments since the Rio Olympic final but surely none as abject as England’s exasperating 8-0 defeat by Holland in the Eurohockey Championship semi-finals last night.

Holland ran up a record score against England, who were as flat as the Dutch proved masters in exploiting a brittle defence which wilted in the sultry conditions. They will now play either Spain or Germany for bronze tomorrow.

Mark Hager, England’s coach, said: “If this isn’t motivation [for bronze] I don’t know what is. We should be embarrassed by that scoreline. They bullied us off the field, big time.”

Goalkeeper Maddie Hinch cut a dejected figure as England allowed the Dutch, beaten only twice since the Rio Olympic final, room to roam free for 60 minutes.

Holland’s ability to find sticks in the circle paved the way for the opener as Hinch initially saved from a corner, before Laurien Leurink scored high into the net.

For the next 48 minutes it was a one-way rout. Lidewij Welten was given room to manoeuvre an easy backhand shot to double the lead. Welten, Caia van Maasakker and Leurink all scored twice.

“I felt sorry for Maddie, we left her isolated one-on-one and, for me, it’s inexcusable the stuff we did,” Hager added.

In a statistical horror show, England failed to notch a penalty corner, offered no shot on target and entered the Dutch circle a paltry five times.

Defeat also confirmed Great Britain’s place alongside the men in October’s Olympic play-offs. After this performance, it could be a long autumn for the Olympic champions.

Belgium will play Spain in today’s men’s final. Meanwhile, England men play Scotland, the winner securing fifth place. A draw will see Ireland and Wales relegated from Europe’s top flight.