In-form England registered an emphatic 4-0 victory over lacklustre Spain in a Pool D match of the FIH Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
England had the early advantage as they capitalised on their first penalty corner to open their account through Roper Phil as early as the 10th minute of the match. Spain also earned their first penalty corner four minutes later, but failed to grab the scoring opportunity. The first quarter ended 1-0 in the Three Lions' favour.
In the second quarter also, England stamped their authority as Condon David struck their second goal in the 21st minute through a brilliant field goal. The Three Lions dominated the proceedings in the first half with a 2-0 lead.
Spain tried their best to make amends in the third quarter and gave a fierce contest to the opposition. They earned their second penalty corner in the 38th minute, but failed to sound the board. The third quarter finished barren despite strong intent and competitive spirit shown by Spain.
The fourth quarter saw both teams putting tremendous pressure on each other. However, England earned a penalty corner in the 46th minute. But, Spain defenders were rock solid to thwart them. England managed to get the better of the opposition and increased their lead to 3-0 through Bandurak Nicholas in the 50th minute. The Three Lions surged ahead with the momentum and went on to score their fourth goal by Ansell Liam in the 51st minute through a fierce hit from the right flank of the board.