Three Edinburgh based teams were involved in the SHU National Finals at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre on Saturday.
Edinburgh University III had won through to the Women’s plate final and faced Dundee Wanderers, while the Men’s Cup Final was played between Edinburgh University and Grange.
Women’s Plate Final
National League (NL) 1 team, Dundee Wanderers proved too strong on the day for their Edinburgh University III opponents at the SHU Women’s Plate Final in Glasgow. The Edinburgh side currently play a couple of divisions below Dundee, so had done very well to reach the final. Dundee, for their part, had dropped down from the Cup, so had a point to prove.
And prove it they did, puting nine goals past the Edinburgh keeper to easily take the win. They were 4-0 up before the half with a hat-trick from Scotland’s Vicky Bunce – youngster Charlotte Watson adding the other.
Early in the second half, Edinburgh scored their first, and only, goal to give the side a bit of hope, but a further two from Watson for her hat-trick, a single from Heather Elder and another two from Bunce, the fifth being a solo effort run in from near halfway, sealed a, not unexpected win, for the Taysiders.
Men’s Plate Final
The Men’s Plate final proved to be another ‘mismatch’ with NL2 Falkirk coming up against NL1 Clydesdale.
Falkirk started well, puting the Clydesdale area under a bit of pressure from the off, but the NL1 team held out and started to exert their dominance. They had to wait for 15 minutes, though, before the first goal from Gregor Hirst, scored with a fine strike past Falkirk’s Jamie Ballantine from open play. They followed up seven minutes from the break with a second from Michael Cockburn.
Shortly after the restart, their third went in, but Falkirk were beginning to see a bit more of the ball and were defending well to keep Clydesdale at bay, despite losing a player to a controversial yellow, but the final 10 minutes saw the West of Scotland side put another four – including an overtime penalty corner – past the Falkirk keeper for a 7-1 win and the trophy.
Women’s Cup Final
This final was played between two NL1 teams, Dundee’s Grove Menzieshill and Glasgow’s Clydesdale Western. With the two teams sizing each other up for the first period of play, it was Grove who took the lead with a 13th minute strike from Scotland International, Ali Bell. However, Western pulled one back after five minutes with a penalty corner strike.
The Dundee side then pulled ahead again for a 2-1 lead which was, once again, negated by another Western goal. Just before the half ended, Millie Brown deflected a Niki Skrastin shot at goal past the Grove keeper and into the net to take the lead for the first time.
With the first half proving to be a real nail-biter, the second half held high hopes for the, unfortunately sparse, spectators.
Western extended their lead to 4-2 early in the half, but former Scotland Captain Linda Clement pulled Grove back to within a goal, firing in a rebound from a penalty corner save by the Western keeper.
With less than a minute to play, a clumsy challenge in the area saw umpire, Sarah Wilson, award a penalty stroke, giving Grove a chance to draw level. Louise Carroll stepped up to take the flick, but Louise Duffy, in the Western goal, was up to the job and saved off her pads to take the win and the trophy back to Glasgow.
Men’s Cup Final
Edinburgh University and Grange were the finalists here and in, another match dominated by one of the teams, Grange went on to a 5-1 win.
They had their first chance after 11 minutes from a penalty stroke award, but Jakim Bernsden in the Edinburgh gaol, performed a fine save. Indeed the Edinburgh keeper was probably to prove crucial in keeping the scoreline in single figures as he saved from all angles and situations.
However, Grange’s dominance of territory and possession soon told and, 20 minutes in a fine diving attempt from Todd Harmsworth found the back of the net. Despite the run of play being largely in the direction of the Edinburgh goal, the halftime score remained at 1-0 to Grange.
The second half was to prove more profitable to Grange as they scored another four goals, with Edinburgh University netting a single consolation score with a couple of minutes left.
Grange’s first of the half came from a Cameron Fraser penalty corner strike four minutes in, with Harmsworth netting his second 10 minutes later.
Three minutes later, Milne made up for his penalty miss, by sliding the ball past Bernsden for the fourth. The fifth came from a 67th minute penalty corner strike, giving Harmsworth his hat-trick, before Jamie Wong netted for the University two minutes from time.
It was a fine day of club hockey in Glasgow played out under a clear blue sky, the only fly in the ointment being the paltry attendance in the spectator areas. Maybe having clubs still playing matches on the day wasn’t the best idea Scottish Hockey have had…….
Images from the matches will appear here over the following few days.
