Brits finish with flourish in quarter final defeat

Great Britain’s women went down fighting as they lost their European Junior Water Polo Championship quarter final to Hungary in Novi Sad, Serbia.

The British women, who are guaranteed a top eight finish in Serbia, won the final quarter 4-1 as they ultimately lost out 13-7 (4-1, 3-2, 5-0, 1-4).

The Brits will now go on to face hosts Serbia in a 5-8 ranking match before another tricky tie against Russia or Italy.

Nick Hume’s side knew they had an almighty task against a Hungarian side who had won all three games in their group to reach the QFs.

In contrast, the British women had racked up just one win in the group stage before a morale-boosting knockout defeat of Slovakia.

English water polo player swimming at the 2017 European Junior Championship quarter final

Lily Turner cancels out early strike

And while they started well, with Lily Turner cancelling out an early Hungarian strike, three more goals from the Eastern Europeans wrenched momentum in Hungary’s favour.

There was little to choose between the two sides in the second quarter as goals from Turner and captain Annie Clapperton provided a perfect response to two Hungarian efforts.

But a Szonja Tatrai goal with just eight seconds left in the first half was a bitter pill for the Brits to swallow and brought their recovery to a standstill.

Hungary turned on the style in the third quarter, adding five goals to their tally and putting the outcome beyond doubt at 12-3.

But, to their credit, the British women took the fight to their opponents in the final quarter, with Turner completing her hat-trick before further goals from Steph Whittaker, Katy Cutler and Milly Wordley.

  • Click here to view full results from the European Junior Water Polo Championships 2017.

British team at the 2017 European Junior Water Polo Championships

  • Sophie Jackson (City of Leeds)
  • Annie Clapperton (City of Manchester)
  • Emily Pyper (Woolton SC)
  • Lily Turner (Crawley SC)
  • Steph Whittaker (City of Manchester)
  • Molly Boniface-Ashton (City of Liverpool)
  • Katy Cutler (Salisbury Stingrays ASC)
  • Amy Potter (City of Bristol SC)
  • Emmie-Rose Eastwood (City of Manchester)
  • Robyn Greenslade (Paignton SC)
  • Lauren Dundee (Stirling)
  • Milly Wordley (Exeter Water Polo)
  • Niamh Campbell-O’Donnell (City of Manchester)
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