CI claim second

THE fantastic season for Guernsey and Channel Islands hockey peaked with their highest finish in a counties tournament. Ten Guernsey players were in the MeesPierson Reads county squad which travelled to Wakefield, Yorkshire, to face Derby-shire, Durham, Shropshire and Yorkshire. Eight Jersey players made up the party.

Two Sarnians were making their debut at CI level, Kevin Doyle and Rob Newton. The squad was boosted by UK-based Guernsey players Andy Whalley and Ben Lanoe.

The CI team is the only side from the western counties which is in the A Division, the top 20 in the country.

This was a hard group, with Derbyshire, Durham, and Yorkshire all having won their group in the past few years and progressing to the finals.

The first game was against Durham and for once the team started quickly, with first Richard Finch then Mark Babbe getting on the score sheet, both from open play.

The score remained 2-0 until 10 minutes into the second half, when Durham scored from a well-worked short corner.

After this, the CI had two clear chances to put the game out of reach, when Dave Enevoldsen, Andy Whalley and Finch created three one-on-ones.

Unfortunately, they failed to score and Durham got back to 2-2, the final score.

Yorkshire were next and for 20 minutes the game was even.

However, Yorkshire scored and that opened the floodgates. The CI were 0-4 down by half time. Kevin Smith got one back but Yorkshire went on to score twice more before the end: 6-1.

At the end of day one, CI lay fourth in the group with one point just above Shropshire on nil.

To maintain their Division A status, a win against Shropshire was a must.

The CI played the best hockey they have ever produced.

Ten minutes in, they were 1-0 up when Enevoldsen finished a fine passing move.

It soon became 2-0 when another great move allowed Whalley to slot home from a tight angle.

A goal either side of half-time made it 4-0, first from Richard Finch and then Ali Hall. It became 5-0 when Finch slotted home from a short corner. Shropshire got a consolation goal with minutes to go to make the score 5-1.

The final game was against Derbyshire, who were playing their third match and had a very good chance of winning the tournament.

The CI carried on with their superb hockey and went 1-0 up via a Jamie Chambers shot, finishing a fine move down the left.

Derbyshire replied immediately when a clash of sticks resulted in a penalty flick.

The lead was restored soon afterwards when Finch drag-flicked the ball over the prostrate keeper.

Five minutes before half-time Whalley made it 3-1 with a fine solo effort.

CI defended this lead until the last minute, when Derbyshire made it 3 2.

Durham beat Yorkshire as did Derbyshire, which meant that the CI finished second in the group, the best they have had.

The CI coaching team agreed that the tournament had been a resounding success.

'We entered this year knowing we could do well. In the past we have just looked to survive in the A division; this year we hoped to finish higher,' said Nick Mahy.

'If we had finished our chances in the first game and made better tactical decisions as a coaching team in the second, we could have won the group,' said Andy Graham.

'What it has done is fired the team up for next year.

'If we can continue to get support from a great sponsor like MeesPierson Reads, we can plan to bring the team together before the county championship and prepare better.

'Then who knows, getting to the finals of the County Championships would be a wonderful achievement.

'Finishing second in this group was a major achievement. It shows how well hockey is doing, and we wouldn't do as well without our sponsor's support.'