Halliday Scores as Hockeyroos Thrash Spain

Emily Halliday has got on the scoresheet as the Hockeyroos continued their positive form in Beijing, this morning recording a 6-1 thrashing of Spain.

Once again the Australian side featured the five West Australians (Halliday, Kobie McGurk, Kim Walker, Hope Munro and Shelley Liddelow) and, as they did against Korea on Sunday, the team started slowly.

It was the Spanish who opened the scoring, with a penalty corner from their Captain Silvia Munoz in the sixth minute seeing Australia fall a goal behind.

The next 20 minutes of the half were goalless and it looked like Frank Murray’s side were going to have a tough day on the pitch. It was left to triple Olympian Angie Lambert to wake her team from its slumber, with her 27^th minute penalty corner conversion evening the scoreline at 1-1.

The score remained at one each through until the main break.

After the resumption the Hockeyroos took charge in a stunning half of attacking hockey. Nikki Hudson broke the deadlock in the 47^th minute with an impressive individual effort before Casey Eastham gave Australia 3-1 lead with a 54^th minute penalty corner goal.

The best was still to come though with three goals scored by the green and gold in the final ten minutes of the match.

Skirving added a second in the 60^th minute, Curtin-Trinity Pirates defender Halliday snared her first in Beijing in the 66^th and Megan Rivers put the icing on the cake in the final minute of the match.

Australia now have the maximum six points from their two matches, with their next fixture against South Africa on Thursday night.