Gareth Furlong revelled in a dream Olympic debut after helping Team GB’s men begin their hockey campaign with a 4-0 win over Spain.
Furlong, 32, scored twice with trademark drag flicks from penalty corners as Paul Revington’s side delivered a statement of intent in Pool A.
Nick Park’s superb solo strike set the tone on 13 minutes before Furlong’s double, with Rupert Shipperley’s close-range finish adding gloss to the scoreline late on.
“Scoring is part of my job in the team and it’s nice to have the homework pay off,” said Furlong, who was drafted into the GB set-up earlier this year having earned almost 150 Wales caps.
“To come out first game and start with three points is the most important thing.
“Everyone has been ready to get going and it’s a perfect start for us.”
Spain spurned several good chances in the opening quarter and it took a moment of magic from Park to settle British nerves.
The defender, 25, pressed high up the field to seize on a mistake from Joaquin Menini, stealing possession before dribbling around the last defender and coolly dinking his finish into the top corner.
Sorry, we just needed to watch this incredible goal one more time... 😍
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 27, 2024
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“I wish I could say I do that all the time but I most certainly don’t,” he said.
“It was a slightly peculiar place to find myself in, going through on goal, but I was over the moon to finish it off for the team.
“We want to be on the front foot for 60 minutes and we’ll do that going forward in the tournament.
“We are very dynamic in our play and we have freedom to move around the pitch, which is how I found myself there.”
The Welsh contingent shone from thereon in, with Furlong’s brace added to by Shipperley – whose 14-week-old niece, Olive, was among the spectators at Stade Yves-du-Manoir – as GB’s men earned just a second Olympic victory over Spain in eight meetings between the two nations.
South Africa are next up on Sunday evening as Revington’s charges look to continue their momentum in the competition’s early stages.
“The result is really good but we need to keep building into this tournament,” Furlong added.
“We gave them a few too many chances and Ollie (Payne) in goal played fantastically well.
“If we want to end up at the top of the podium, we have a bit of building to do but the confidence is there that we can do that.”
Sportsbeat 2024