Team GB beat Germany in EMFT opener
Maccabi GB kicked off their EMFT campaign with an important 2-0 victory over the much fancied Germany.
In a match full of controversy, Team GB thought they had taken the lead 10 minutes in when Nick Stern had a header disallowed from an Adam Posner corner.
At half time, Jerome Marks and Joe Cohen were brought on and this addition of pace and creativity proved itself when Nicky Woolf, who hit nine in the team's two warm-up friendlies, chased down a Joel Lassman through ball and headed in the rebound after the German keeper had made a great save. However GB were denied the goal by the Spanish linesman for another offside.
GB were ordered to press higher up the pitch and Marks forced the German centre back into a mistake in his own area which Marks then pounced upon and banged the ball past the goalkeeper. A nervous glance at the linesman revealed no flag and the goal was given much to the delight of the Barmy Army.
And soon it was two: GB raised the tempo and pressurised the German keeper into another terrible mistake and rolled the ball into an empty net. Woolf was the scorer.
Jeff Gotch was brought on to steady the ship and GB played out the final 10 minutes to record an excellent victory, despite another goal - this time from Cohen - disallowed despite crossing the line by several feet from a speculative long shot.
Manager Phil Peters and his assistant Jamie Slavin were unavailable for comment after the game as preparations for this afternoon's kick off are already underway.
GB: Lee, Lassman, Stern, Tankel, Freed (sub: Cohen 36), Judah, Goodmaker, Green (sub: Gotch 59), Posner, Bloom (sub: Marks 36), Woolf
Scorers: Marks, Woolf
nb: North London Raiders' Lewis Blitz has been sidelined for the tournament after pulling a hamstring in training.