News for 02 March 2020
All the news for Monday 2 March 2020
Mesmerising Merry hits four as Black Sticks beat Las Leonas
New Zealand striker Olivia Merry claimed her second four-goal haul of the FIH Hockey Pro League season in a superb 5-3 victory over Argentina, a result which sees the Black Sticks move back up to second in the standings, forcing Las Leonas down to third position.
Merry – who earlier this year scored all of her team’s goals in a 4-1 win against Belgium – was in irresistible form from the outset, scoring a remarkable 13-minute hat-trick to give New Zealand a stunning 3-0 lead over the Pan American champions at the end of the first quarter. Argentina live-wire Maria Granatto dragged her team back into the contest with goals either side of half time before Hope Ralph put the Black Sticks into a 4-2 lead early in the fourth quarter, touching home Merry’s goal-bound shot from close range. Las Leonas responded immediately when Agustina Gorzelany netted from the penalty spot, but it was Merry who would have the last word in this contest, tapping home the decisive goal six minutes from time to give the in-form, confident New Zealanders an excellent win against their higher-ranked opponent.
“It was pretty disappointing to come away with a shoot-out loss on Friday night, as we thought we played really well in patches and we had to put in a full 60 minute performance tonight”, said Player of the Match Merry, who top scored in the 2019 edition of the Pro League with 15 goals and already has ten to her name in this edition, five more than any other player. “I don’t know if we did put in a full 60 minutes as we let Argentina back into the game in the third quarter, so there is a lot for us to tidy up before we head to Europe in a couple of days.”
More information on this match can be found on our live reporting page by clicking here.
Earlier, Maico Casella scored the winner as Argentina’s men earned a 3-2 victory over the Black Sticks to climb up to fifth in the FIH Hockey Pro League table, level on eight points with their hosts but ahead on goal difference.
Los Leones, who fell to a 5-3 defeat in the first meeting between the two teams on Friday (28 March), edged ahead in the fifth minute when Jose Tolini slammed home a penalty corner before New Zealand’s Sam Lane restored parity with a penalty corner of his own in the second quarter. The visitors took complete control of the contest in the third quarter, with Player of the Match Ignacio Ortiz and Maico Casella both scoring wonderful field goals as Argentina established a 3-1 lead. New Zealand’s Lane struck again - this time from open play - with 11 minutes remaining, but Argentina’s defence held firm to seal the victory.
“It was a tough match”, said Argentina’s Ignacio Ortiz, who was pleased with the way his team responded to Friday’s defeat against the Black Sticks. “We had to be very focussed for the match, but we talked to the coach and did that today.”
More information on this match can be found on our live reporting page by clicking here.
The FIH Hockey Pro League continues on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 March when Argentina’s men and women travel to Perth to take on the national teams of Australia. To see the complete match schedule, click here.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on the FIH Hockey Pro League via the event website and through FIH social media channels - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
FIH Hockey Pro League
Sunday 1 March 2020 – Nga Puna Wai Hockey Stadium, Christchurch (NZL)
Men’s result: New Zealand 2, Argentina 3 (Match 2 of 2)
Player of the Match: Ignacio Ortiz (ARG)
Umpires: Steve Rogers (AUS), Peter Wright (RSA) & Aleisha Neumann (AUS - video)
Women’s result:New Zealand 5, Argentina 3 (Match 2 of 2)
Player of the Match: Olivia Merry (NZL)
Umpires: Junko Wagatsuma (JPN), Aleisha Neumann (AUS) & Steve Rogers (AUS - video)
#FIHProLeague
Official FIH Pro League Site
Merry scores four as New Zealand leapfrog Argentina in women's FIH Pro League
By Ali Iveson
Olivia Merry scored four goals in a New Zealand win ©Getty Images
New Zealand's Olivia Merry scored four goals as her team defeated Argentina 5-3 in Christchurch and moved above them in the women's International Hockey Federation (FIH) Pro League table.
Merry - who earlier this season scored all four goals in a 4-1 win over Belgium - scored a hat-trick inside 13 minutes to give New Zealand a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Two of those goals came from penalty corners.
Maria Granatto reduced the deficit shortly before the break and completed her brace after the restart as Argentina fought back.
A Hope Ralph goal at the start of the fourth quarter put New Zealand two goals ahead, but Las Leonas fought back once more as Agustina Gorzelany scored a penalty stroke a minute later.
Argentina chased an equaliser but couldn't find one, with Merry scoring another late on to secure a 5-3 win for the Black Sticks.
"It was pretty disappointing to come away with a shoot-out loss on Friday night, as we thought we played really well in patches and we had to put in a full 60-minute performance tonight," Merry said after the game.
"I don’t know if we did put in a full 60 minutes as we let Argentina back into the game in the third quarter, so there is a lot for us to tidy up before we head to Europe in a couple of days."
New Zealand now sit second on 14 points, with Argentina third on 11.
New Zealand have played eight games compared to the visitors' six.
In the earlier game at Nga Puna Wai Hockey Stadium, Argentina's men were 3-2 victors, avenging a defeat two days ago.
Jose Tolini opened the scoring before Sam Lane drew New Zealand level, with both scoring from penalty corners.
Goals from Ignacio Ortiz and Maico Casella followed and Argentina held on to win, despite Lane pulling one back for the hosts.
Both teams now have eight points, but Argentina have played two fewer games and are fifth in the standings, with New Zealand sixth.
Argentina's two teams are next in action on Friday (March 6) against Australia.
Inside the Games
Hockey keeper Faiz vows to seize the day after being handed a lifeline
By AFTAR SINGH
Still national material: Goalkeeper Mohd Hazrul Faiz Ahmad Sobri in action for Terengganu in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).
KUALA LUMPUR: Goalkeeper Mohd Hazrul Faiz Ahmad Sobri has been given a lifeline after a four-year wait and the hockey player does not want to waste it.
Hazrul has vowed to justify his inclusion in the national hockey team after national coach Roelant Oltmans named him as one of the 34 trainees for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh from April 11-18.
“I could not believe it when I was called up for national training after being sidelined for the last four years,” said Hazrul.
“Now that I’m in, I don’t want to waste this golden opportunity.”
Hazrul up close
Hazrul made his international debut in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh in 2014 and went on to play for Malaysia six times. He also played for Malaysia during the Japan tour in 2016 but that was his last national duty.
He even thought that his international career was over but refused to give up.
For the last four years, he has been trying to impress the selectors by raising his game in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) under the Terenggnu banner and finally, he has been given a second chance.
“This season, I played in all matches in the MHL except for one as I was not well.
“I thank coach Oltmans for giving me a chance to prove myself in training to win a place for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup,” said Hazrul, who played a vital role in helping Malaysia win the first Asian Junior tournament in Melaka in 2012 and finish fourth in the Junior World Cup in New Delhi, India, in 2013.
Besides Hazrul, the other keepers called up for training are Mohd Hairi Abdul Rahman (Tenaga Nasional), Mohd Zaimi Mat Deris (Maybank) and Adrian Andy Albert (Universiti Kuala Lumpur).
Among the four, Hairi is the most experienced having played in the World Cup in Bhubaneswar in 2018 and the FIH World Series in Kuala Lumpur last May.
Hazrul said he would have to compete with Zaimi and Adrian to win a place in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
The Star of Malaysia
Hockey India names 32 probables for senior men's national camp
Indian men's hockey team head coach Graham Reid felt that there is room for improvement for the team as it prepares for Tokyo Olympics.
Graham Reid said that the team will focus on improving its skills ahead of the FIH Pro League ties against Germany and Great Britain. - SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Indian men’s hockey team coach Graham Reid on Sunday said his side needs to be “consistent across matches and in all quarters” if it is to stake a claim for a podium at the Tokyo Olympics.
Reid was happy with his team’s performance in the recently-concluded FIH Pro League matches against the Netherlands, world champion Belgium and Australia.
“One of the takeaways from the FIH Hockey Pro League was that we have proven that we can produce good results against the best in the world. It’s a step forward in building self-belief,” he said.
“Also it shows that the things we have been focusing on is working. But we still need to be more consistent not only across matches but also across all quarters,” expressed Reid.
Hockey India on Sunday named a 32-member core probable group for the men’s national camp which begins at the Sports Authority of India in Bengaluru on Monday.
The coach said that the camp will be a good foundation ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Games.
“The four-week camp will bring focus back on our skill -- tackling, goal shooting, trapping. We also need to work on our attacking abilities, especially to move the ball from attacking 23 into the circle.
“After this camp, we will go to Germany and England to play which we help us further assess improvements required as we work towards 2020 Olympic Games,” Reid said.
Probables:
P. R. Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Suraj Karkera, Harmanpreet Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Birendra Lakra, Rupinder Pal Singh, Gurinder Singh, Amit Rohidas, Kothajit Singh Khadangbam, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Simranjeet Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh, S. V. Sunil, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Gursahibjit Singh, Shamsher Singh, Varun Kumar, Jarmanpreet Singh, Dipsan Tirkey, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Jaskaran Singh, Rajkumar Pal, Gurjant Singh, Sumit, Chinglensana Singh.
Sportstar
Consistentcy needed across all quarters, feels Reid
Graham Reid, India coach
Indian men's hockey team coach Graham Reid today said they need to be "consistent across matches and in all quarters" if they are to stake a claim for a podium at the Tokyo Olympics.
Reid was happy with his team's performance in the recently concluded FIH Pro League matches against the Netherlands, world champions Belgium and Australia.
"One of the takeaways from the FIH Hockey Pro League was that we have proven that we can produce good results against the best in the world. It's a step forward in building self-belief," he said. "Also it shows that the things we have been focusing on is working. But we still need to be more consistent not only across matches but also across all quarters," expressed Reid.
Hockey India today named a 32-member core probable group for the men's national camp which begins at the Sports Authority of India in Bengaluru on Monday. The coach minced no words in expressing that the camp will be a good foundation ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Games.
"The 4-week camp will bring focus back on our skill — tackling, goal shooting, trapping. We also need to work on other attacking abilities, especially to move the ball from attacking 25 into the circle. After this camp, we will go to Germany and England to play and it will help us further assess improvements required as we work towards 2020 Olympic Games," stated Reid.
The probables
PR Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Suraj Karkera, Harmanpreet Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Birendra Lakra, Rupinder Pal Singh, Gurinder Singh, Amit Rohidas, Kothajit Singh Khadangbam, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Simranjeet Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh, S V Sunil, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Gursahibjit Singh, Shamsher Singh, Varun Kumar, Jarmanpreet Singh, Dipsan Tirkey, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Jaskaran Singh, Rajkumar Pal, Gurjant Singh, Sumit, Chinglensana Singh.
The Tribune
Green-shirts training camp postponed once again
Syed Intikhab Ali
KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has changed the dates of Pakistan senior team’s training camp, moving it by a further five days.
The camp, earlier scheduled to start from March 1, will now be held from March 5.
The PHF did not state the reason behind the change of the schedule. Khawaja Junaid, the head coach, did not receive the calls of this scribe.
The training camp is to prepare the Green-shirts for Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament in Malaysia in April.
Pakistan hockey has been facing multiple challenges. The team has played little international hockey in recent years, mainly because of lack of funds. More than eight members of the junior team have been promoted to the senior side.
Only one month is left before Sultan Azlan Shah tournament but the Green-shirts have got no opportunity to play against strong teams of the world which means they will be lacking in match temperament when they enter the field in Malaysia.
Former Olympian Qamar Zia expressed surprise over the postponement of the camp. He said first PHF postponed the training camp of the junior team in Lahore because of cricket matches against Bangladesh, then because of Kabaddi World Cup, MCC team’s matches and now because of PSL.
He said that Pakistan were going to appear in such big international competitions as Junior Asia Cup and Junior World Cup after more than seven years, but their preparation was affected because of “wrong policies” of PHF. “It is amazing that they have further delayed the training camp although we have to face giants like Australia in Malaysia,” Qamar said.
Qamar said that PHF should remember that Pakistan are currently 17th in world hockey, which is lowest in their history. “Neither are they playing international hockey matches nor has there been a proper training camp. How will they (seniors and juniors) be groomed for future international competitions,” he said.
He said it was good that during the first phase in Lahore, the managements of senior and junior teams focused on the physical fitness. “But when will their hockey skills be developed? When will they get match practice,” he said.
He said that if the training camp could not be held because of cricket or other sports competitions in Lahore, the simple solution was to change the venue instead of postponing the training camp.
The News International
Bowdon Hightown relegated from English Hockey’s Premier Division
By The Hockey Paper 
Bowdon have been in top flight since 1989/90 season PIC: Hockeytoday.co.uk
Former Bowdon Hightown players rallied round their former club after the last remaining northern side was relegated from hockey’s top flight.
In the 30th anniversary season of the women’s national league being formed, Bowdon had spent every year in the women’s Premier Division. But their historic stay ended on Saturday when relegation-threatened University of Birmingham secured a vital 2-0 away victory.
Current Hampstead & Westminster co-coach Kate Richardson-Walsh said she was “devastated” for the club.
“As a proud ex Hightown player they gave me the best foundation in hockey and life. So many brilliant people at the club, I know they’ll be back doing the North-West proud,” she wrote on Twitter.
Former player Holly Hunt also willed the club to be back in the top flight.
She said: “Incredibly proud to have been part of this great club and very sad to see them leave the top league after so long. Disappointed face Hopefully it won’t be long before we see them back again.”
Bowdon’s relegation had been hampered by a three-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player. And not even their indoor form could spark an outdoor revival as Tina Cullen’s side found the going tough.
They came up against a Birmingham side which had secured back-to-back victories the previous weekend, Phil Gooderham’s outfit continuing their roll with penalty corner goals from Rosie Henderson and Lauren Hunt in added on time.
It has left an exciting run-in to see who can stave off finishing in ninth place and facing a relegation play-off between the loser of the Division One North and South match. Five clubs are still in the fight for survival, with two games remaining.
We will be addressing coverage of English hockey’s domestic game in our next issue. If you have any thoughts or views you would like to air, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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The Hockey Paper
Irish EYHL Men's Round Up. 1st Mar 2020
The men’s EY Hockey League top of the table clash between Monkstown and Lisnagarvey fell victim of Storm Jorge as the game only lasted until half-time before the weather proved too challenging to continue.
At that stage, Town were 2-1 leaders and eyeing a first defeat of the season for Garvey but it was not to be and a refixed date will have to be found.
Four matches did survive the storm, meanwhile, with Banbridge, Three Rock Rovers, Glenanne and Pembroke all recording wins.
Bann had beaten YMCA 8-0 just a few weeks ago but the return date at Havelock Park was nowhere near as comfortable as the Y took the lead in just the second minute through Grant Glutz.
They held that advantage for the guts of an hour before the Co Down hosts ran up three goals in the last nine minutes with Jonny McKee getting a brace to make it 3-1.
Three Rock held off the challenge of Corinthian in the Marlay derby at Whitechurch Park to win 2-1, Harry Morris and Ben Walker getting in their goals in the first eight minutes before the weather deteriorated.
Glenanne won a goal-fest at Belfield against UCD 6-4 to make it two wins in a week for the Tallaght club. They edged into a 2-0 lead in the first quarter before the scoring went tit-for-tat with UCD pulling it back to 2-1, 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4. Crucially, goalkeeper Max Maguire was shown a yellow card with 10 minutes to go and Stu Ronan scored into an empty-net to seal the points.
Pembroke moved out of the relegation playoff place thanks to a 6-2 win over Annadale with Alan Sothern scoring four times. That increases his tally to 10 this season against Dale and makes it 14 goals in his last five games in the EYHL.
YMCA drop back down to ninth place as a result, eight points clear of bottom side Annadale who have seven games left to make up that deficit.
Men’s EY Hockey League day 12 results: Annadale 2 (A McAllister, D Tremlett) Pembroke 6 (A Sothern 4, A Burns, N Burns); Banbridge 3 (J McKee 2, Ph Brown) YMCA 1 (G Glutz); Corinthian 1 (R Clarke) Three Rock Rovers 2 (H Morris, B Walker); UCD 4 (I Styles, M Romoli, C Murphy, D Nolan) Glenanne 6 (B Venter, C Kennedy, S Boucher, J McCormack, G Shaw, S Ronan); Monkstown v Lisnagarvey abandoned at half-time
Next week’s fixtures
Saturday, March 7th: UCD v Banbridge, Belfield, 1pm; Glenanne v Annadale, St Andrew’s, 2.45pm; Three Rock Rovers v Lisnagarvey, Grange Road, 3pm; Pembroke v Monkstown, Serpentine Avenue, 4pm; YMCA v Glenanne, Wesley College, 4pm
Men's EYHL day 12 reports
UCD 4 (I Styles, M Romoli, C Murphy, D Nolan) Glenanne 6 (B Venter, C Kennedy, S Boucher, J McCormack, G Shaw, S Ronan)
Glenanne won a goal-fest at Belfield to make it two wins in seven days, lifting them up to 14 points, while UCD are now on a streak of four successive losses. Brad Venter and Clive Kennedy combined to make it 2-0 before the end of the first quarter.
Iain Styles’ deflection reduced the gap in the 22nd minute only for Shannon Boucher to power home a penalty corner drag-flick soon after. It was 3-2 in the 26th minute via Matteo Romoli but Glenanne stayed in the clear at half-time when Johnny McCormack scored from another corner.
Cian Murphy nicked another one back early in the second half; again Glenanne replied with player-coach Gary Shaw on the mark to make it 5-3. That came in the 52nd minute but less than 60 seconds later, UCD won a stroke which David Nolan calmly scored to make it 5-4 going into the final quarter.
But hopes of salvaging a result were ended when goalkeeper Max Maguire was shown a yellow card and with no recognised replacement on the bench, Glenanne took full advantage with Stu Ronan hitting in what proved to be the clincher.
“We certainly made it difficult for ourselves and it was end to end,” said Glenanne skipper Brad Venter following the tie. “Any team could have taken it on the day; we built a good lead and they kept pegging us back but glad to get the win in the end.”
“It is a different season to last year but playoffs is still the target,” he added, comparing it to last year when the Glens were comfortably in the top four. “We had a bit of a slump toward the end of last season but glad to see we are taking our chances now and piling up a few points.”
For UCD coach Michael Styles, he felt his side was too susceptible to sucker-punches: “On the ball, we were very good and I thought we dominated a lot of play. Glenanne were very good on the counter-attack and they hit us quite a lot before the game turned into chaos in the last couple of minutes which put the final nail in our coffin.”
Banbridge 3 (J McKee 2, Ph Brown) YMCA 1 (G Glutz)
Three goals in the last nine minutes saw Banbridge pick up the points at home against YMCA after they trailed for almost an hour at Havelock Park. The tie was markedly different from their recent meeting which saw Bann cruise to an 8-0 victory but the complexion of the contest was defined by the early phases.
Grant Glutz’s second minute penalty corner goal put YM in front, a lead which they clung onto with goalkeeper Jakim Bernsden in cracking form to keep out chances from Jonny McKee, Eugene Magee and Philip Brown in the first quarter.
They went on to run up nine corners which were repelled by the YM defence until the 61st minute when McKee won a stroke which he duly converted to make it 1-1. It broke the YM resolve and Phil Brown then laid on a second for McKee within a minute and the win was complete with six minutes remaining when Owen Magee’s silky skills won a corner which Brown finally found the next from.
Corinthian 1 (R Clarke) Three Rock Rovers 2 (H Morris, B Walker)
Three Rock Rovers made it six games unbeaten as they got ahead before the worst of the weather kicked in at Whitechurch Park to beat Corinthian 2-1.
Harry Morris’s reverse-stick shot form the top of the D opened the scoring in the third minute and they were two to the good when Ben Walker finished off from close range. After that, conditions deteriorated badly, making fluid hockey difficult to come by.
Corinthian got back into it as a result of a rebound after a short corner from Robbie Clarke to make it 2-1 at half-time. The second half belonged to the home side where they had several short corners in a row but Conor Quinn and the Rovers defence held out. The combination of the weekend’s results means the top four – with Rovers in fourth – currently have seven points to spare over the chasers.
Annadale 2 (A McAllister, D Tremlett) Pembroke 6 (A Sothern 4, A Burns, N Burns)
Alan Sothern continued his latest run of remarkable goalscoring to 14 goals in his last five games for Pembroke – including 10 in two meetings against Annadale – to help his side earn a 6-2 win which lifts them out of the relegation playoff place.
He opened the scoring in the ninth minute from play before Adam McAllister equalised early in the second quarter. A second Sothern strike and an Alex Burns corner rebound, though, gave Pembroke breathing room at half-time at 3-1.
Sothern completed his hat trick in the 40th minute and while David Tremlett pulled another one back, there was time for Sothern to net his fourth goal and Nick Burns got in on the act in the final minute. The defeat leaves Dale eight points adrift of YMCA at the bottom.
Irish Hockey Association media release
Irish EYHL Women's Round Up. 1st Mar 2020
Another dramatic week in the women’s EY Hockey League saw Loreto take up the reins at the top of the table from Old Alex after a weather-beaten schedule.
Three midweek matches in Dublin all saw fine comebacks with Pembroke overcoming the concession of an early Anna O’Flanagan goal to beat Muckross 3-1 on Wednesday evening with Leah McGuire, Laura Noble and Claire Foley all scoring.
A day later, Old Alex looked well set to extend their lead when Hannah McDermott’s double put them 2-0 up on UCD only for Edel Nyland and twins Niamh and Michelle Carey to score three goals in the space four minutes to nick a 3-2 win for the students.
It gave Loreto the chance to return to the lead that night but they found themselves 2-1 down against Railway Union going into the final quarter. Three late goals, however, from Hayley Mulcahy, Hannah Matthews and Sarah Torrans swung the game Loreto’s way, 4-2.
Saturday, meanwhile, saw Storm Jorge lead to the postponement of both Old Alex and Cork Harlequins’ meeting and that of Pembroke and Pegasus. UCD against Muckross was subsequently abandoned in the second quarter when high winds forced the goals off their moorings.
It gave Loreto the chance to extend their lead at the head of the table but they found themselves being held to a 1-1 draw by a Roisin Upton-inspired Catholic Institute. She opened the scoring before Mulcahy equalised in the third quarter.
Belfast Harlequins won their first game of the season at Deramore Park to reignite their chances of avoiding relegation, closing the gap on the side they beat, Railway Union, to two points. It came courtesy of Alex Kelly’s final second winner after a thrilling contest in which Quins led 2-0 and 3-2 only for Railway to level the game twice.
This week's Women's EY Hockey League results
Wednesday, February 26th: Muckross 1 (A O’Flanagan) Pembroke 3 (L McGuire, L Noble, C Foley)Thursday, February 27th: Old Alex 2 (H McDermott 2) UCD 3 (E Nyland, N Carey, M Carey); Railway Union 2 (K Lloyd, J Long) Loreto 4 (S Twomey, H Mulcahy, H Matthews, S Torrans)
Saturday, February 29th : Belfast Harlequins 4 (L Geddes, C Weir, J Watt, A Kelly) Railway Union 3 (L Lloyd 2, K Dillon); Loreto 1 (H Mulcahy) Catholic Institute 1 (R Upton); UCD v Muckross abandoned in second quarter
Postponed: Old Alex v Cork Harlequins, Pembroke Wanderers v Pegasus
Next weekend’s fixturesSaturday, March 7th: Pegasus v Loreto, Queen’s, 1pm; Pembroke v Cork Harlequins, Serpentine Avenue, 2pm; Old Alex v Catholic Institute, Milltown, 2.30pm; Railway Union v Muckross, Park Avenue, 2.30pm; UCD v Belfast Harlequins, Belfield, 2.50pmSunday, March 8th: Cork Harlequins v Muckross, Farmers’ Cross, 1.05pm; Catholic Institute v Railway Union, Rosbrien, 1.30pm; Pegasus v UCD, Queen’s, 1.30pm; Belfast Harlequins v Pembroke, 2.30pm; Loreto v Old Alex, Beaufort, 3pm
Extended match reports
Wednesday: Muckross 1 (A O’Flanagan) Pembroke 3 (L McGuire, L Noble, C Foley)
Pembroke got back on the winning trail for the first time since November. Like the other midweek games, it featured a comeback as Anna O’Flanagan put Muckross in front but Pembroke turned things around to succeed 3-1.Leah McGuire equalised with her fourth goal since the turn of the year and Laura Noble made it 2-1 before half-time and they pushed on from there, Claire Foley closing out the results.Muckross were without recent Irish call-up Ellie McLoughlin due to a concussion return to play protocol with Rachel Barnett deputising. In her first game for 18 months, she saved a stroke.
Thursday: Old Alex 2 (H McDermott 2) UCD 3 (E Nyland, N Carey, M Carey)
UCD produced a remarkable set of three goals in four minutes – between the 52nd and 56th minutes – to land a big win in Milltown which strengthened their place in the top four.Old Alex had taken the lead in the table last Saturday and looked well set to maintain that advantage on Thursday when a Hannah McDermott double put them two clear of UCD.But the students transformed a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win as they found the cutting-edge Miles Warren has been willing from them all season.McDermott got the only goal of the first half with a cracking touch to Deirdre Duke’s strike and they looked well in control when the forward guided in another from a penalty corner.UCD, though, were playing their part in a very good contest and the students were on the board via an absolute rocket from Edel Nyland just before the end of the third quarter. They were level when Sarah Patton’s great run down the line was taken on by Sarah Young who drove at goal and Niamh Carey nipped in to get the final touch. Her twin Michelle then went direct down the middle and struck for 3-2 with 14 minutes left.
Railway Union 2 (K Lloyd, J Long) Loreto 4 (S Twomey, H Mulcahy, H Matthews, S Torrans)
Top spot in the women’s EY Hockey League continues to be a hot potato as Loreto returned back above Old Alex and Pegasus on Thursday evening with a big come-from-behind win over Railway Union.They won 4-2 in the end thanks to three final quarter goals, denying Railway a third win of the campaign. Sara Twomey’s rebound from a corner switch move had given Loreto a 20th minute lead but Jenny Long tied things up by half-time with a deflection from a corner sweep.
And the Park Avenue hosts went in front three minutes into the second half when Lisa McCarthy picked out Martha McCready who beat a player before crossing into the path of Kate Lloyd who touched in.They carried that lead into the final quarter but another corner goal saw Loreto level, Hannah Matthews reverting the ball to injector Hayley Mulcahy to finish off. Matthews went direct for 3-2 in the 61st minute and, with Railway going without a keeper for the closing minutes, Sarah Torrans added a final hooter corner.
Saturday Belfast Harlequins 4 (L Geddes, C Weir, J Watt, A Kelly) Railway Union 3 (L Lloyd 2, K Dillon)
Belfast Harlequins threw themselves a relegation lifeline after Alex Kelly's dramatic last gasp goal secured them their first victory of the season.Railway Union went into the game five points better off than Quins, who remain at the bottom of the table, but have now closed the gap to just two although the Dubliners have played a game less.
It would have been a very different scenario had Harlequins not scored with the last play of the game when Kelly deflected home a penalty corner for the winner.
Now though, Phil Mills's team have a fighting chance of avoiding automatic relegation from the top-flight for the first time.
The Quins coach declared: "It was a crucial win for us and we've everything to play for going forward with six games to turn things around, including the return fixture in Dublin."
"We didn't play our best hockey of the season and we were on the back foot for much of the second-half but the result was the most important thing."
Harlequins broke the deadlock with a superb goal in the seventh minute, Lucy Geddes finishing clinically as she rounded the keeper before firing home after latching on to a great through ball from Julie Dennison. The home team doubled their advantage 11 minutes later when Claire Weir netted from a penalty corner deflection.
But Quins were rocked back on their heels when Railway fought back to equalise with two goals in the space of six minutes before the break. Lily Lloyd got them both, first netting from close-range after latching on to a cross from Sarah Hawkshaw and then adding a similar effort in the 29th minute.
The Leinster side went on to dominate possession for most of the second-half but were unable to add to their tally. Quins regained the lead in the 64th minute when Jenna Watt hammered in a set-piece but Railway levelled within 90 seconds as Kate Dillon netted a fine goal with a first time shot after being set up by Lily Lloyd.
Quins won two corners in quick succession as the clock ticked down and Kelly grabbed the all-important goal from the second award from Serena Barry's assist and there wasn't time to restart the game.
Loreto 1 (H Mulcahy) Catholic Institute 1 (R Upton)
Catholic Institute picked up another handy point on the road as leaders Loreto extended their lead at the top but not to the fullest extent. Roisin Upton was immense for the Limerick side as she cleaned up a huge amount of ball from her sweeper role and she also opened the scoring when she whizzed in a drag-flick.It came in the sixth minute from a penalty corner from Insta’s first attack of note after Loreto had made the livelier start to the contest. The Beaufort side would go on to have plenty of chances in the first half with Institute doing a lot of defending.
They held out until the third quarter when Hayley Mulcahy fired home a beautiful reverse-stick shot to make it 1-1. Loreto had the greater chances to win it in the final quarter but they could not get their corner machine up and running.
Loreto lead by three points now but with a game extra played than nearest rivals Old Alex and Pegasus, both of whom saw their Saturday fixtures postponed due to the weather. Insta edge above Muckross into seventh place.
Irish Hockey Association media release
Town and Garvey falls foul of Storm Jorge as Glens, Rovers, Pembroke and Bann all win
Stu Ronan celebrates making it 6-4 to Glenanne. Pic: Adrian Boehm
The men's EYHL table-topper between Monkstown and Lisnagarvey was the one game to fall foul of the weather as Glenanne, Pembroke, Three Rock and Banbridge all won
Men’s EY Hockey League
UCD 4 (I Styles, M Romoli, C Murphy, D Nolan) Glenanne 6 (B Venter, C Kennedy, S Boucher, J McCormack, G Shaw, S Ronan)
Glenanne won a goal-fest at Belfield to make it two wins in seven days, lifting them up to 14 points, while UCD are now on a streak of four successive losses. Brad Venter and Clive Kennedy combined to make it 2-0 before the end of the first quarter.
Iain Styles’ deflection reduced the gap in the 22nd minute only for Shannon Boucher to power home a penalty corner drag-flick soon after. It was 3-2 in the 26th minute via Matteo Romoli but Glenanne stayed in the clear at half-time when Johnny McCormack scored from another corner.
Cian Murphy nicked another one back early in the second half; again Glenanne replied with player-coach Gary Shaw on the mark to make it 5-3. That came in the 52nd minute but less than 60 seconds later, UCD won a stroke which David Nolan calmly scored to make it 5-4 going into the final quarter.
But hopes of salvaging a result were ended when goalkeeper Max Maguire was shown a yellow card and with no recognised replacement on the bench, Glenanne took full advantage with Stu Ronan hitting in what proved to be the clincher.
“We certainly made it difficult for ourselves and it was end to end,” said Glenanne skipper Brad Venter following the tie. “Any team could have taken it on the day; we built a good lead and they kept pegging us back but glad to get the win in the end.”
“It is a different season to last year but playoffs is still the target,” he added, comparing it to last year when the Glens were comfortably in the top four. “We had a bit of a slump toward the end of last season but glad to see we are taking our chances now and piling up a few points.”
For UCD coach Michael Styles, he felt his side was too susceptible to sucker-punches: “On the ball, we were very good and I thought we dominated a lot of play. Glenanne were very good on the counter-attack and they hit us quite a lot before the game turned into chaos in the last couple of minutes which put the final nail in our coffin.”
Banbridge 3 (J McKee 2, Ph Brown) YMCA 1 (G Glutz)
Three goals in the last nine minutes saw Banbridge pick up the points at home against YMCA after they trailed for almost an hour at Havelock Park. The tie was markedly different from their recent meeting which saw Bann cruise to an 8-0 victory but the complexion of the contest was defined by the early phases.
Grant Glutz’s second minute penalty corner goal put YM in front, a lead which they clung onto with goalkeeper Jakim Bernsden in cracking form to keep out chances from Jonny McKee, Eugene Magee and Philip Brown in the first quarter.
They went on to run up nine corners which were repelled by the YM defence until the 61st minute when McKee won a stroke which he duly converted to make it 1-1. It broke the YM resolve and Phil Brown then laid on a second for McKee within a minute and the win was complete with six minutes remaining when Owen Magee’s silky skills won a corner which Brown finally found the next from.
Corinthian 1 (R Clarke) Three Rock Rovers 2 (H Morris, B Walker)
Three Rock Rovers made it six games unbeaten as they got ahead before the worst of the weather kicked in at Whitechurch Park to beat Corinthian 2-1.
Harry Morris’s reverse-stick shot form the top of the D opened the scoring in the third minute and they were two to the good when Ben Walker finished off from close range. After that, conditions deteriorated badly, making fluid hockey difficult to come by.
Corinthian got back into it as a result of a rebound after a short corner from Robbie Clarke to make it 2-1 at half-time. The second half belonged to the home side where they had several short corners in a row but Conor Quinn and the Rovers defence held out. The combination of the weekend’s results means the top four – with Rovers in fourth – currently have seven points to spare over the chasers.
Annadale 2 (A McAllister, D Tremlett) Pembroke 6 (A Sothern 4, A Burns, N Burns)
Alan Sothern continued his latest run of remarkable goalscoring to 14 goals in his last five games for Pembroke – including 10 in two meetings against Annadale – to help his side earn a 6-2 win which lifts them out of the relegation playoff place.
He opened the scoring in the ninth minute from play before Adam McAllister equalised early in the second quarter. A second Sothern strike and an Alex Burns corner rebound, though, gave Pembroke breathing room at half-time at 3-1.
Sothern completed his hat trick in the 40th minute and while David Tremlett pulled another one back, there was time for Sothern to net his fourth goal and Nick Burns got in on the act in the final minute. The defeat leaves Dale eight points adrift of YMCA at the bottom.
Monkstown v Lisnagarvey abandoned at half-time
The much-anticipated top of the table clash between Monkstown and Lisnagarvey was the one tie of the men’s EY Hockey League to fall victim of Storm Jorge.
A mixture of high winds and heavy hail made conditions too challenging to continue. As early as the 10th minute, the game had to be paused as one of the advertising hoardings blew onto goalkeeper David Fitzgerald and while play continued, abandonment seemed inevitable.
Town – hoping to cut the gap to leaders Garvey to two points – were 2-1 in front at half-time when play was formally called off.
Questions have been raised online about the rights and wrongs of whether this and other matches should have gone ahead as a result.
To this end, Hockey Ireland introduced an official “Bad Weather Procedures” document in recent years to mitigate against wasted journeys for anticipated unplayable conditions and avoid unnecessary postponements through greater communication between clubs.
The match official confirmed both sides followed the protocols in place correctly, agreeing to try and get the game played despite concerns over the weather with the ultimate decision to abandon the game a reluctant one.
The Hook
Monkstown-Lisnagarvey match abandoned due to Storm Jorge
Strong winds and heavy hail brings top of the table clash to an end at half-time
Stephen Findlater
Harry Morris playing for Three Rock Rovers against Corinthian. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
The much-anticipated top of the table clash between Monkstown and Lisnagarvey was the one tie of the men’s EY Hockey League to fall victim to Storm Jorge at half-time.
A mixture of high winds and heavy hail made conditions too challenging to continue. As early as the 10th minute, the game had to be paused as one of the advertising hoardings blew onto goalkeeper David Fitzgerald and while play continued, abandonment seemed inevitable.
Monkstown – hoping to cut the gap to leaders Lisnagarvey to two points – were 2-1 in front at half-time when play was formally called off.
It was a frustrating outcome with a refixture date now to be sought. Questions have been asked online about whether this and other matches should have gone ahead.
Hockey Ireland introduced an official “Bad Weather Procedures” document in recent years to mitigate against wasted journeys for anticipated unplayable conditions.
The match official confirmed both sides followed the protocols correctly, agreeing to try and get the game played despite concerns over the weather, with the ultimate decision to abandon the game a reluctant one.
The difficulty in making the right decision this weekend was the timing of exactly when the storm landed and how severe it proved, with earlier pitch inspections not having any impact on decisions.
Glenanne victory
Glenanne’s 6-4 win over UCD just a few kilometres up the road at Belfield started at 1pm and was played out in sunshine with Stu Ronan’s “empty-netter” in the 63rd minute proving the clincher.
Glenanne led all the way but only had breathing room when goalkeeper Max Maguire was shown a yellow card and, without a recognised replacement on the bench, UCD were susceptible to a sucker-punch in his absence.
Three Rock Rovers, meanwhile, made the best of the good conditions in the first 10 minutes against Corinthian, going 2-0 up via Harry Morris and Ben Walker before the situation deteriorated. They held on for a 2-1 win as the pitch became more and more difficult to play on.
The two games in Ulster went ahead as planned with Pembroke beating Annadale 6-2 for the second time in a month. Alan Sothern banged in four goals, making it 10 this term against the hapless Annadale.
Banbridge, meanwhile, scored three times in the last nine minutes to beat YMCA 3-1 despite trailing for almost an hour.
The Irish Times
Kelly snatches vital EYHL lifeline for Belfast Quins as Insta hold Loreto
Belfast Harlequins earned their first win of the season. Pic: Billy Pollock
At the 11th attempt, Belfast Harlequins finally got their first win of the season, giving them hope of surviving in the women's EYHL; leaders Loreto drew with Catholic Institute in the only other game to completed as Storm Jorge took hold
Women’s EY Hockey League
Belfast Harlequins 4 (L Geddes, C Weir, J Watt, A Kelly) Railway Union 3 (L Lloyd 2, K Dillon)
Belfast Harlequins threw themselves a relegation lifeline after Alex Kelly’s dramatic last gasp goal secured them their first victory of the season, writes John Flack.
Railway Union went into the game five points better off than Quins, who remain at the bottom of the table, but have now closed the gap to just two although the Dubliners have played a game less
It would have been a very different scenario had Harlequins not scored with the last play of the game when Kelly deflected home a penalty corner for the winner.
Now though, Phil Mills’s team have a fighting chance of avoiding automatic relegation from the top-flight for the first time.
The Quins coach declared: “It was a crucial win for us and we’ve everything to play for going forward with six games to turn things around, including the return fixture in Dublin.”
“We didn’t play our best hockey of the season and we were on the back foot for much of the second-half but the result was the most important thing.”
Harlequins broke the deadlock with a superb goal in the seventh minute, Lucy Geddes finishing clinically as she rounded the keeper before firing home after latching on to a great through ball from Julie Dennison. The home team doubled their advantage 11 minutes later when Claire Weir netted from a penalty corner deflection.
But Quins were rocked back on their heels when Railway fought back to equalise with two goals in the space of six minutes before the break. Lily Lloyd got them both, first netting from close-range after latching on to a cross from Sarah Hawkshaw and then adding a similar effort in the 29th minute.
The Leinster side went on to dominate possession for most of the second-half but were unable to add to their tally. Quins regained the lead in the 64th minute when Jenna Watt hammered in a set-piece but Railway levelled within 90 seconds as Kate Dillon netted a fine goal with a first time shot after being set up by Lily Lloyd.
Quins won two corners in quick succession as the clock ticked down and Kelly grabbed the all-important goal from the second award from Serena Barry’s assist and there wasn’t time to restart the game.
Loreto 1 (H Mulcahy) Catholic Institute 1 (R Upton)
Catholic Institute picked up another handy point on the road as leaders Loreto extended their lead at the top but not to the fullest extent.
Roisin Upton was immense for the Limerick side as she cleaned up a huge amount of ball from her sweeper role and she also opened the scoring when she whizzed in a drag-flick.
It came in the sixth minute from a penalty corner from Insta’s first attack of note after Loreto had made the livelier start to the contest. The Beaufort side would go on to have plenty of chances in the first half with Institute doing a lot of defending.
They held out until the third quarter when Hayley Mulcahy fired home a beautiful reverse-stick shot to make it 1-1. Loreto had the greater chances to win it in the final quarter but they could not get their corner machine up and running.
Loreto lead by three points now but with a game extra played than nearest rivals Old Alex and Pegasus, both of whom saw their Saturday fixtures postponed due to the weather. Insta edge above Muckross into seventh place.
UCD v Muckross – abandoned in the second quarter as the wind started to move the goalposts.
Postponed due to anticipated bad weather: Old Alexandra v Cork Harlequins, Pembroke Wanderers v Pegasus
The Hook
Institute have wind in their sails after draw against Loreto
Storm Jorge forces postponement of two matches and UCD-Muckross tie to be abandoned
Mary Hannigan
Roisin Upton scored for Catholic Institute against Loreto on Saturday. File photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Just two of Saturday’s Hockey League fixtures survived the stormy weather, with Old Alexandra and Pembroke Wanderers’ home ties against Cork Harlequins and Pegasus postponed, while deteriorating conditions forced UCD’s game against Muckross at Belfield to be abandoned in the second quarter.
Catholic Institute’s visit to Dublin proved worthwhile, though, the Limerick side taking a point off leaders Loreto to extend their impressive run. Having won just four points from their first eight games, they have now taken eight from their last four – and three of the teams they faced in that unbeaten run are in the top five in the table.
It might not be quite be Storm Jorge proportions, but Institute would appear to have the wind in their sails since the League resumed after the winter break. In what was their fourth visit to Dublin in February, Roisin Upton, named Limerick Person of the Year last week for her Olympic qualifying heroics, gave them the lead after 10 minutes with a drag flick from a short corner, before Hayley Mulcahy’s reverse strike in the third quarter gave Loreto a share of the points.
The draw put Loreto three points clear of Pegasus and Alexandra, who now both have a game in hand, having returned to the top of the table last Thursday with their 4-2 win at Railway Union, on the same night Alexandra lost 3-2 to UCD, having been two goals up.
At the other end of the table, Belfast Harlequins kept their relegation-avoiding hopes alive by picking up their first victory of the campaign – Alex Kelly got their winner right at the death against Railway, the team immediately above them. In what was a rollercoaster of a game, Railway fought back from 2-0 and 3-2 down to square the tie at Deramore Park, but Kelly’s intervention means Harlequins are now just two points behind the Dublin side, although they have played an extra game.
Hockey League - Division One: Belfast Harlequins 4 (L Geddes, J Watt 2, A Kelly), Railway Union 2 (L Lloyd 2, K Dillon); Loreto 1 (H Mulcahy), Catholic Institute 1 (R Upton). UCD v Muckross, abandoned. Old Alexandra v Cork Harlequins and Pembroke Wanderers v Pegasus, postponed.
The Irish Times
Premiership restarts with some big results
29 February 2020 at Auchenhowie. Scottish Hockey Women’s Premiership match – Western Wildcats v Merlins Gordonians – photo by Duncan Gray
Clydesdale Western have taken over at the top of the women`s Premiership, but only on goal difference from Edinburgh University. In the men`s competition Grange have extended their lead to eight points after a hard victory over Kelburne at Glasgow Green while Western Wildcats were idle after their fixture against Clydesdale was postponed.
Edinburgh University triumphed in the women`s game of the day at Peffermill, they were 2-1 winners over challengers Watsonians.
The students moved into a two goal lead through Amy Brodie and Ella Watt. Coach Sam Judge remarked: “We dominated and created lots of chances, but couldn`t convert.”
However, Watsonians rallied and Heather Tait scored after a rebound with eight minutes left. Watsonians almost levelled soon after, Sarah Jamieson took a quick free hit to Nikki Stobie who forced a great save from Katie Goddard in the Edinburgh goal.
In the end Watsonians coach Keith Smith said: “Both teams had some good chances – two good goalkeeping performances probably just highlight the fine margins – they were just that little bit more clinical with their chances.
“We`re frustrated on two fronts – we know we didn`t play at our best today and really do ourselves justice, but also because we still had enough chances to get at least a point from the game.”
However, it is Clydesdale Western who moved into pole position on goal difference after an 8-0 win at Hillhead. Jen Eadie did most of the damage with four goals, the others came from Heather Lang, Francis Lonergan, Annabelle Valentine and Naomi Harkness.
Western Wildcats moved into third spot on goal difference from Dundee Wanderers after a 4-0 win over Gordonians at Auchenhowie.
Wildcats moved into the lead in the first quarter when Alex Stuart drove along the base-line and Rachel Bain was on hand to find the net.
Early in the third quarter good build-up play opened up the chance for McKenzie Bell to score the second for Wildcats. But for several saves from Gordonians keeper Siobhan Cowie the tally might have been more.
Eventually the pressure told, and Wildcats added two more in the final quarter through Bain again and Kate Holmes.
Dundee Wanderers lost a little ground when they were held to a 1-1 draw by an impressive GHK.
Vikki Bunce opened for the Taysiders and they had several chances to extend their lead. But in the second half a Carly Bissett reverse stick shot at a penalty corner second phase levelled, and that was the final result.
Finally, Grove Menzieshill moved up to sixth with a 6-3 win over Glasgow University, although it was only 3-3 at the interval. There were six separate scorers for the Taysiders – Sam Sangster, Ellie and Katie Stott, Joanne Boyle, Lucy Murray and Iona Armour.
Grange remain top of the men`s table after their 2-1 win over Kelburne at Glasgow Green. In reality the Paisley side will feel unfortunate not to anything from this match.
The first half was goalless but Kelburne held the initiative, they had three penalty corners to Grange`s one, and Ciaran Wilcox had a great chance to put the Paisley side ahead but shot at the Grange keeper.
After the interval Johnny Christie should have put Kelburne ahead but his final effort went wide of the target.
However, Kelburne`s reward finally came, Finn Halliday made the opening, he unselfishly squared the ball to Hector Hall who slid the ball home.
In the final quarter Grange eventually got back into the contest when Robbie Shepherdson pounced on a rebound to relieve the tensions in the Grange ranks.
Grange continued to press for the winner, several chances were created but no takers and a draw seemed the likely conclusion.
A couple of moments of lack of concentration in the Kelburne defence proved fatal at the end of the day. In the final minute, the Edinburgh side were awarded a penalty corner, this time Dan Coultas sent his direct shot goal wards and it went in/off the Kelburne keeper for the belated winner.
As a result Grange are eight points ahead after Western Wildcats` game against Clydesdale fell victim to the weather.
Elsewhere, Grove Menzieshill retained their third spot with a 4-2 win at Hillhead. Jamie Golden scored twice for the Taysiders while the others came from Albert Rowling and Cyril Varghese; a double from Jude Boslem replied for the Glasgow side.
Edinburgh University retained their fourth spot with the better of a 13 goal spree at Watsonians, as the Edinburgh students won 9-4
Edinburgh`s Jack Jamieson was the catalyst with four goals, Robbie Croll scored twice, while the others came from Ian Moodie, Ben Pearson and David Mawhinney. The reply came from Ally Dougall, Jamie Cochrane, Paddy Cruikshanks and David Pearson.
Uddingston moved up to fifth in the table with a 5-3 win over bottom side Dundee Wanderers. Blake Hinton was the Uddingston hero with a hat-trick, the other goals came from Jonny MacDonald and Connor Evans. Wanderers` replies came from Bobby Ralph (2) and Alex Slater.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Amira hand Oranje Leonas opening loss
By AGNES MAKHANDIA
Yvonne Madowo of Amira Sailors (left) vies for the ball with Florence Karanja of USIU-A during their Kenya Hockey Premier League match at City Stadium on September 22, 2019. PHOTO | LUCY WANJIRU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Newcomers Oranje Leonas received a rude welcome to the women's Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Premier League after going down 3-0 to Amira Sailors 3-0 on Sunday at the City Park Stadium in Nairobi.
Oranje, a KHU development outfit, together with Dutch Flower Group Wolverines were promoted to the top tier after finishing in the top two positions in the Super League last season.
Leah Omwandho (17th), Sandra Vodoti (51st )and Yvonne Madowo (60th) were on target for Amira.
Amira coach Thomas Mucheni said as much as they recorded a win, the players didn’t start the match with the punch he expected.
“The first half was sluggish, but I’m glad the players managed to raise to the occasion. We hope to build on this win going forward us our goal this season is to challenge for the title,” said Mucheni.
Oranje coach Tom Olal conceded defeat saying their basics were still wanting.
“We lacked confidence. While we had a good second half, it’s unfortunate we didn’t convert. We hope to make amends before our next match against champions Blazers. But bottom line is that we don’t want to be one timers in the Premier League as our hope is to be here for the longest time,” said Olal. who doubles up as the national women’s coach.
Having played to barren draw in the equally balanced first quarter, Amira mounted pressure on their opponents and their effort paid off as Omwandho converted a penalty corner in the 17th minute to put them in the lead.
Shillah Nyongesa could have levelled the scores in 27th minute for Oranje when she was left alone with Amira’s goalkeeper Maureen Joy to beat, but she shot wide as they trailed Amira at the break.
The pep talk seemed to have worked for Oranje as they gave a good account of themselves with superb ball dribbling skills, good build up and perfect combinations, but they faltered on delivery.
They will blame themselves for failing to convert a series of penalty corners as Vodoti doubled the scores for Amira through a penalty corner in the 51st minute.
Oranje held on and pushed their opponents to play in their own half , before Nyongesa tapped off Shyln Wanea's shot, but the goal was disallowed and minutes later, Madowo scored in the dying seconds of the game to confirm Amira's win.
Daily Nation
Former champions Sikh Union defeat Parklands
By Elizabeth Mburugu
Sikh Union’s Collins Asilwa loses control in past action. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]
Relegated former Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) men Premier League champions Nairobi Sikh Union began their return to top tier campaign with a 4-2 win over Parklands Sports Club at the weekend.
The 2012 Premier League winners, who were demoted to the Super League alongside Parklands after finishing second last in 2019, came from a goal down to snatch maximum points at City Park.
Parklands captain Allan Odongo gave his side an early lead after outpacing Sikh Union defence and goalkeeper Simon Odhiambo in the fourth minute.
Sikh Union sprung into action hunting for an equaliser with earnest pressing deep into Parklands half.
Five minutes later, Odongo’s equal Haggai Pepela restored parity from a penalty stroke following a foul in the circle.
These would be the only goals of the first quarter as both sides failed to utilise their scoring chances.
On resumption, goal-hungry Sikh Union dominated the game making several attempts on goal but shot stopper Kelly Ingati made crucial saves to help Parklands stay in the game.
However, former Butali Sugar Warriors man Peter Nyambura put his name on the scoresheet with a superb 21st minute field goal to give Sikh Union a 2-1 advantage.
Harvir Ghataure ensured Sikh Union took a 3-1 half-time lead after beating Ingati and his backline in the 27th minute.
Odongo’s charges fought to pull one back before the break but their efforts were thwarted by a tight Sikh Union defence led by Pepela.
The second half was dull with no goals in the third quarter.
Daniel Aredha pulled one back for Parklands in the 48th minute as they pushed for goals to equalise.
Nonetheless, their hopes of salvaging a point from their season opener were dimmed three minutes to the final whistle when Pepela’s brother Hosea Walucho converted a penalty corner to score a fourth goal for Sikh Union.
In another Super League tie, Kenyatta University Vultures were also off to a flying start beating Multimedia University 4-1.
Abel Jumba was the star of the match netting a hat-trick for Vultures, who are also seeking to return to the Premier.
Collins Mokarani scored Vultures’ fourth while Brian Aura netted Multimedia’s consolation goal.
The Standard Digital
SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Northern KZN Regional - Wrap - 29 Feb 2020
St Dominics Newcastle Captain Nosipho Magagula (on ground left) and Hoërskool Pionier’s Sharné Jordaan take a tumble during a scramble for the ball while Charnique Oosthuizen (front) takes advantage of the opportunity given, while her Captain Berné van Heerden (left back) and Anrie Janse van Rensburg (in background) move to support her during the finals of the Northern KZN Regionals of the 10th SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge that took place at Hoërskool Pionier, Vryheid on Saturday, 29 February. Pionier won against St Dominics 3-2 in a nail-biting penalty shoot out and sudden-death decider. Photo by Val Adamson
Northern KZN Regional has a new winner, that of host school Hoërskool Pionier which took the title in a scintillating final of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge on Saturday 29 February.
Hoërskool Pionier had a cracker of a day, starting their efforts off with a 5 nil victory and continued their winning streak all the way to the final where they met St Dominics Newcastle School.
St Doms started the regional final with a spring in their step as they worked their way to the Pionier goal from the whistle. The visiting team opened their account with an absolute pearler of a goal when Vanessa Abudo entered the circle left of goal, slapped the ball in from the top of the D, passed the waiting keeper, Chrysna van Rhyn’s defence to a cleverly placed Andiswa Mhlongo camping out on the right post. Mhlongo calmly popped the ball across the line, netting the first goal.
After 8 minutes, the home team started chipping away at St Dominics Newcastle’s dominance when they broke into the opposition’s circle and earned a short corner after 8 minutes and 21 seconds. They set up a basic attack, with the ball getting trapped at the castle and then being rocketed towards the goals, but a brave charge-down stopped Pionier’s first real attempt.
After a few more unsuccessful short corners, Pionier magiced up an equalizer after a scramble in the St Dom’s circle resulted in the ball slipping across the line. The game was then 1 all with only 2 and a half minutes of play left. St Dom’s response was a solitary break from midfield with the player running out of turf, pushing the ball in from the right only to find no support from her players.
As the game time ran out, the action moved to the pressure spot where three players from each team got a chance for a penalty shoot out. Pionier started the proceedings nailing the first one, with St Dom’s rising to the challenge, and also finding the back of the box on their first penalty. The second round saw both teams slot in their attempts. In the final round Pionier’s Berne van Heerden’s flick went wide giving St Dom’s captain, Nosipho Magula’s a tournament winning chance but it wasn’t to be as her attempt agonisingly didn’t get the rewards.
St Dominics Newcastle Captain Nosipho Magagula races with the ball towards the goal with team-mate Andiswa Mhlungu in readiness (right) as Hoërskool Pionier players Sharné Jordaan (left) Marlie Smit (2nd from right) move in defence. Photo by Val Adamson
The title of the tournament went to sudden death with St Dom’s stepping up to the spot first. Abudo earlier game time success didn’t continue to the spot and her chance went abegging giving Pionier’s Charnique Oosthuizen a tournament winning chance. Oosthuizen rose to the occasion, pummelling in her shot, past the advances of keeper, van Rhyn and earning the regional honours for Pionier.
Pionier is the third team to earn the title of Northern KZN champion, claiming the title from the defending champs Ferrum, who have won the trophy eight times. Pionier met Ferrum in the second semi final and knocked out the defending champs with two goals scored by Oosthuizen and Kayla Becker. In the first semi final, St Dom’s were victorious with a 2 nil win against Dundee High School. Awande Mbuli and Vanessa Abudo netted the two for St Dom’s in the semi.
Pionier is the first team to earn a spot at the Grand Finals which will take place at St Mary’s DSG in Kloof in July. This weekend (7 & 8 March) the tournament continues with two more regionals taking place at Durban Girls’ College and Ashton International.
Versveld & Associates media release for SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge
Hockey Wales keen to educate with rise of 3G
By The Hockey Paper
Jacob Draper starred for Wales PIC: Worldsportpics
Hockey Wales has raised small concerns over 3G pitches being installed across the country and the potential impact it could have on the sport.
There are around 50 3G artificial football pitches across Wales, with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) aiming to raise that number to 100 by 2024.
Football, however, is working alongside Welsh rugby and hockey officials as part of a collaborative sports facility group in a safeguarding of sport.
“From a hockey perspective, it is important to educate on whether it’s the right surface,” said Ria Male, Hockey Wales’s chief executive.
“There is a part concern as we don’t have the capital investment but we have a good relationship [with other sports].
On the pitch, Male, a former Welsh international goalkeeper, hailed the rise of the senior squads in 2019 and praised those players who had recently stepped up to the GB programme, including Leah Wilkinson on the women’s side.
Hockey Wales will receive a further five per cent reduction in funding from April and Male highlighted that there was more of a focus on the national governing body becoming more commercial in its approach to sponsorship.
Currently, players are forking out £1,500 per year to play for Wales but Male said there had been positive conversations with companies following success on the pitch.
Male, who took over as chief exec in February, is also keen on holding more Home Nations’ tournaments to boost the sport’s profile.
The Hockey Paper will report on this and feature Luke Hawker in our March print edition
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The Hockey Paper
Hockey legend and Olympic medalist Balbir Singh Kullar passes away
Balbir Singh Kullar had received the Padma Shri award in 2009 (File Photo). - R.V. Moorthy
Former Indian hockey player Balbir Singh Kullar, who was a part of the 1968 Olympics bronze-winning team, has passed away, the national federation said on Sunday. He was 77 years old.
“We are deeply saddened by the demise of our former hockey player and a two-time Olympic medalist, Balbir Singh Kullar,” Hockey India said on its official Twitter handle.
“We send out our heartfelt condolences to his family. On behalf of Hockey India, our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Balbir Singh Kullar’s family and friends at this time of grief.”
Born at Sansarpur village of Jalandhar district in Punjab, Kullar made his India debut in 1963 in Lyon, France. He gained reputation as an inside forward in the Indian team and toured several countries like Belgium, England, Netherlands, New Zealand and West Germany.
He was also a member of the Indian team that won the Asian Games gold in 1966 (Bangkok) and the Olympic Bronze in 1968 (Mexico).
Sportstar
Balbir’s greatest moment was 1968 Olympics bronze
Indervir Grewal
Olympian Balbir Singh Kullar got the Padma Shri in 2009. file
There is a funny anecdote about the Indian hockey team from the late 1960s. The commentary during India’s matches would often be more of less like this: Balbir Singh passes the ball to Balbir Singh, who passes it to Balbir Singh.
Though an exaggeration, it highlights the fact that Balbir Singh was a popular name in hockey at that time. The Indian squads at the 1966 Asian Games and the 1968 Olympics had three players named Balbir Singh. It could be a coincidence. It could also be credited to the fact that three-time Olympics gold-medallist Balbir Singh (Senior) was one of the biggest hockey idols in Punjab at that time and the two previous decades. Whatever the reason, the proliferation of Balbir Singhs caused quite a bit of confusion for everyone.
The story goes that the commentators at the 1966 Asian Games started distinguishing the three by mentioning their playing positions along with the names. Incidentally, all three played on the right side, one as a midfielder and two as forwards. After India won the 1968 Olympics bronze, the number of Balbirs to win an Olympics medal rose from one to four. Thus arose the need to find a way to tell the four apart; and in the Indian hockey scene, there came to be known the four Balbirs — Balbir Singh (Senior), Balbir Singh (Railways), Balbir Singh (Services) and Balbir Singh (Punjab).
Balbir Singh (Punjab), the oldest of the three teammates, passed away on Friday after succumbing to a heart attack. He was 77. On Saturday, Balbir Singh (Services) received a phone call from a friend in Australia, who was “worried that I had passed away”. “Right from our playing days, our names would get mixed up,” Balbir Singh (Services) said. “Once I scored a goal and he got the credit,” he added.
It didn’t help that the two Balbirs had the same last name — Kullar — and belonged to the same village — Sansarpur. A right-in, Balbir Singh (Punjab) made his India debut in 1963. He toured with India to Belgium, England, Netherlands, New Zealand and West Germany. But his biggest achievement came in 1966, with the Asian Games gold, where India beat Pakistan 1-0. “The goal in the final came after touches from all three Balbirs,” said Balbir Singh (Services), recalling the extra-time winner from Balbir Singh (Railways). In the 1968 Olympics, though, Balbir Singh (Punjab) wasn’t a regular in the playing XI, and played only in the bronze-medal match. “It is my belief that had he played throughout the tournament, India could have won the gold,” said Balbir Singh (Services). After the Olympics, Balbir Singh (Punjab) played largely for Punjab Police, a team which he later captained as well. He retired as a Deputy Inspector General. He received the Arjuna Award in 1999 and the Padma Shri Award in 2009.
The Tribune