My apologies for the very brief report this morning but it is proving very difficult to obtain official confirmation of who the scorers are.
I am reluctant to guess, although I am pleased to say that my notes of the Royal Antwerp v Loughborough Students show that my guessing was very accurate.
At half time during the Antwerp v Loughborough match a Spanish journalist turned to me and said, “What a terrible game!” and in truth there was nothing to commend it as a spectacle. Royal Antwerp never looked as if they wanted to make a match of it and Alistair McGregor in the Loughborough Students goal was hardly troubled during the 70 minutes. Maybe it was be the hour of the day – even with a ten minute delay to accommodate the local television 9:40 is an ungodly hour to start playing hockey - or perhaps unfamiliarity with the Belgium tactics, but it took Loughborough until the fourth quarter before they really seemed to be firing on all cylinders. Robert Smith opened the students account with a well struck goal in open play, followed by a penalty corner conversion nine minutes later. The scorer was GB player Jon Bleby, recently returned from adventures in Chile. The final score of 2-0 may not sound impressive but Loughborough will certainly give their opponents in the next round a run for their money.
In a post match interview with coach David Ralph I made the mistake of writing off Kelburne as their possible next opponents. David is an ex-Kelbourne man and I was nearly made to eat my words when Kelburne met Uhlenhorster in the last match today. The Germans looked as if they were heading for a comfortable 3-0 win when Kelburne, who in fairness were giving their opponents a good run for their money, struck back three times in the final quarter, forcing the match to extra time. The revival was short lived and a ‘silver goal’ gave the Germans a 4-3 win and a ticket through to the last eight, where they meet Loughborough Students on Sunday.
The best match on today’s menu was undoubtedly the local derby between Real Club de Polo de Barcelona and Atletic Terrassa. With a very vocal sea of yellow in the stands supporting Terrassa, the match finally went to a one-on-one shoot out, which was won by Terrassa. Final score 5-4.
English interest in today’s proceedings was not finished with Loughborough Students. Dutch side HGC, including one Barry Middleton, played Dinamo Kazan from Russia in what was today’s only one-sided game. Although not on the scoresheet, Middleton played a cracking game in his side’s 6-1 win.
Tomorrow Reading play Cannock at 16:00 GMT.
Our photographs (in order that they appear on this blog) show action in the match between Antwerp and Loughborough Students, happy young Terrassa supporters, and the reaction of one Uhlenhorster player to Kelbourne’s equaliser.
PETER COLWILL REPORTS FROM PARIS ON THE WOMEN’S EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS CUP
Neither the driving wind nor the squally showers could drive Slough off course in the opening match of the Women's European Cup Winners Cup in Saint Germain en Laye Glasgow Western competed throughout but the match was effectively settled ten minutes into the second half when Slough struck twice in a minute. Purdy Miller pounced on a loose ball to score first, adding to her first half goal before Alex Scott, menacing throughout, carved an opening for Victoria Goodacre to tap in. Western pulled one back 5 minutes later when Chloe Strong gifted a clearance straight to Catriona Semple who finished stylishly. In the other match in this Pool CD Terrassa came from behind twice to beat Kolos Borispol from the Ukraine 3-2.
My apologies for the very brief report this morning but it is proving very difficult to obtain official confirmation of who the scorers are. I am reluctant to guess, although I am pleased to say that my notes of the Royal Antwerp v Loughborough Students show that my guessing was very accurate. 