Hockey: Scots fail to retrieve gifts to the Welsh

SCOTLAND are facing the wooden spoon after they went down 3-2 to Wales in their second match in the British Universities Championships at Peffermill.

After 15 minutes of evenly balanced play, the Scots students shot themselves in the foot with three minutes of erratic play.

Indecision by Scottish keeper Barnaby Barbour donated the ball to Felix Flower who gratefully rolled the ball into the empty net for the Welsh opener. Chris Reid was then sent to the sin bin for a poor tackle, and while the Scots were down to ten players Mark Whatling lashed the ball into the net for Wales' second goal.

When Whatling made it three for Wales from the spot the Scots looked finished. But suddenly the Scots came to life, Gordon Munro scoring from a direct strike which came off the keeper, then deflecting home a Craig Morrison shot.

Munro then won a penalty when he was chopped in the circle, but his poor effort from the spot was blocked and that elusive third goal never came.

Scotland's women went down 4-0 to Northern Ireland in their second fixture, leaving them bottom of the table along with Wales who lost 3-0 to England.