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Women's Hockey Britain desperate to turn around Pro League campaign after one win in six

BRITAIN go into Saturday’s opening home match in the FIH Pro League against the United States seeking to rebound after losing to Germany 2-0 in Moenchengladbach on Wednesday night.

Captain Hollie Pearne-Webb said the Olympic champions were “extremely disappointed” with the result after a double from Hannah Gablac gave Germany the win that was delayed by 45 minutes due to heavy rain, leaving Britain with one win from six games in the inaugural season of the competition.

Britain are down in seventh place but face the bottom-placed US — the league’s only winless team — on Saturday. Lily Owsley scored twice and Emily Defroand added another in Britain’s only previous victory of the campaign; a 3-1 success over Saturday’s opponents in Pennsylvania last month.

But Pearne-Webb is counting on her side learning from Wednesday’s defeat as they look to move towards the top four, with automatic qualification to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo up for grabs.

“It was a tough game and we are extremely disappointed with the result, and the final two quarters [in particular],” Pearne-Webb told the league’s website.

“A lot of lessons to be learned, moving forward. I don’t think we can blame the weather, I think we have to look at ourselves and our own performance.

“We weren’t good enough on the ball and I think that is what cost us today.”

Grace Balsdon and Giselle Ansley both saw great chances from penalty corners turned away and Amy Tennant made some superb saves in the British goal, but Gablac fired in a shot on the turn in the 38th minute before doubling the advantage into an empty net with two minutes left.

Push-back for the US clash is at 2pm at the London Olympic Park’s Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre.

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