England men opened their EuroHockey Championship campaign with a comfortable victory over plucky Poland.
A 5-0 victory was aided by three goals in the last six minutes against a compact Poland side.
Victory was England’s sixth in a row against Poland dating back to the 1978 World Cup.
Poland men were competing at the EuroHockey the first time since 2017 following their stunning run in last summer’s qualifiers in Dublin where they defeated three higher-ranked teams in Italy, Ireland and, in the qualifying final, against Wales to secure their passage.
And they held out England until the 24th minute here. Zach Wallace had provided the touch of class – although replays suggested a backstick on his telling reverse crash ball – as David Goodfield touched in for the opening goal of the Championships.
Tom Sorsby had a number of creative opportunities as the standout player for England, including setting up Jacob Payton who lifted brilliantly for their second.
Phil Roper made sure of the points in the final quarter to set England on their way before a heavyweight Sunday afternoon clash against hosts Germany.
Two minutes later in the 56th minute, Sam Ward added gloss when he finally found the net from England’s 14th PC. Player of the match Sorsby finished off with a fifth late on.
“We had an up and down Pro League but we changed gear as a team and we are at a higher level now,” said Sorsby.
“It will be a tough test against the Germans. It will be a hell of a game and a real dog fight.”
