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 49th 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.
