England win thrilling contest to tie up Summer Series

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England came from behind late to beat the US/WPLL 11-10 and tie up the RPC Summer Series at 1-1 going into the final match of the series.

Jenny Simpson powered home the winning effort with just 00:18 on the clock to give England a deserved win in a thrilling contest that kept the crowds excited throughout.

England and the US/WPLL Select side will now go head to head in the crucial final match of the series on Sunday (9.45am start).

After losing the first game 4-11 on Friday night, England came out looking to make amends and raced into an early lead to dominate the early exchanges.

Goals from Claire Faram, Tilly Shires, Jenny Simpson and Chloe Chan, who scored a particularly eye-catching effort after a midfield interception, propelled the home side into an emphatic four-goal lead before the US/WPLL worked to cut the deficit to 4-2 at the 1/4 time.

In a match played in sweltering 30c+ conditions, both teams continued to play a fierce, high-intensity match that ebbed and flowed throughout; Alex Drewe and Faram both scoring to cancel out an Amanda Johansen goal and give England a 6-3 lead.

Although England extended their lead to 7-3 early in the third, the US/WPLL side who had been largely frustrated up to that point sparked into life, tallying four unanswered goal to eventually tie the game early in the fourth and flip the game on its head.

What then followed in the last 10 minutes was a pulsating back-and-forth contest that swung from team to team, as the sides traded efforts briefly seeing the US/WPLL lead for the first time before Emily Gray levelled at 10-10 with two minutes to play and both teams went in search of a winner.

The draw was an important factor all day long and crucially Camilla Hayes and Faram combined to win possession off the resulting draw and at the end of a long, probing possession Torz Anderson was able to pick out Simpson for a tremendous finish past Allie Dacar in goal and give England the important lead.

The US/WPLL did manage one final possession with 00:18 on the clock but a loose pass towards the crease trying to force a leveller saw the ball run free and the final whistle end what was a truly terrific game.

England Goals: Alex Drewe 3, Claire Faram 2, Jenny Simpson 2, Tilly Shires 1, Chloe Chan 1, Liv Wimpenny 1, Emily Gray 1.

US/WPLL Goals: Amanda Johansen 2, Kara Mupo 2, Alyssa Leonard 2, Mollie Stevens 2, Haley Warden 2.

Alex Drewe speaks post-match after scoring three goals in a thrilling 11-10 win against US/WPLL in Game 2 of the RPC Summer Series