England were forced to settle for second in Pool A after Germany delivered a terrific display to see off England in the crucial Pool decider.

A 14-5 final score was a reflection of the Germans’ dominance as the game went on, denying England very few clear attacking opportunities, and proving clinical in front of goal.

Both teams were 2-0 going into the fixture and knew the winner would advance straight to the semi-finals while the loser would move into a quarter-final.

The opening stages were generally an even affair with each side trading scores when in possession, Josh Simpson-Pink and Dan Jones both converting to make it 2-2.

This continued with Germany holding just a one goal lead at 3-4 after 20 minutes, a big thanks in part to Sam Rogerson who recorded 8 first-half saves to keep the opposition at bay.

However, a 15-minute period of sloppy defending and indiscipline either side of half-time saw the game slip away as Germany took full control.

England took 4-and-a-half minutes of penalties in this period and combined with good pressure on the ride and strong offensive movement, a 7-0 unanswered streak effectively ended the game as a contest.

England continued to fight and Elliott Bickerton in particular impressed up top, finishing with a hat-trick as they kept plugging away but 14 shots to 34 in favour of Germany tells the story of a game in which England were left chasing for long periods.

The final quarter was fairly quiet as Germany coasted, adding two more goals to their tally and running out deserved 5-14 victors.

England will now look to regroup as they take on Israel, who finished 3rd in Pool B, today at 3pm (UK Time) for a place in the semi-finals against Ireland.

Point Scorers: Elliott Bickerton (3,0), Josh Simpson-Pink (1,0), Dan Jones (1,0), Ed Loveland (0,1)