England win bronze after nine-goal thriller to round off Birmingham campaign

England 6

Rhys Smith (19 FG); Liam Ansell (24 FG); Sam Ward (25 PC); Phil Roper (40 PC, 50 FG); Zach Wallace (59 PS)

South Africa 3

Matthew Guise-Brown (18 PC); Mustapha Cassiem (22 FG); Nqobile Ntuli (30; PC)

England’s men secured a third consecutive Commonwealth Games bronze medal after coming out on top in a nine-goal thriller against South Africa.

A Phil Roper double eventually helped swing the contest after their opponents had threatened to spoil the party in the first half.

In a frantic second quarter that featured six goals in the space of 12 minutes, Rhys Smith and Liam Ansell both scored equalisers before Sam Ward put England in front, only for South Africa to strike back right on half time.

Roper restored the lead with a smart finish in the third quarter, before his scrappy second and a Zach Wallace penalty stroke ensured England would not be leaving Birmingham empty handed.

South Africa battled hard and showed why they have impressed so many during the Games but England’s clinical finishing ensured they secured a deserved win.

It is the fourth time England have won bronze in the men’s tournament, the crop of 2022 replicating the achievements of the 1998, 2014 and 2018 sides.

England: Payne (GK), Waller, Wallace, Griffiths, Sloan, Ward, Albery, Roper, Goodfield, Condon, Sorsby.

Subs: Griffiths, Ansell, Sloan, Mazarelo, Rushmere, Creed, Bandurak, Calna

Match Report

Few would have predicted the early morning goal glut that followed based on a first quarter which saw chances few and far between.

England did win a penalty corner but tournament top goalscorer Nick Bandurak was denied by a wonderful save from South Africa keeper Gowan Jones.

Paul Revington's side did also have the ball net in the net when Bandurak deflected a reverse strike by Ansell beyond Jones but it was ruled out with the officials deeming the ball to have hit Ansell’s back stick.

The first penalty corner of the second quarter opened the floodgates, Matt Guise-Brown – who plays his club hockey for Hampstead & Westminster – producing a clever drag flick into the top right corner to put South Africa in front.

But England were level almost immediately as Smith, who gave away the penalty corner, made amends by evading two defenders and finishing coolly under the keeper.

Back came the AmaStokkie with a smart lay-off teeing up the impressive Mustapha Cassiem, who beat Payne at the near post to restore his team’s advantage.

England refused to lie down and returned the favour when Ansell collected the ball at the top of the circle, drifted past a defender and struck a wonderfully timed long-range shot as the ball ran into the circle.

A penalty corner would provide the third English goal not long after when, after a re-award, Ward’s low dragged attempt found the left corner to put his team in front for the first time.

But in an end-to-end second quarter, South Africa hit back with just seconds remaining before half time.

Nqobile Ntuli’s deflected effort from a penalty corner squeezed between Payne and Roper on the post to level things up at 3-3.

The tempo remained high into the third quarter but England slowly began to wrestle control of possession.

And the host nation were rewarded for an improved display when Roper got his seventh goal of the Games.

With the ball loose in the South African circle, he made the perfect connection on the run to find the bottom-right corner and edge England back in front.

The 30-year-old then gave his team breathing space in the final quarter, somehow squeezing the ball over the line during a goalmouth scramble after excellent initial work from Ward.

Roper nearly had his hat-trick with six minutes to play but Jones made a smart save to keep South African hopes alive.

The AmaStokkie went for broke by withdrawing Jones for an extra outfielder, but it was England who would get the final goal.

Fittingly, captain Wallace secured the medal with his composed finish from a late penalty stroke.

The full time hooter sounded shortly after to confirm England’s place on the podium, a fitting reward for a team who have given so much to the men’s tournament this year in Birmingham.

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Looking to watch some more international action after the Commonwealth Games? Tickets for England women’s Euro qualifiers at Durham 25-28 August are on sale now.