Commonwealth Games: Medal great, pity it wasn't gold

A Commonwealth Games medal is always something to be cherished but bronze is not the colour the Black Sticks women's hockey team were after.

They won the medal in Glasgow yesterday with a decisive 5-2 win over South Africa, with Tauranga's Gemma Flynn, Sam Charlton and Rose Keddell all involved. Flynn scored the fourth goal from a penalty corner.

The Black Sticks won five of their six games but lost the one that mattered to England in the semifinal, after losing in a penalty shoot-out.

Charlton admits she has mixed emotions about what happened over the last two days.

"Obviously we were going for the gold but a bronze medal is not to be scoffed at," she said. "We were all pretty devastated not to make the final but after winning the game we were all happy to come away with the medal. It would have been quite easy to have dropped our bundle and not give our all in the last game, but everyone is stoked we pulled through and got the bronze."

The Black Sticks drew 1-1 with England in the semifinal before losing 3-1 in the penalty shoot-out.

It was a case of history repeating, as they lost the gold medal play-off to Australia four years ago in Delhi, and missed a medal altogether at the London Olympics, after failing in penalty shoot-outs.

Charlton says it is a tough way to lose. "Unfortunately, we have not won any of our shoot-outs. It is really hard to take because we actually do practice them a lot. We try to simulate game situations but I guess there is no way you can really simulate that pressure."

Charlton says it is cool to be one of four Tauranga hockey players competing in Glasgow, including Black Sticks men's drag flick expert Andy Hayward.

"We are all really supportive of each other and it is neat to have people from home right beside you competing," she said. "It is special to know there are lots of kids back home that really look up to us and we get messages from them." Hayward was part of the Black Sticks men's team that played England last night in the bronze medal play-off.