READING AND LEICESTER CROWN CHAMPIONS OF ENGLAND

The England Hockey League Championships have seen some remarkable comebacks but, at 3-1 down and with some recent history against them, Reading looked dead in the water as they played East Grinstead in the final on their home ground yesterday.

The 'recent history' is, of course, two 8-1 defeats at the hands of East Grinstead in recent weeks, one of them in Round 2 of the Championship play-offs. And although Nick Catlin opened the scoring for Reading after only nine minutes, it showed every sign of being their sole contribution to the scoring after Mark Pearn and Dave De Prez (2) gave East Grinstead a two goal advantage.

East Grinstead's lead very much reflected the amount of penetration, and so Chris Newman's 49^th minute goal rather came out of the blue and put Reading back into the match. It still looked like EG's Championship until Reading captain Richard Springham equalised with less than 10 minutes of play left. It was a short lived celebration after an impressive solo effort by Darren Cheesman restored East Grinstead's lead.

The unseasonably bitter conditions, punctuated by short burst of rain and light hail, seemed to be willing the match to come to an early conclusion. A warm club house beckoned, so an own goal from Ashley Jackson was an unwelcome development for both the supporters of East Grinstead and the freezing uncommitted supporters. The preceding women's Championships had gone to extra time and it looked as if this match was destined to follow it.

However, with less than 30 seconds on the clock, and with the score at 4-4, Reading won a penalty corner, which was surely to be the last action of the day. The umpires allowed the clock to run down to zero, and the sound of Andy Watts shot hitting the backboards rung round the ground to the delight of the home supporters, and the despair of the visitors. There have been some amazing comebacks in the Championship Finals. This is probably not the greatest of them, but it was a match worth remembering.

Leicester and Reading are undoubtedly England's two best clubs, but they have not always produced the most entertaining hockey when they have met each other. Perhaps they know each other too well? Although not exactly a classic, the Investec Championship Final earlier in the afternoon proved to be the exception that proves the rule.

One goal apiece, both scored in the second half – Leicester's Lucy Brown from a penalty corner and Reading's Amanda Poteiger from open play – forced the match into extra time, and then to a EuroHockey League one-on-one shoot out. The first set of three ended at 2-2, so it went to sudden death.

The press had been asked to vote for their player of the match at the completion of normal time and the vote had gone to Leicester's 'keeper Maddie Hinch. With so many good players on the pitch it was a difficult call. It turned out to be an apocryphal  choice, as Maddie Hinch kept out Reading's Laura Bartlett in the first round of sudden death attempts. Leicester won the shoot out 3-2 and with it the title of Investec Women's League Champions.

Images from all the matches at Reading yesterday (Championships and promotion play offs) are on our Pictures site at www.HockeyImages.co.uk.

 

.....AND IT'S BAD NEWS FOR READING FROM BRUSSELS. Report on the Women's Club Champions Cup by Peter Colwill

Reading lost their classification match 2-1 to Ritm-Azot Grodno from Belarussia in a game littered with errors by both teams.  Shyntar Volha, the Grodno captain, fired her side into the lead from the second of their eight penalty corners in the fifth minute.  She struck again five minutes before the interval at their fifth penalty corner.  The initial shot was saved and the rebound was driven against the post but the ball came back to hit the prostrate goalkeeper and unluckily ended up in the goal.

Reading had not been without chances.  Lisa Letchford produced a good save from the Grodno goalkeeper at a penalty corner.  Emma Thomas shot tamely in open play and put a penalty corner wide and Meredith Bone also shot wide when well placed.

Two minutes before the end of the third quarter Liana Smith hit a post but she was more successful after the break taking advantage of good approach play by 18-year-old Alice Freeman to score.  For Reading the absence of their current seven Olympic prospects was just too much to carry.

Campo Madrid and Larensche from the Netherlands qualified for the semi finals.  The Spanish side beat Klipper from Hamburg 2-0 with both goals coming in the second period of extra time.  Fifty seven seconds after the restart Barbara Malda converted a penalty stroke.  Klipper immediately took their goalkeeper off but Natalie Luck’s first task at kicking back was to pick the ball out of the goal.  Agustina di Bernardo launched a long overhead into the circle which Luck failed to deal with leaving Malda the easiest of touch ins for the second goal.

Larensche cruised into the semi finals with a 9-0 win against Royal Wellington the host club.  Two early corner strikes by Willemijn Bos set the Dutch club on their way and there were further braces for Carlyn Welten and Macey De Ruiter.

 

ENGLISH TEAMS HIT THE DUST by Antonia Richards at the EuroHockey League in Rotterdam

Reading began their match with great promise and an exciting first quarter saw them launch several attacks on the Dragons’ goal.  Early in the second quarter, Simon Mantell received a green card and while Reading were down to ten men, an unmarked Stephen Butler lurking in the ‘D’ behind the defence struck the ball past Nick Brothers to give Dragons a 1-0 lead.  Andy Watts’ field goal levelled the scores in the 44^th minute, and the score remained at 1-1 at the end of normal time. 

It was not until the second period of extra time that Dragons edged ahead again thanks to a shot at goal by Jeffrey Thys.  With two minutes remaining, Reading brought on a kicking back (Rhys Joyce donning the orange vest), and in the final minute Renaud Pangrazio headed towards the open Reading goal with the ball.  A desperate lunging tackle from Richard Mantell was unable to stop him and he easily slotted in the third goal for the Dragons, bringing the final score to 3-1

Following the disappointment of Reading’s exit, East Grinstead faced the hosts.  Rotterdam were first on the scoreboard with a shot in the 15^th minute from just inside the D by their captain (Jeroen Hertzberger) who added another seven minutes later. 

East Grinstead played well and had several opportunities to score, including a good attempt by Danny Hall and a strike from Glenn Kirkham hitting the crossbar.  Mark Gleghorne converted a penalty corner in the 52^nd minute to bring his team back into contention, and the fourth quarter began with the score at 1-2 with all to play for.

Roderick Weusthof’s successful shot at goal moved Rotterdam ahead again in the 67^th minute, after which East Grinstead brought on a kicking back (Adamson Harper) as a last throw of the dice.  The final score was 1-3 to Rotterdam.

With Beeston, Reading and East Grinstead falling at the quarter final stage, the teams who move through to the semis to be played on 26^th May (venue to be announced) are UHC Hamburg, Amsterdam, KHC Dragons and Rotterdam. 

EAST GRINSTEAD LOSE TO ROTTERDAM IN EUROHOCKEY QUARTER FINAL IN ROTTERDAM

East Grinstead were defeated by hosts Rotterdam 1-3 in the last of the quarter finals this afternoon.  A full report will appear on our News Blog later.

READING LOSE OUT TO DRAGONS AT THE EUROHOCKEY QUARTER FINALS IN ROTTERDAM

After the teams were level 1-1 after seventy minutes Reading lost to KHC Dragons in extra time - final score 3-1.  A full report will appear on our News Blog later. 

READING OUT by Peter Colwill at the ING EuroHockey Women's Club Champions Cup in Brussels

Reading were knocked out of the European competition losing their second and final Pool game 2-1 to Klipper from Hamburg and will now have to rise early for a 10a.m. place match against Ritm-Azot Grodno from Belarussia.

There were few chances at either end in an even first half although Thea Culley missed an open goal for Klipper.  It took an inspirational break from Alena Hibig, Klipper’s diminutive 18-year-old defender, to break the deadlock.  A quick exchange of passes and Hibig beat goalkeeper Sarah Ellis from the edge of the circle.

Ellis saved Klipper’s first penalty corner just before the interval but was beaten at the second one eight minutes into the second half when Saskia Timm scored from a rebound.

Now needing to score four goals Reading pressed forward but their only reward was a goal scored by Rebecca Halle diving full length for a reverse stick shot.

In Reading’s defence Chantal de Bruijn and Leah Wilikinson played well and Lisa Letchford (nee  Wooding) was outstanding.  Emma Thomas, the captain, was inspirational at centre half but it was further up the field where the attack largely lacked sufficient control or penetration.

Klipper’s reward is a quarter final match against Campo de Madrid who beat Grodno 3-1 in the final pool match.  In the other quarter final at Wellington the host club will play Larensche.

RESULTS.

Pool C           

Reading HC (Eng) 1  Klipper THC (Ger)  2

Pool D

Club de Campo (Spn) 3  HC Ritm-Azot Grodno (Blr) 1.  

BEESTON LOSE OUT TO HAMBURG IN EUROHOCKEY QUARTER FINAL by Antonia Richards in Rotterdam

Beeston succumbed to the might of UHC Hamburg in the first of the quarter finals this afternoon.

Although they came out fighting and made a promising start, Beeston’s woes began in the ninth minute when a slip in defence by Alistair Wilson gifted the ball to Hamburg allowing Marco Miltkau to fire a shot at goal which found its target.  Minutes later their No. 16 (Dieter Linnekogel) scythed through Beeston’s defence and passed the ball to Ricardo Nevado who sent it into the net putting the score at 0-2.  A penalty corner conversion by Stephen Lawrence brought Beeston back into contention. 

In the second quarter Beeston made another good start putting pressure on Hamburg from the outset, but again Ricardo Nevado’s shot found the goal, only to be disallowed after a video appeal by Beeston.  The score remained at 1-2 until the 22^nd minute when Florian Fuchs made it 1-3, and he struck again in the 33^rd minute to extend Hamburg’s lead to 1-4 at half time. 

Beeston were unable to convert a penalty corner in the third quarter, and early in the fourth an over-enthusiastic Steven Lawrence received a yellow card for a tackle which gave Hamburg a penalty corner; Jan Simon duly converted this to make it 1-5.  Jonas Furste and Marco Miltkau added two more field goals to bring the final score to 1-7.  Beeston played with great determination and energy but Hamburg proved more powerful on the day.

The second quarter final was a battle between Amsterdam and Bloemendaal, with Amsterdam winning 3-2.  The match promised a lot, but delivered little.  Amsterdam’s scorers were Taeke Taekema (PC), Mirco Pruyser (FG) and Teun Rohof, with Bloemendaal’s Wouter Jolie and Olmer Meijer converting penalty corners.

The two remaining quarter finals (KHC Dragons v Reading and Rotterdam v East Grinstead) will be played tomorrow (Monday 9^th April).

Yesterday in Brussels. Peter Colwill reports from the Club Champions Cup in Brussels.

Klipper’s hard fought 2-0 victory over Wellington means that Reading need to beat the German Club by a two-goal margin and by scoring at least three goals.  A 2-0 win would result in a three-way penalty shootout.

Natalie Luck, Klipper’s captain, put her side ahead with a fine shot from a narrow angle at a penalty corner just before the interval.  An absolutely splendid solo goal by Maryna Vynohradova, Klipper’s star forward, secured victory ten minutes into the second half.

A notable feature of this match was that the start and all restarts were passed to the opposition.

In the other pool Larensche, last year’s beaten finalists, ensured their qualification for Monday’s quarter finals by rising to awesome heights as they beat Campo de Madrid 6-0.  The Spanish Club were only a goal down at the interval but they were overrun in the second half and had no answer to the skills of Mieke Van Geenhuizen and Naomi Van As, who tore their defence apart.

ENGLAND TRIO INTO QUARTER FINALS OF EUROHOCKEY LEAGUE by Antonia Richards in Rotterdam

Following East Grinstead’s convincing win and Beeston’s success yesterday, the English spotlight was on the third of its teams (Reading) to also make it through to the quarter final stage by beating Club an der Alster in the fourth match played today. 

An early field goal by Ian Mackay gave Reading the lead, and Simon Mantell slotted in one of his own at the start of the final quarter to double the score.  Reading were reduced to nine men following two yellow cards, and the continuing pressure from their opponents then allowed captain Jonathan Froschle to find the net (his shot deflected into the goal by Stephen Dick) making it 1-2. 

However, the German club’s Sebastian Biederlack received a yellow card and, with their number reduced, Andy Watts took the opportunity to strike to put Reading further ahead 1-3.  Club an der Alster replaced their goalkeeper (Tim Jessulat) with a kicking back for the final three minutes and earned a late penalty corner which they were unable to convert.  Reading’s 1-3 victory means that all three English clubs are in the quarter finals.

In the second match of the day, Dinamo Elektrostal had their chances but it was KHC Dragons who emerged the winners after sending two field goals into the Russian club’s  net.  The scorers were Matthew Cobbaert (who, towards the end of the third quarter, landed heavily after a mighty collision with the Russian goalkeeper Roman Rogov) and Felix Denayer.  Final score: 2-0.

The third match saw HTC Uhlenhorst Mulheim take on the home side.  Rotterdam stormed into an early lead which they then extended to 4-0.  But Mulheim did not give up and their determined play had  levelled the score at 4-4 by the end of seventy minutes.  With no goals in extra time, the matter had to be settled by a one-on-one penalty shoot-out, from which Rotterdam emerged the victors 9-8. 

The schedule for the quarter finals  is as follows:

Sunday 8 April 2012
12.00 CET Beeston  v UHC Hamburg       
14.30 CET Amsterdam v HC Bloemendaal       

Monday 9 April 2012
12.00 CET KHC Dragons v Reading HC        
14.30 CET HC Rotterdam v East Grinstead

EG SET GOOD EXAMPLE from Antonia Richards in Rotterdam

In somewhat damp, cloudy and chilly conditions, East Grinstead shone on the pitch and sailed calmly into the quarter finals with an 8-0 win over CA Montrouge. 

Hat-tricks from Ashley Jackson and Mark Gleghorne plus goals from Darren Cheesman and Gareth Carr gave their fans in the stands plenty to cheer about, although their celebratory jumping up and down may also have been an attempt to keep warm. 
Their opponents in the last of the quarter finals to be played on Monday will be either the hosts (Rotterdam) or Uhlenhorst Mulheim.

SETBACK FOR READING by Peter Colwill in Brussels

(Apologies for the delay in posting this report from Peter Colwill at the ING EuroHockey Women’s Club Champions Cup at Royal Wellington, Brussels, due to technical difficulties)

Reading are left with an uphill struggle after losing their first match in the Eurohockey Women’s Club Champions Cup 2-0 against Royal Wellington the host club in Brussels.

Morgane Vouche converted Wellington’s only penalty corner in the third minute with a shot from a narrow angle which hit goalkeeper Sarah Ellis but looped agonisingly into the far top corner.

Worse followed in the fourteenth minute when  a  skilful run by Wellington’s Belgium International Jill Boon resulted in a penalty stroke from which the same player scored.

Reading, who were without their seven current Great Britain players, missed out eleven minutes into the second half when Lindsey Molyneux rounded the Belgium’s international goalkeeper Nadine Khouzam only to shoot wide of an empty goal.  Neither was there any joy from four second half penalty corners although two faulty injections did not help.

           

A day off should help Reading to prepare for a must win match against Klipper from Germany.

In the opening match of this half of the tournament, the other half is 700 miles away in San Sebastion, Larensche from the Netherlands beat Ritm-Agot Grodno from Belorussia 7-0.  Grodno, who changed their goalkeeper ten minutes into the second half, had neither a shot nor a penalty corner but Larensche must be wondering how they scored only two goals from fourteen corners. 

RESULTS.

Pool D

Laensche HC (Ned) 7    HC Ritm-Azot Grodno (Blr) 9

Pool C           

Reading HC (Eng) 0 Royal Wellington THC (Bel) 2