Players showed a good heart and good spirits against England: Coach Reid

Bhubaneshwar: Indian men's hockey coach Graham Reid appreciated the way his players fought all the way against England in a thrilling 4-3 win, adding that the players showed a "good heart and good spirits" in the second match of the FIH Pro League double-header, at the Kalinga Stadium on Sunday night.

Drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh scored a hat-trick as India pulled off a win, with the defender taking his total international goals tally to more than 100.

India pulled off victories in both the games against England, winning the first one 3-3 (3-2) in the shootout on Saturday. With the wins in the double-header, India climbed to the top of the FIH Pro League 2021/22 table with 21 points in 10 games so far.

Reid, however, pointed out that India lacked the finishing flourish when they were in control of the situation.

"We seem to have a habit of not finishing those games when we have control of them. We let the other team get back into it. But I suppose that's hockey nowadays. In the third quarter (of Sunday night), we lost control a bit and we need to look into that," Reid opined.

"The corners went in and we had opportunities to try some variations. It was a really good fight with them and our boys showed a good heart and good spirits. Games like these help in building characters. And it's always good to come out on top," the coach added.

Reid's boys will next play home games against Germany on April 14 and 15 at the same venue, and the coach warned that India will have to be on its guard against "a great hockey nation".

"It's good to win and reach top of the table, but now we have to prepare for Germany, who are also a very tough team. They will always bring a competitive team. They are a great hockey nation. So, we can look forward to some good games coming up in two weeks," Reid said.

Speaking about his hat-trick, Harmanpreet said that he always wants to contribute for the team in any which way possible.

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