EUROHOCKEY CLUB CHALLENGE I - MEN
Prague (CZE), 28 - 31 May 2009
Wiener AC (AUT)
Whitchurch HC (WAL)
Cardiff UWIC HC (WAL)
Slagelse HC (DEN)
Pool B
Luzerner HC (SUI)
SK Slavia Praha (CZE)
Orient Lyngby (DEN)
HC RCOR Minsk (BLR)
DAY 1: Thursday 28 May 2009
Whitchurch played Cardiff UWIC for the 5th time this season and gained a convincing 4-0 win. The game started at a high pace and Whitchurch went into the lead in the 6th minute when Doug Young scored after good work by Alex Keating. The lead was doubled after 11 minutes when Doug Young scored again, touching in a Ben Croxall pass. Jamie Westerman put Whitchurch further ahead on the stroke of half time with a fierce reverse stick shot. Cardiff UWIC came out strongly in the second half but Whitchurch defended well and went 4-0 after 52 minutes when Mark Whatling scored following a quick break from defence.Whitchurch now look forward to tomorrow's match against Slagelse from Denmark.
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| 12.00 | A | Wiener AC | 2 | Slagelse HC | 1 |
| 14.00 | A | Whitchurch HC | 4 | Cardiff UWIC HC | 0 |
| 16.00 | B | Luzerner HC | 0 | HC RCOR Minsk | 1 |
| 18.00 | B | SK Slavia Praha | 11 | Orient Lyngby | 0 |
DAY 2: Friday 29 May 2009
Whitchurch played Slagelse from Denmark and gained a 3-1 win to ensure that they play in one of the promotion matches on the final day. The first half was affected by heavy rain which slowed the pitch up and minimised Whitchurch's fast passing game. After 26 minutes Whitchurch were awarded a penalty stroke following a short corner but Laith El Khatib failed to score. Half time arrived with the score 0-0 - Whitchurch having had most of the play but being thwarted by the Danish goalkeeper. Whitchurch went into a 1-0 lead after 47 minutes when Laith El Khatib scored with a reverse stick shot following an end to end passing movement. After 56 minutes Rhys Gowman cooly rounded the goalkeeper to make the score 2-0 with a fierce shot. Two minutes later Jamie Westerman made it 3-0 after good work by Rhys Gowman. With 5 minutes left Slagelse scored a consolation goal after a quick break. Whitchurch now need a draw or win against Wiener from Austria tomorrow to top their group.
Cardiff & UWIC draw 2-2 after conceding late equaliser. After a poor start, it was vital for Cardiff & UWIC to get at least a point from their second game against Wiener AC, but they made the worst possible start, conceding after tweleve minutes when the Austrian striker Striker, dived to deflect a cross in from close range. While Cardiff & UWIC had the majority of the possession for the remainder half they could find a equalizer. Their breakthrough came immediately the second half began with David Samuels beating the goalkeeper with a reverse stick shot from the top of the area. This was soon turned into a lead as four minutes later James Astley pushed home from six yards out to score a goal which was hotly disputed by the Austrians. Cardiff & UWIC looked comfortable until the heavens opened for the finals ten minutes to damped their form, resulting in an equalizer from a penalty corner with four minutes left
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| 12.00 | A | Wiener AC | 2 | Cardiff UWIC HC | 2 |
| 14.00 | A | Whitchurch HC | 3 | Slagelse HC | 1 |
| 16.00 | B | Luzerner HC | 6 | Orient Lyngby | 1 |
| 18.00 | B | SK Slavia Praha | 5 | HC RCOR Minsk | 3 |
DAY 3: Saturday 30 May 2009
Whitchurch, for the first time ever, won all three of their group matches by beating Wiener from Austria 4-2. The match was also notable by the whole of the Cardiff UWIC team cheering Whitchurch on, as a Whitchurch win was their only chance of playing in a promotion playoff! Whitchurch got off to a fast start and went 1-0 up after only 2 minutes when Doug Young scored from a Jamie Westerman pass. After 30 minutes Wiener equalised, picking up a rebound off the goalkeeper's pads. After 41 minutes Neil Potter put Whitchurch 2-1 up from a well worked short corner but Weiner equalised straight from the restart to make it 2-2. After 59 minutes Alex Keating put Whitchurch 3-2 up from a penalty stroke and two minutes later Jamie Westerman made it 4-2 following a good run by Ben Croxall. Whitchurch now have to play the second team in the other pool tomorrow for promotion to the Trophy.
Cardiff and UWIC score 5 to claim a promotion chance. It had now become clear that the second place in Group A might very well come down to goal difference, so Cardiff & UWIC knew that they need to beat Danes, Slagelse by five goals to ensure any win by Whitchurch in the subsequent game would see them through. Although, the Danish team had lost twice, their goalkeeper, Frederick Eriksen, had looked impressive, so it would not be easy. Cardiff & UWIC started perfectly, scoring through Mark Ramage after just 45 seconds, but then the game progressed as expected with wave after wave of Cardiff & UWIC attacks being repelled by the lightening quick Eriksen. But then Eriksen erred and brought down James Astley in the area and Tim Jones converted the penalty flick. In the second half Tim Jones scored another penalty flick and a goal from a penalty corner, until in the dying minutes Mark Ramage claimed the vital fifth goals.
| 10.00 | A | Cardiff UWIC HC | 5 | Slagelse HC | 0 |
| 12.00 | A | Wiener AC | 2 | Whitchurch HC | 4 |
| 14.00 | B | Orient Lyngby | 2 | HC RCOR Minsk | 9 |
| 16.00 | B | Luzerner HC | 4 | SK Slavia Praha | 3 |
DAY 4: Sunday 31 May 2009
Cardif & UWIC came back from 0-2 to draw 2-2 and win the penalty stroke barrage 3-0 and gain promotion
Cardiff & UWIC kicked off a great day for Welsh hockey by coming from two goals down to beat the Czech hosts, Slavia Prague on penalty flicks.
Slavia went two goals up within the first fifteen minutes as their fast three man forward line caused problems on the break. Steven Gardiner also made an excellent point blank save to keep Cardiff & UWIC in the game With the Cardiff & UWIC defence reorganised they started to have the better of the play and eventually pulled a goal back five minutes from half time with a low flick at a penalty corner from Tim Jones.
Cardiff & UWIC continued to press in the second half and were eventually awarded a penalty flick, with fifteen minutes left, which was converted by Daffyd Tomos to draw level. Both teams had late chances to win it, with first Che Makan deflecting just wide for Cardiff & UWIC and then the Slavia Prague striker just failing to get on the end of a cross with two seconds remaining.
The resulting penalty shoot out was confortably won by Cardiff & UWIC as Tim Jones, Mark Ramage and Robin Lovegrove all scored while Slavia missed the target once and had two saved by Steven Gardiner.
Watch highlights of this game on video at Nova Sport
Whitchurch also gained promotion winning 4-3 on sudden death penalty strokes after a 1-1 draw in normal time.
Whitchurch went 1-0 up after 24 minutes when Jon Collis drag flicked a short corner into the roof of the net. Half time arrived with the score still 1-0 after an even half with sides tired after their exertions in the first three games. Minsk equalised after 54 minutes from a short corner and the match finished 1-1. The match went to penalty strokes and after 5 each the score was 1-1 with only Ben Croxall scoring for Whitchurch and Iwan Williams saving three flicks. The match went to sudden death flicks with Ben Croxall scoring again (2-2), Jamie Westerman scoring (3-3) and finally Jon Collis scoring to make it 4-3 with Iwan Williams making another vital save. The match was notable again for the support from Cardiff UWIC who needed Whitchurch to win in order to gain promotion themselves. It was a great day for Welsh Hockey with both Welsh teams promoted and for the first time, Whitchurch winning all four matches in the tournament. To cap it all, Iwan Williams was made goalkeeping of the tournament!
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| 08.30 | 4th Pool A Slagelse HC | 2 | 3rd Pool B Luzerner HC | 5 | |
| 10.45 | 3rd Pool A Wiener AC | 5 | 4th Pool B Orient Lyngby | 2 | |
| 13.00 | 2nd Pool A Cardiff UWIC | 2 (3-0 aps) | 1st Pool B SK Slavia Praha | 2 | |
| 15.15 | 1st Pool A Whitchurch | 1 (4-3 asdps) | 2nd Pool B HC RCOR Minsk | 1 | |
Final results
= 1st Whitchurch (Promoted)
= 1st Cardiff & UWIC (Promoted)
= 3rd SK Slavia Praha
= 3rd HC RCOR Minsk
= 5th Luzerner HC
= 5th Wiener AC
= 7th Slagelse HC (Relegated)
= 7th Orient Lyngby (Relegated)