Team GB's men's hockey team produce superb fightback to earn 2-2 draw with favourites Netherlands in Paris

It may very well prove to be a trial run for the gold medal match, pitching the world’s top two sides against each other for a second successive summer, and in Team GB’s late recovery there was evidence that they might actually prevail against their fiercest rivals in a show-down next week.

Pivotal to a final ten minutes of intense drama was a British player, Lee Morton, who retired from the set-up at the age of 26 three years ago, convinced that there was no part for him. 

Then the team’s South African coach Paul Revington arrived and altered the entire scope of his game, turning him from a midfielder into a half-back, whilst encouraging him to advance into scoring opportunities more.

That utility role – challenging in a relentless heat – rescued a British team who trailed by two goals with nine minutes to play in this group game. Morton struck both Britain’s goals - the second, an imperious half volley with less than two minutes to play – and could later reflect on the road to retirement not taken.

‘I’d given up on my Olympic dream,’ he said. ‘I was at rock bottom and was going to quit. I got the invitation to come back and trial. I thought, “You know what? We’ll give it one last chance and we'll see what happens’.

The kind of multi-functional role that Morton, a Scot, is being asked to play, typifies the approach of Revington, who wants players operating beyond the traditional attacking and defensive silos. ‘That’s where the modern game is at, at the moment, and why ourselves and Netherlands are pretty much one and two,’ Revington said in the aftermath.

GB fell behind against the run of play to a superb back-of-stick strike from Floris Wortelboer in the third quarter, before a drive from Tjep Hoedemakers was deflected in by Thijs van Dam. The goals galvanised Revington’s players. ‘That forced us to play a bit,’ said Revington.

There’s previous where Netherlands and Great Britain – the worlds No 1 and 2 respectively – are concerned. A late refereeing controversy saw the Dutch beat GB to the EuroHockey men’s title in Germany last summer.

Morton headed off to meet the expanding numbers of his family who are arriving, including his brother, Craig, who had just arrived from Australia, and perhaps discuss that half-volley. ‘Shut the eyes and hope for the best, I think, is how we describe it!’ he said.