Hockey: U14 boys take bronze in national finals

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On Tuesday, 25 April, the U14 boys hockey team travelled to the Olympic Park in London as North West champions and with the national title in their sights.

Accompanied by an enthusiastic supporters group consisting of parents and staff, the boys were excited to play at the Olympic Park, some returning after last year’s national finals but many of them appearing there for the first time.

A 2-0 win against Wellington in their first match gave them confidence going into their second game against Taunton School in which they showed real character and determination to come back from 1-0 at half-time to win 2-1.

This set up a crucial match with Reeds School in their third match which would send the the winners through to the Final.

Tiredness and injury crept in and the match could have gone either way. The score line remained at 0-0 until late in the second half when it was Reeds who found the breakthrough and took the win to progress to the Final.

A disappointed King’s had to pick themselves up immediately, getting no real break before facing the rested Yarm School for the Bronze medal match on the Olympic main pitch.

In a thrilling match, King’s took an early lead and our keeper made several good saves but an equaliser from Yarm sent the game to a shootout.

With a strong record in recent tie-breaker situations, including winning their NW title on penalties, the boys faced the challenge head-on. It was a nail-biting tie-break that came down to the last effort from the opposition. Goalkeeper Ben Rofe (3GLA) made his third save in a row to deny Yarm and claim the bronze medal for King’s.

Hockey coach Chris Ashcroft accompanied the boys to London and was full of praise for them.

He said: “In the end it was a triumph for the shootout practice they had all done in training, but also for the excellent hockey played on the day and the boy’s unbeatable teamwork.

“Both keepers, Rofe and Gilani, did really well when needed, the back four of Morris, Rothwell, Jones and Hercules defended heroically at times, the midfield of Pold, Mason and Coopman was arguably the best on display, whilst the forward line of Afridi, Corbin and Rimmer never gave defenders a second’s peace.

“The King’s bench players also contributed greatly when needed, with Roe, Agarwal, Milner, Curtis, Bhardwaj and Bramhall all gaining great experience.”

The match marked another memorable day on the hockey pitch for King’s and extended our medal-winning streak at the Olympic Park.

Dr Ashcroft again: “Every time a King’s team has appeared at the Olympic Park, they have won a medal and we deservedly added to the collection today.”