Anna Sharkey scores hat-trick as GB women book Paralympic goalball quarter-final berth (From Swindon Advertiser)

Anna Sharkey scores hat-trick as GB women book Paralympic goalball quarter-final berth

10:09am Tuesday 4th September 2012 in London Olympics 2012 - Latest News By Paul Alton

ANNA Sharkey and her GB goalball team-mates booked their place in the quarter-finals and got the royal seal of approval in the process.

Prince Harry arrived in the Copper Box just in time to see Sharkey put GB ahead on her way to a hat-trick for the women’s team against Denmark.

The team will have to wait for the remaining matches in Group C and D today before finding out who they will face in tomorrow’s last eight matches.

GB took five minutes to take the lead, with Westcliff player Sharkey throwing a diagonal ball from the left wing that came off Mette Praestegaard Nissen and into the bottom right-hand corner.

The game continued to be even until the final minute when Denmark were given a lifeline when Jessica Luke was penalised for a high ball.

But GB maintained their lead going into half time when Karina Jorgensen threw her penalty out.

A minute after the restart Jessica Luke doubled the Brits’ advantage with a throw from the right which went straight into the right corner of the Danes’ goal.

And in the 14th minute Sharkey grabbed her second goal of the game with a delivery which went in off Danish centre Kamilla Ryding.

Prince Harry and the partisan British crowd did not have to wait long before another goal as Sharkey completed her hat-trick in the 15th minute.

The 24-year-old Southend Hospital physiotherapist had a throw just blocked by Karina Jorgensen but with her next delivery she netted with a carbon copy effort.

GB were awarded a penalty in the 16th minute for a 10 second rule breach by Praestegaard Nissen but Luke’s delivery went out.

And the Danes had another let-off when the same player came close to carrying the ball over her own goal-line.

But GB duly got their fifth goal and it was the icing on the cake for substitute Amy Ottaway, who came on in the last minute for her debut performance at the Paralympics.

She marked the occasion by scoring a penalty into the centre of the goal under Praestegaard Nissen’s body after the Dane had been penalised for a high ball.