Eagles fly high to win inaugural Guernsey Hockey Premier League

Last weekend’s tournament, which featured four teams of players from Men’s Division One allocated by a draft system, and playing each other in a round-robin event of matches comprising 15-minute quarters, has been hailed as a big success.

To top it off, it came down to a ‘decider’ in the concluding game as the two unbeaten sides went head-to-head with the Eagles having beaten both the Southern Stars and the Western Wizards while opponents Northern Nomads had opened with a win over the Wizards before drawing against the Stars.

The blue-shirted Eagles took the lead in the first quarter thanks to a pinpoint short-corner drag-flick from Sean Donaldson.

Another Island player, Zak Damarell, doubled their advantage in the second period when he managed to squeeze the ball in from a narrow angle following a trademark burst into the D.

• Podcast: Listen to reaction to the inaugural competition on this week's Guernsey Press Sport Podcast

The Nomads did not let their heads drop, though, and they halved their deficit in the third quarter thanks to a goal from Tim Ravenscroft at another short-corner.

Try as they might, though, the team in red were unable to conjure any more goals in the final stanza and Eagles won 2-1 to complete their 100% winning record.

‘We had a good team spirit right from the start, we tried a new formation – three at the back with two screens in front – so a platform which allowed our attacking players to score goals. We used that all the way through and it worked,’ said Eagles coach Kevin Smith.

‘For the first half of the first game it was just getting used to each other and then we’ve improved as it went on. Everyone has known, or worked out, how each other’s played.’

Smith also added his thanks to the organisers for making it a successful weekend.

‘It’s been a brilliant tournament, really well organised, and I think it’s great that different players have had the chance to play with other players and different styles of hockey.

‘Going just by the people watching that last game, there’s a lot of people watching, a lot of interest in it and the players are talking about next year, how we can go bigger and better, so I think it’s been a great success.’

The Premier League has also helped keep the Guernsey squad players active as they approach their EH Men’s Tier Two Championship away to Tunbridge Wells on 15 April.