Defending champions got their trophy defence off to a bright start in a workmanlike 2-0 win over New Zealand
It was a highly tactical match as both teams gave no quarter to each other, with some hard fought battles in midfield,
But in the end it was the better finishing of Great Britain that won them the match
“ We played better in our opening match this year compared to last year, the same opponents,” said Great Britain coach Jon Belby.
“ But our penalty corners were a bit of a let down as we really should have put pressure on the opponents keeper.
“ We look forward to our next match against Japan tomorrow and frankly three points will be what we are looking for.”
After a scoreless opening 30 minutes, Great Britain broke the deadlock in the 34th minute through a field goal by Thomas Russel .
And Great Britain made sure of the three points with James Oates scoring late in the match, his goal coming in the 58th minute.
For New Zealand, the defeat was difficult to swallow,
“ I though we had a fairly decent game but GB took their chances well,” said Kiwi coach Bryce Collins .
