Last-minute drama as Hockeyroos edge India for second straight win

The Hockeyroos have pulled off a dramatic 2-1 victory over India in London, clinching the win with just 37 seconds left on the clock to secure their second consecutive FIH Pro League triumph.
 
With the scores locked at 1-all and with a shootout looming, Queensland's drag flick specialist Tatum Stewart delivered a clutch penalty corner flick that was brilliantly deflected by Lexie Pickering, who scored the match winner and her second international goal in as many days. 
 
The dramatic finish capped a gritty, much-needed win for Australia, as they continue to build quickly in Europe.
 
"It was definitely very frantic at the end, but we stayed composed, and it was really good to get the corner and execute it, which is super important in those final dying seconds," Captain Grace Stewart said post-match.
 
"I was off the field at the time, so I was crossing my fingers and toes, nervously hoping for it to go in! It was super exciting to see Lexie pop it in the goal."
 
Just as their counterparts had against the Kookaburras an hour earlier in Belgium, India had the Hockeyroos on the back foot, scoring inside the first three minutes.
 
A defensive lapse was punished with a neat finish at the far post, handing India early control. And despite a strong response from the Hockeyroos, which included two penalty corner chances, they couldn’t convert, and the scoreline remained 1-0 at the halftime break.
 
But the Hockeyroos emerged with renewed energy after the break, dominating possession and increasing their attacking intensity. The breakthrough finally came through Amy Lawton, whose sharp field goal levelled the scores and rewarded belief in the Australian side.
 
With the match hanging in the balance throughout a tense final quarter, both sides pushed for a decisive goal until star WA defender Karri Somerville forced a crucial penalty corner in the dying seconds, setting the stage for a thrilling finale.
 
Lexie Pickering's perfectly timed deflection off of Tatum's flick sent the ball flying into the net, sparking wild celebrations from the Hockeyroos bench.
     
"I'm definitely relieved!" Player of the Match Grace Young told 7plus.
 
"We have so much belief in our team, and we base our game on grit and believing in ourselves right to the end. I'm really proud of the team for pulling off this result today."
 
"We've been waiting a while to see Lexie play for us this year! We saw her in the Hockey One League last year when she was popping in goals left, right and centre, so it's nice to see her do it on the international stage now for us and we're loving it," Grace Stewart added.
 
The Hockeyroos have a day to rest and recover before they take on hosts England at Lee Valley Hockey Stadium on Tuesday night, at the prime time of 6.00pm AWST / 8.00pm AEST, live and free on 7plus.
 
"We're excited, any international game is special and playing England at home and hopefully with a great home crowd will be a huge challenge and we're really excited for it," Grace Young said.
 
"We're still not where we need to be or where we want to be. So we'll take these wins and the points for sure. But we really enjoy playing against Great Britain. It's always a free, attacking game of hockey, which we love, and hopefully we'll see even more goals coming in the next couple of days," Grace Stewart said.
              
Full FIH Pro League fixtures & results

Hockeyroos v India
Hockeyroos: 2 (Amy Lawton 37" (FG), Lexie Pickering 60" (PC))
India: 1 (Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke 3" (FG))
Lee Valley Hockey Stadium, London

Hockeyroos: 1. Claire Colwill, 3. Morgan Mathison, 4. Amy Lawton, 5. Grace Young, 7. Aleisha Power (gk), 12. Greta Hayes, 13. Hattie Shand, 15. Kaitlin Nobbs, 17. Lucy Sharman, 17. Alana Kavanagh, 20. Karri Somerville, 21. Jade Smith, 22. Tatum Stewart, 24. Mariah Williams, 25. Zoe Newman (gk), 26. Lexie Pickering, 30. Grace Stewart (c), 78. Jamie-Lee Surha
Hockeyroos FIH Pro League UK/Europe Tour Schedule

London, England
Tuesday, 17 June – 8.00pm AEST / 6.00pm AWST - England v Hockeyroos
Thursday, 19 June – 2.45am AEST / 12.45am AWST - England v Hockeyroos

Berlin, Germany
Sunday, 22 June – 12.30am AEST / 10.30pm AWST (Saturday, 21 June) – Germany v Hockeyroos
Sunday, 22 June – 10.00pm AEST / 8.00pm AWST – Germany v Hockeyroos