NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 1 – Kenya hockey girls’ baptism of fire in their debut at the Commonwealth Games ended on Monday afternoon with yet another thrashing, going down 11-0 at the hands of Scotland, who earned their biggest win in the Games.
The Kenyan girls struggled once again against a more fluid and experienced Scotland, conceding double digit goals for the second time having lost 16-0 to New Zealand in their first match of the campaign.
Charlotte Watson, Sarah Jamieson and Fiona Burnet scored twice each while Jenifer Eadie, Louise Campbell, Amy Kostello, Katie Robertson and Bronwyn Shields sounded the board once each.
The Blades had hoped for an improved performance to bow out on a high, but they found themselves trailing 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Burnett opened the scoring with a deflected effort inside the arc before Watson doubled the tally with a penalty flick. Eadie’s shot and Jamieson’s effort made it four before Campbell and Costello scored two quick ones, the second from the penalty corner.
In the second quarter, Costello made it seven with a simple finish inside the box after Becky Ward slapped the ball inside the box.
Kenya had a rare chance to score a goal and at last registered a shot on target. Off a counter, Grace Bwire faced the Scotland keeper one on one but her attempt at clipping the ball over the keeper was saved while Gilly Okumu’s effort from the rebound was also saved.
They were punished with Jamieson completing her brace with a backhand shot into an empty goal after the keeper and defender Mourine Owiti miscommunicated and clashed for the ball.
It was 9-0 minutes later when the Scots scored from a penalty corner, Burnett deflecting the ball from close range off Costello’s push from the edge of the arc.
Another short corner bore the 10th goal, this time a brilliant routine seeing Shields score from the near post. The Scot number 20 pushed the ball to the top of the arc and remained at the neat post, Eadie returning the ball to her before scoring.
.The same short corner routine saw goal number 11, though this time Shields cutting the ball back for Robertson to tap in.
