The often criticised format for the Super Cup – each team plays the others in a round robin – created a bizarre state of affairs this afternoon at Cannock. Earlier in the day Reading had overcome Loughborough Students 3-2 to give them six points. They then had to watch helplessly as spectators in the last match, as twice beaten Cannock took on Surbiton. Surbiton, with four points, had to win this match to overhaul Reading. The chances of this happening looked decidedly slim, when Surbiton went three ahead in eighteen minute, with two goals by James Tindall and a penalty corner conversion by Robert Moore. The goal scored just before the break by Cannock’s Barry Middleton looked little more than a consolation. However, in a match where frayed tempers were much in evidence – Middleton was sin binned twice and yellow cards were also shown to Cannock’s Martin Jones, and Moore and Andy Sheridan of Surbiton – Cannock suddenly started to perform like the team who had gone unbeaten in the league. A field goal by Chris Mayer reduced the deficit just after the restart, and a penalty corner goal from Richard Lane left Surbiton with just the one point from the game. The Reading team, who had been supporting as if they were born and bred in Cannock, won the England Hockey Super Cup and qualify for next years European Club Championships.
Chris Mayer may not have actually won a match with Cannock during this tournament but he did win a winner’s medal by virtue of being the coach of Leicester in the women’s section. Leicester and Canterbury had met in their last game with both teams on maximum points but with Leicester having the superior goal difference. The match started disastrously for Canterbury, with short corner goals by Leicester’s Hannah Macleod putting them two behind within fifteen minutes. I don’t know how many times I have said or written this, but Canterbury are at their most lethal when they are one of two goals behind. It took less than ten minutes for Canterbury to pick themselves up and field goals by Hayley Brown and Laura Gittings put the two teams on level terms. Canterbury for much of the second half looked much the better team and a Mel Clewlow corner looked set to give them victory. But it was not to be Canterbury’s day. Just as Clewlow’s shot had been true, hard and low, when it was her opposite number’s turn, Crista Cullen, she found the net with a cracking shot. Final score 3-3 and Leicester qualify for the European Club Championships next year. Canterbury do not go away completely empty handed, as their runners-up place gives them entry to the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
