East Grinstead showed real character to stage a comeback after a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Swiss side Lucerne in the European Indoor Clubs Trophy in Brussels this morning. Playing the winners of Pool B, SK Slavia Praha, they got off to a nervous start, clearly having been rattled by the earlier defeat of the day. Despite David De Prez having found the goal in the second minute, the Czechs looked menacing in the opening exchanges and it was not long before they were on equal terms. The English side had plenty of chances – an Ashley Jackson shot was scraped off the line and Scott Ashdown shaved the post just before the break – but it looked very much like a match that could have gone either way. The second half was a completely different story. Jackson was off target by inches just after the restart, but two goals in less than a minute from De Prez put Grinstead back in the driving seat. Jackson found the net at last in the 28th minute, shortly before the Czechs scored their second to make the score 4-2. It was then that Jackson scored a stunner of a goal. Picking up pass from his right from Scott Ashdown he found his path blocked by the goalkeeper, but he calmly backed away and slid the ball passed the stranded goalie. In the 40th minute De Prez added to his tally to make the final score 6-2. Under the complex rules of this competition, East Grinstead now have an excellent chance of grabbing Silver and winning England promotion to the Cup competition next year, where our representatives will be Canterbury. They play the Ukrainian side Kolos Sekvoya Vinnitsa tomorrow.
Although this is the “B” competition, East Grinstead have demonstrated over the last few days that they can play indoor hockey – not simply hockey indoors. After the match the EG manager Matt Jones told me, “I’m absoulutely delighted. We showed real character to come back from a setback like that this morning.”
OTHER HOCKEY, by Pat Rowley
England’s Cath Gilliat-Smith scored her first hat-trick of the season for Canterbury in a 5-1 home win over Old Loughtonians to keep her Kent club in the hunt for the Slazengers English League title. She scored her first inside three minutes. Julia Henry gave Loughtonian’s hope with an equaliser early in the second half but Canterbury cruised home. With Bowdon without a game, Canterbury move up to third behind leaders Leicester and Slough who both had clearcut home victories. Leicester, two up in six minutes through Helen Richardson and Kerry Williams, beat struggling Sutton Coldfield 4-1 while Slough were 5-2 victors over Doncaster.
Chelmsford Ladies face play-offs to avoid relegation in the European Indoor Cup after losing 5-3 to Dutch club Kampong at Hamburg.
THE LEAGUE TABLES ON OUR MAIN SITE WILL NOT BE UPDATED UNTIL MONDAY AT THE EARLIEST DUE TO OUR COVERAGE OF THE EUROPEAN INDOOR CLUBS TROPHY.
