2009 Futures Cup

The 2009 England Hockey Futures Cup takes place at Cannock Hockey Club from Thursday 29 October until Sunday 1 November 2009.

Fixtures & Results

Tables

Top Scorers

Wessex Leopards U18s (Blue) celebrate winning the penalty flick shoot out vs Mercia Lynx U18s in the inaugural England Hockey Futures Cup competition held at Cannock Hockey Club, West Midlands, 2nd November 2008.

You will find all the latest from the Futures Cup here including fixtures, results, match reports, goal scoring charts and other information.

Click on the following links to go to Fixtures & Results, Tables and Top Scorers.
You can also download the match schedule.

To see the squad lists and coaching teams click on the Teams page on the left hand menu or click here to be taken direct to the page.

Thursday 29 October
14:00	Pitch 1	Mercia Lynx	6	(3)	-	1	(0)	Wessex Leopards	U18 Girls	Report
	Pitch 2	Pennine Pumas	1	(1)	-	4	(1)	Saxon Tigers	U18 Boys	Report
16:00	Pitch 1	Pennine Pumas	0	(0)	-	4	(4)	Saxon Tigers	U18 Girls	Report
	Pitch 2	Wessex Leopards	5	(3)	-	1	(1)	Mercia Lynx	U18 Boys	Report

Friday 30 October
11:00	Pitch 1	Mercia Lynx	0	(0)	-	2	(1)	Wessex Leopards	U16 Girls	Report
	Pitch 2	Pennine Pumas	1	(1)	-	5	(3)	Saxon Tigers	U16 Boys	Report
13:00	Pitch 1	Pennine Pumas	2	(1)	-	6	(5)	Saxon Tigers	U16 Girls	Report
	Pitch 2	Wessex Leopards	3	(1)	-	6	(0)	Mercia Lynx	U16 Boys	Report
15:00	Pitch 1	Mercia Lynx	6	(3)	-	0	(0)	Pennine Pumas	U18 Girls	Report
	Pitch 2	Saxon Tigers	1	(0)	-	4	(3)	Wessex Leopards	U18 Boys	Report
17:00	Pitch 1	Wessex Leopards	0	(0)	-	3	(2)	Saxon Tigers	U18 Girls	Report
	Pitch 2	Mercia Lynx	1	(0)	-	1	(0)	Pennine Pumas	U18 Boys	Report

Saturday 31 October
10:00	Pitch 1	Mercia Lynx	3	(3)	-	0	(0)	Pennine Pumas	U16 Girls	Report
	Pitch 2	Saxon Tigers	2	(0)	-	2	(2)	Wessex Leopards	U16 Boys	Report
12:00	Pitch 1	Wessex Leopards	1	(1)	-	2	(2)	Saxon Tigers	U16 Girls	Report
	Pitch 2	Mercia Lynx	4	(1)	-	3	(0)	Pennine Pumas	U16 Boys	Report
14:00	Pitch 1	Wessex Leopards	5	(3)	-	0	(0)	Pennine Pumas	U18 Girls	Report
	Pitch 2	Saxon Tigers	3	(2)	-	2	(1)	Mercia Lynx	U18 Boys	Report
16:00	Pitch 1	Saxon Tigers	0	(0)	-	2	(1)	Mercia Lynx	U18 Girls	Report
	Pitch 2	Pennine Pumas	5	(1)	-	1	(0)	Wessex Leopards	U18 Boys	Report

Sunday 1 November
09:00	Pitch 1	Wessex Leopards	4	(2)	-	0	(0)	Pennine Pumas	U16 Girls	Report
	Pitch 2	Saxon Tigers	2	(1)	-	3	(0)	Mercia Lynx	U16 Boys	Report
11:00	Pitch 1	Saxon Tigers	3	(1)	-	1	(1)	Mercia Lynx	U16 Girls	Report
	Pitch 2	Pennine Pumas	0	(0)	-	2	(1)	Wessex Leopards	U16 Boys	Report
13:30	FINAL	Mercia Lynx	3	(2)	-	2	(1)	Saxon Tigers	U18 Girls	Report
	3 v 4	Pennine Pumas	4	(2)	-	1	(0)	Mercia Lynx	U18 Boys	Report
15:45	FINAL	Wessex Leopards	0	(0)	-	2	(0)	Saxon Tigers	U18 Boys	Report
	3 v 4	Pennine Pumas	0	(0)	-	2	(1)	Wessex Leopards	U18 Girls	Report

U16 Girls	Pl	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Saxon Tigers	3	3	0	0	11	4	+7	9
Wessex Leopards	3	2	0	1	7	3	+4	6
Mercia Lynx	3	1	0	2	4	5	-1	3
Pennine Pumas	3	0	0	3	2	13	-11	0

U16 Boys	Pl	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Mercia Lynx	3	3	0	0	13	8	+5	9
Saxon Tigers	3	1	1	1	9	6	+3	4
Wessex Leopards	3	1	1	1	7	10	-3	4
Pennine Pumas	3	0	0	3	4	13	-9	0

U18 Girls	Pl	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Mercia Lynx	3	3	0	0	14	1	+13	9
Saxon Tigers	3	2	0	1	7	2	+5	6
Wessex Leopards	3	1	0	2	6	9	-3	3
Pennine Pumas	3	0	0	3	0	15	-15	0

U18 Boys	Pl	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Wessex Leopards	3	2	0	1	10	7	+3	6
Saxon Tigers	3	2	0	1	8	7	+1	6
Pennine Pumas	3	1	1	1	7	6	+1	4
Mercia Lynx	3	0	1	2	4	9	-5	1

Mercia Lynx U18 Girls

Wessex Leopards U18 Girls

Joanna Leigh 9 (F)

Alice Toynton 41 (F)

Emily Court 18, 69 (F, F)

Rachel Mack 32 (F)

Hayley Turner 39 (F)

Alice Sharp 51 (PC)

U16 Girls Competition

Top Scorers	F	PC	PS	Total
Olivia Chilton	3	0	0	3
Lucy Hyams	1	2	0	3
Emily Defroand	2	0	0	2
Jessica Horn	1	1	0	2
Lily Owsley	1	1	0	2
Lucy Wood	2	0	0	2
Jane Bazley Harrison	1	0	0	1
Eliza Brett	1	0	0	1
Katie Bingle	1	0	0	1
Holly Bolger	1	0	0	1
Elizabeth Honarrnand	1	0	0	1
Ellie Kerly	1	0	0	1
Kim Leiper	1	0	0	1
Alice Pyrgos	0	1	0	1
Rebecca Van Berkel	0	1	0	1
Izabelle Wood	1	0	0	1

U16 Boys Competition

Top Scorers	F	PC	PS	Total
Tom Morris	2	2	0	4
James Gall	1	2	0	3
Ed Matts	1	2	0	3
Jack Baker	2	0	0	2
Ted Bennett	2	0	0	2
Sam Burroughs	1	1	0	2
Tom Corkett	1	1	0	2
Rob Farrington	1	1	0	2
Daniel Faulkner	0	1	1	2
Harry Sainsbury	2	0	0	2
Arjan Drayton-Chana	1	0	0	1
Sam French	0	1	0	1
Tom Groombridge	0	1	0	1
Ross Lockwood	0	1	0	1
Scott Perry	1	0	0	1
Jonathon Powell	1	0	0	1
David Swarbrick	1	0	0	1
Adam Wilson	1	0	0	1
Bertie Wyatt	1	0	0	1

U18 Girls Competition

Top Scorers	F	PC	PS	Total
Emily Court	3	0	0	3
Joanna Leigh	2	1	0	3
Alice Sharp	2	1	0	3
Katey Barnett	2	0	0	2
Martine Chichizola	1	0	0	2
Charlotte Cox	1	1	0	2
Sophie Crosley	1	1	0	2
Rachel Mack	1	1	0	2
Lauren Thomas	0	2	0	2
Alice Toynton	2	0	0	2
Hayley Turner	2	0	0	2
Emma Bevan	1	0	0	1
Holly Brown	1	0	0	1
Lisa Daley	1	0	0	1
Chloe Hunnable	1	0	0	1
Olivia Matthews	0	1	0	1
Jessica Orrett	0	1	0	1
Katie Pugh	1	0	0	1
Emily Smith	1	0	0	1
Maddie Tait	0	1	0	1

U18 Boys Competition

Top Scorers	F	PC	PS	Total
Andy Bull	0	4	0	4
Aathavan Lingeswaran	1	2	0	3
Sam Driver	2	0	0	2
Josh Godfrey	0	2	0	2
Phil Roper	1	1	0	2
Tom Scrase	0	2	0	2
Liam Adams	0	1	0	1
Nick Bandurak	1	0	0	1
Tom Batchelor	0	1	0	1
Tom Beaumont	0	1	0	1
Adam Clark	1	0	0	1
Dario DeSoysa	1	0	0	1
Philip Dutoy	0	1	0	1
Luke Emmett	1	0	0	1
Tom Feasby	1	0	0	1
Michael Franklin	0	1	0	1
Simon Hanley	0	1	0	1
Jack Hardy	1	0	0	1
Harry Kempe	0	1	0	1
Aiden Khares	0	1	0	1
Aiden Lindsay-Wood	1	0	0	1
Ben Mackey	1	0	0	1
Eugene Malthouse	1	0	0	1
Will Matthews	1	0	0	1
Sukdeeo Sidhu	0	1	0	1
Mark Smallwood	1	0	0	1
Callum Stoddart	1	0	0	1

Thursday 29 October

Mercia Lynx kicked off their 2009 Futures Cup campaign with a dominant 6 – 1 win over the Wessex Leopards, with Emily Court scoring twice in the victory.

The Leopards initially started the brighter, but it was the Lynx who would be the first to trouble the scorers, although Jennifer Mashford in the Wessex goal prevented the opening goal coming sooner, with an excellent save after Mercia won an early penalty shot.

Belper’s Joanna Leigh claimed the first goal, putting the Lynx into a lead they’d never relinquish, nor look like relinquishing. The advantage was doubled nine minutes later when Anna Toman broke down the middle in a very swift counter-attack, finding captain Holly Brown, who drew Mashford out of the Leopards goal before pulling the ball back to Court for a simple finish past the defender on the line.

With play being dominated by the Lynx, Wessex forays down the pitch were rare, although Alice Toynton went close not long before the interval, but couldn’t quite get her stick on the end of Holly Chipman’s through ball.

Rachel Mack made the scores 3 – 0 at half-time, before Hayley Turner added a fourth early in the second period when she was left unmarked at the far post. Good work by Leigh on the by-line saw the ball pulled back via a teammate for Turner to tap in unchallenged.

Toynton then pulled a goal back for the Leopards, with an excellently taken goal as she received the ball with her back to goal and cooly turned and reverse sticked the ball beyond Caitlin Jefferies in the Mercia goal.

Alice Sharp re-established the four goal advantage with another simple tap in as the ball bounced up of substitute goalkeeper Laura Myers at a penalty corner, before Court rounded out the scoring and claimed her second with another tap in from a Turner cut back.

In the opening U18 Boys match, Saxon Tigers got their tournament off to a strong start, with a 4 – 1 win over the Pennine Pumas in an open match that saw both teams have plenty of chances on goal.

The Tigers opened the scoring after only four minutes through Aathavan Lingeswaran, who gently lifted the ball over Lewis Ankers, after the Pumas’ goalkeeper had saved the initial effort from the penalty corner.

It was soon Ankers’ opposite number Diccon Stubbings in the Saxon goal who was called into action, after good work by Mark Galloway and Philip Roger on the right wing. The Tigers’ goal was then under threat from the left, as Joshua Netherwood cross found Brendan Creed, but the Bowdon forward couldn’t control the bouncing ball.

At the other end Sam Rayner forced a good, one handed, save from Ankers with a reverse stick shot from open play that rose towards the top right corner until Ankers intervened.

Pumas’ captain Andy Bull then levelled the scores just after the half hour from a penalty corner, with a straight strike off Galloway’s injection to make it 1 – 1 at half-time.

The Saxons took control of the game after 44 minutes, with Sam Driver riding several challenges as he ran across the top of the circle before unleashing a powerful shot to give his side the lead once again. Josh Godfrey then extended the advantage with a drag flick from a penalty corner, before the Ipswich player then provided an assist for captain Michael Franklin. Godfrey once again received Ben Littlejohns’ penalty corner at the top of the circle, stepping forward and laying the ball off to his right for Franklin to fire in across goal.

Nick Giles went close for the Pumas with a reverse stick shot, but ultimately the northern side paid the price for conceding three goals in nine second half minutes, that handed the Tigers the win.

The Saxon Tigers got their Futures Cup weekend up and running in style with a comprehensive victory over the Pennine Pumas. With four different goal scorers the Tigers turned it on in the first half netting all their goals in the first half an hour.

The Tigers took the lead after just six minutes through Sevenoaks’ Katey Barnett and she had the chance to double her tally just minutes later when she found herself through on goal but the advancing Pumas goalkeeper Rachel Wilson was quick off her line to narrow the angle and Barnett blazed over.

Martine Chichizola did double the Tigers’ lead in 12 minutes, lifting the ball into the net after good work around the circle and they were happily three up when Sophie Crosley pounced on a rebound at a penalty corner after Wilson had saved the initial shot.

The Pumas look to rally but their forays forward were dealt with by the Tigers’ defence and it was 4-0 six minutes from the break when Emily Smith finished off a move that came from the right channel.

The second half was an altogether calmer affair as the Pennine Pumas looked to tighten their defensive play and the plan worked with the Tigers failing to add to their tally despite several penalty corner opportunities.

The Pumas will be happier with their second half performance while the Tigers will be looking for a repeat of their first half dominance when they meet the Wessex Leopards tomorrow afternoon.

Despite a bright start the Mercia Lynx U18 boys came away from their opening match empty handed after Wessex Leopards roared back to win the match 5-1, although in truth the score seemed a little harsh on the boys in red.

Jack Hardy, constantly a thorn in the Leopards’ side, gave the Mercia Lynx the best possible start when he put them ahead after just four minutes. Cutting inside from the right hand channel he entered the circle at the top of the D and unleashed a low reverse stick shot into the bottom right corner.

Soon after, Nick Bandurak, playing on his home ground at Cannock, blazed over as the Lynx looked to take a grip on the match. After the let off though the Leopards began probing back and determined play by Will Matthews in the corner allowed him to get free inside the left channel from where he played a cross to Aiden Lindsay-Wood who knocked in from close range.

Within three minutes the Wessex Leopards, playing in blue, were ahead through Tom Scrase’s powerfully flicked penalty corner.

At the other end, the Lynx looked to have hit back from a penalty corner but the shot hit the next well above the backboard and the score remained 2-1.

Seven minutes before half time Eugene Malthouse connected with a ball that was fired in towards the penalty spot from the edge of the circle and he deflected it home to give the Leopards a two goal lead at the break.

Not long after that Jack Hardy received the first of five yellow cards in the match although it was not a particularly tough game.

Into the second half and the Leopards all but put the game beyond the Lynx within four minutes when Kingston Grammar pupil Tom Beaumont flicked the ball over Lynx goalkeeper David Overton at a penalty corner after the ‘keeper had saved the initial corner effort.

There then followed a fairly even period with few real chances before Ben Mackey rounded off the scoring, pouncing well on a loose ball after a scrap in the circle.

Throughout the match the Mercia Lynx showed spells of quality and they will be looking to turn that into a good result against the Pennine Pumas on Friday afternoon. For the Wessex Leopards, a tie against fellow high scorers Saxon Tigers awaits.

Friday 30 October

Mercia Lynx U16 Girls	0	(0)	-	(1)	2	Wessex Leopards U16 Girls
						Alice Pyrgos 6 (PC)
						Lily Owsley 67 (PC)

The U16 Girls competition got underway at Cannock Hockey Club on Friday morning with a convincing 2-0 win for the Wessex Leopards, thanks to goals from Alice Pyrgos and Lily Owsley.

The Leopards had the majority of the possession, and thanks to a goal in either half took the three points to provisionally head the standings. Wessex took the lead after just six minutes, when Firebrands Abigail Porter won a penalty corner, which Pyrgos converted at her second attempt.

The Mercia defenders had initially blocked the Trojans’ players first shot, but found the back of the net with her follow up to establish the lead that the Leopards would hold until the final hooter.

Not long after Porter had a chance to double the advantage, but Lynx vice captain and goalkeeper Gemma Brookes got a foot to her shot to divert it around the post. Brookes again did well to deny Kate Reynolds, who found herself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the Mercia number one was out smartly to smother the ball and keep the deficit to 1-0 at half-time.

Both sides had chances from penalty corners to score during the second half, but the goalkeepers and defences proved superior, and it wasn’t until three minutes from time that the Leopards could stretch their advantage.

As the ball bounced up from a Wessex penalty corner, Owsley was at the far post to control the ball home and guarantee the victory for the Leopards.

Pennine Pumas U16 Boys	1	(1)	-	(3)	5	Saxon Tigers U16 Boys
Ross Lockwood 3 (PC)						Rob Farrington 7, 65 (PC, F)
						Harry Sainsbury 23, 66 (F, F)
						Adam Wilson 27 (F)

In the opening game of the U16 Boys competition Saxon Tigers ran out 5-1 winners over the Pennine Pumas, with Rob Farrington and Harry Sainsbury both scoring braces, including an outstanding individual goal by the latter.

Farrington had a chance to open the scoring after just three minutes, but his reverse stick shot was just over. Four minutes later and the Tigers’ vice captain did break the deadlock, as his shot looped in off a defenders stick at a penalty corner to make it 1-0.

The Pumas clawed their way back into the game, with Sam Brooks making a good save from Pennine captain Sam French at a penalty corner. Brooks could do nothing at the next set piece however, saving initially with his midriff, but the ball fell kindly to Ross Lockwood to tap home and level the scores.

With both sides appearing evenly matched the scores looked likely to remain deadlocked at half-time, but then Sainsbury picked up the ball just inside the Pumas half and galloped past several defenders before unleashing an unstoppable shot from the top right of the circle to restore the lead.

Adam Wilson then added a third to stretch the advantage further at the interval, with the Tigers having the bulk of the early chances in the second half too, forcing Pumas’ goalkeeper Joshua Parkinson into making several saves.

At the other end French’s right wing cross found Alex Boardman in the Saxon circle, but a faint touch by replacement goalkeeper Perry Foster’s stick turned the ball around the post, as the Pumas sought to fight back, with David Swarbrick doing excellent work in the middle of the pitch for the men in black.

With five minutes to go Farrington scored his second, turning in a left wing cross before Sainsbury also added his second a minute later, again from open play.

A dominant first half performance from the Saxon Tigers U16 girls ensured that they top the U16 girls table at the end of the first day of the U16 competition thanks to five goals in the opening 35 minutes. Despite an improved Pennine Pumas performance after the break the damage had already been done.

The one sided first period began with Holly Bolger finishing from close range in the ninth minute after Ellie Kerly, the daughter of 1988 Seoul gold medal winner Sean, had done well to rob the Pumas right back and moments later it could have been two when Kerly’s diving effort deflected up onto the crossbar and out.

The second goal did come though after a good passing move down the right found Emily Defroand at the top of the circle. She picked up the ball well before running in and coolly slotting home in the bottom right corner for 2-0.

Within a minute though the Pumas had hit back at the other end. Despite having threatened little in the previous 13 minutes Jane Bazley Harrison netted to make it 2-1 and it was game on.

If the Pumas’ goal had given them hope it was to be shot lived. The Tigers’ Kerly did get her name on the scoresheet on the quarter hour mark when she cut in from the left hand side and somehow squeezed the ball through the onrushing Amy Tennant in the Pumas goal. Two minutes later and the Tigers were really beginning to show their dominance with a goal from Eliza Brett.

There followed a relatively calm period that featured a couple of unsuccessful corners before, with five minutes until the break, Saxon Tigers captain Lucy Hyams netted from a set piece to give the team in yellow a 5-1 half time lead.

The Tigers began the second half as they’d played in the first, dominating possession but Tennant in the Pumas goal proved up to the challenge making several good saves. Those saves proved the catalyst for something of a fightback from the girls in black and when Rebecca Blades rounded Lucy Kirkby at the other end it looked certain the Pumas would pull a goal back but Blades could not keep the ball in after being forced wide.

A minute later though and they had their reward for a spell of enterprising play. Katy Bingle picked up the ball outside the 23 metre line and running into the circle she drew Kirkby before firing home to make it 5-2 with 53 minutes gone.

The Pumas would have been happy with the way they responded after a difficult first half but Amy Tennant could do nothing when Defroand lashed the ball home for her second of the game to complete the scoring with eight minutes remaining.

Wessex Leopards U16 Boys	3	(1)	-	6	(0)	Mercia Lynx U16 Boys
Bertie Wyatt 27 (F)						Tom Corkett 40, 48 (PC, F)
Daniel Faulkner 53 (PC)						Ted Bennett 42 (F)
Ed Matts 68 (PC)						Tom Morris 45 (PC)
						Jack Baker 49 (F)
						Sam Burroughs 63 (F)

An incredible nine goals were scored in the second U16 boys game of the day, eight of which came in an exciting and free flowing second half as the Mercia Lynx roared back from a goal down to beat their Leopard opponents 6-3.

There was an early opportunity for the Wessex Leopards after just five minutes when a miss-kick from Sam Steel landed at the stick of Albert Thornton but he narrowly failed to put the ball into the back of the net and the Lynx breathed again. There then followed a period of Lynx pressure that saw Wes Howell flash a shot across the face of the Leopards goal and the blues’ goalkeeper Jordan Teague saving well from a Lynx corner.

The Wessex Leopards began to get themselves back in the game with some good possession hockey and took the lead in the 27th minute after a great reaction to a good Steel save. Thorton’s strike from the top of the circle was well saved by Steel with his right foot but as the ball bounced up in the air Bertie Wyatt did excellently to react to volley the ball home and give the Leopards the lead.

That’s how it stayed at the break - 1-0 to the Wessex Leopards - and few onlookers would have predicted what was to follow at the start of the second half as Mercia Lynx incredibly scored five goals in a nine minute spell.

Five minutes was all it took for the Lynx to find parity through Tom Corkett’s goal at a penalty corner. Coming in from pushing the ball out he connected with Andrew Blood’s well aimed pass to deflect home for 1-1.

Two minutes later the Lynx were ahead after a goal out of the very top drawer. A sublime passing move involving at least six players saw Arjan Drayton-Chana pass to Gurmukh Singh Bhamra down the right sideline and after his pass found Tom Morris inside the circle the diminutive forward picked out teammate Ted Bennett on the penalty spot for a relatively straight forward finish.

Another penalty corner move from the training ground gave Morris a goal of his own as he deflected home from outside the post.

By now it seemed that wave after wave of Lynx pressure was crashing against the Leopards defence and it was breached again in the 48th minute when Corkett netted his second from the back post after a slight deflection found its way through to him. A minute later and the outcome, if not the final score, was all but sealed by Jack Baker. Lynx forward Morris pulled the ball back to Drayton-Chana on the penalty spot and he fed Baker who scored Mercia Lynx’ fifth goal from close range.

The Leopards responded through Daniel Faulkner, who did well to create space where little existed at a penalty corner and he fired home a powerful reverse stick strike low into the bottom right hand corner for 5-2.

Lynx then had a penalty corner effort disallowed before Sam Burroughs’ pass scored goal number six for the boys in red.

Still the scoring was not complete until, with two minutes remaining, Ed Matts knocked the ball home for 6-3. With less than a minute remaining the umpire produced two separate yellow cards, one for each team but there was not enough time for the decisions to influence the outcome and the Lynx celebrated a storming second half performance.

Wessex Leopards made it two wins from two, with an excellent 4-1 win over the Saxon Tigers in the U18 Boys competition, taking a 3-0 lead early in the match, which the Tigers never looked like overcoming.

Luke Emmett opened the scoring with a hard shot beyond Shaun Cox in the Tigers goal from the top of the circle after five minutes. Cox was soon in action making a trio of good stops in quick succession during a goalmouth melee from Adam Clark, Will Matthews and Aiden Lindsay-Wood as the Leopards sought to stretch their legs and extend their lead.

Tom Scrase then placed his drag flick low inside the left hand upright from a penalty corner after ten minutes, with the Leopards spreading the ball wide well and stretching the Tigers’ defence. Scrase was then involved in the Leopards third goal, performing a dummy drag flick at the top of the circle to allow Lucas Eriksson to sweep the ball goalwards with Simon Hanley getting the vital touch to send the ball beyond Cox.

Shortly before the break Cox did well to keep out another drag flick from Scrase to keep the scores at 3-0 at half-time.

Cox was back in action after the interval, make a good one handed save from Sean Pearcy, as the Leopards forward broke into the circle at pace and unleashed a hard shot.

Tom Batchelor went close, getting on the end of Aathavan Lingeswaran’s self-take sideline, but fortunately for Wessex goalkeeper Harry Gibson, who had been caught unawares by Batchelor’s presence, the ball went wide.

With the Leopards reduced to ten men as vice captain Will Cairns received a yellow card for hauling down his opponent outside the circle, the Tigers failed to capitalise from the subsequent brace of penalty corners, with their players showing reluctance to shoot from either set piece.

Against the run of play captain Clark added a fourth for Wessex, putting the game beyond reach for the Saxons, with Lingeswaran’s goal nothing more than a consolation effort, albeit one which could prove crucial when it comes to goal difference.

As ill discipline set in, both sides were reduced to ten men for the final few minutes of the match, with Gibson pulling off a good diving save to deny Ross Gilham-Jones a further consolation goal.

The Mercia Lynx hit six for their second game running in the U18 Girls competition at the Futures Cup, scoring three goals in either half to consign the Pennine Pumas to defeat.

Buckingham’s Lauren Thomas scored twice while Emily Court added her third of the tournament to secure the three points, meaning barring an unlikely turn of events the Lynx will appear in Sunday’s final.

Court opened the scoring seven minutes, with the other first half goals coming in almost regular multiples of that thereafter, as Thomas swept home the first of her goals after 14 minutes and Olivia Matthews made it three on 22 minutes.

Thomas scored from a penalty corner, sweeping her shot into the bottom right of the goal after the Lynx perfectly performed a dummy move at the top of the circle, foxing the Pumas. With Alice Sharp very tricky in and around the circle, the Pennine defence were caused a number of problems by the England U18 international, subsequently conceding a brace of penalty corners, from the last of which Matthews deflected in to make it 3-0 at the interval.

The Lynx’s dominance continued even more in the second period, penning the Pumas back into their half as Sharp got her name onto the score sheet to make it 4-0.

Mack added a fifth with a straight strike into the bottom right corner from a penalty corner before Thomas added her second with just seconds remaining; tapping in the rebound after Alice Plews had saved the initial shot at a penalty corner.

Wessex Leopards U18 Girls	0	(0)	-	3	(2)	Saxon Tigers U18 Girls
-						Chloe Hunnable 18 (F)
						Sophie Crosley 29 (F)
						Martine Chichizola 49 (F)

In the final game of the day in the U18 girls tournament, Saxon Tigers kept themselves locked at the top of the table with Mercia Lynx at the end of day two thanks to a 3-0 victory over the Wessex Leopards.

It took until the 18th minute for Chloe Hunnable to give the Tigers the lead with a screamer of a reverse stick effort from the edge of the circle into the far corner.

Despite leading, the Tigers were somewhat fortunate not to have conceded an equaliser with the Wessex Leopards displaying some enterprising attacking hockey. However, on too many occasions the final ball was just a foot off the end of a forward’s stick.

And they were to pay for it when the Tigers doubled their advantage in the 29th minute though Sophie Crosley, scoring in her second successive Futures Cup match. As the ball came across the top of the circle the Sevenoaks player lashed her shot in to give her team a 2-0 lead.

In the end the Tigers were good value for their victory, which was assured when Martine Chichizola scored her second of the tournament 14 minutes into the second half. In truth it was probably the easiest goal she will ever score after teammate Emily Smith did the hard work down the left hand channel. With a clever dribble into the left of the circle Smith drew the goalkeeper before cleverly chipping the ball over her to Chichizola on the back post for a tap-in.

Excellent goalkeeping from Wessex Leopards’ ‘keeper Laura Myers kept the score at 3-0 when she produced a quality double save from close range and the Leopards went in search for a goal of their own. Several penalty corners came and went but to no avail as the Tigers defence stood firm to make it two consecutive clean sheets.

Mercia Lynx U18 Boys	1	(0)	-	1	(0)	Pennine Pumas U18 Boys
Sukdeep Sidhu 58 (PC)						Dario DeSoysa 58 (F)

The Mercia Lynx and Pennine Pumas U18 boys played out the first draw of the tournament in the final boys game of the day. Despite the stalemate it was an entertaining affair with both sides creating chances and competing for every ball.

There was little to split the two in the first 35 minutes with defences very much on top and it wasn’t wholly surprising when the teams went in with the score at nil-nil at the break.

Some committed early defending from the Mercia Lynx boys kept the Pennine Pumas out of their circle in the early stages of the second half but a yellow card for Callum Stoddart of the Pennine Pumas looked like it might open up an opportunity for the Lynx to take advantage. In fact it was the Pumas that seemed to respond the better to going a man down, looking dangerous on the counter attack. Nick Giles fired over on the breakaway and just as it looked like the Pumas had survived the ten man period with Stoddart returning to the game, Aiden Khares found himself leaving the pitch to sit by the technical table for an infringement too many.

The breakthrough in this game though came when both sides had their full complement of players. A Mercia Lynx penalty corner was slipped to the right at the top of the circle and Sukdeep Sidhu’s disguised shot went low into the bottom right corner to give the team in red the lead.

Moment later Mark Galloway of the Pennine Pumas took advantage of the self pass rule just outside the circle but after driving into the D he blazed over. At the other end, Will Green kept the Lynx from doubling their lead with a good double save from a penalty corner, the first of which he tipped onto his right post at full stretch.

The game was now flowing from end to end and there was controversy when the Pumas were awarded an equaliser only to have the decision reversed after the umpires consulted one another. The Pumas effort on goal was kicked out by the goalkeeper but straight into the foot of his defender. The velocity of the clearance rebounded the ball back beyond James Bowler and into the net and the umpire signalled a goal. However, amidst the protestations of the Lynx defence and after a conversation with his umpiring colleague the goal was disallowed and a penalty corner awarded.

The incident had really fired up the Pumas though and shortly after Dario DeSoysa squeezed in an equaliser against the now ten men of Mercia Lynx (Paul Lester the player shown a yellow card), turning in tight space and knocking the ball through Bowler for a deserved equaliser.

The Pumas’ Phil Roper had a powerful shot well saved by Bowler in the closing minutes as the team in black looked the most likely to find a winner but in the end a draw was probably the fairest result.

Saturday 31 October

The Mercia Lynx picked up their first win of the 2009 Futures Cup in the U16 Girls competition, consigning the Pennine Pumas to their second defeat of the weekend.

Three goals from Elizabeth Honarrnand, captain Jessica Horn and Kim Leiper in the first half gave the Lynx control of the game, with the second period being largely uneventful as the Mercia side locked out the game to ensure the three points.

Leicester’s Honarrnand scored the first after 11 minutes, getting on the end of a pull back from the left wing to deflect the ball home beyond Lois Hunt Brown in the Pumas’ goal. The Pennine side responded immediately with a period of strong pressure in their oppositions half, which proved ultimately to be their best spell of the match.

Rebecca Blades strike from a penalty corner went just wide, but three minutes later their deficit had widened to two goals thanks to Horn, who diverted a shot that was going well wide of the left hand upright into the goal past the despairing Brown.

Brown was repeatedly called into action; doing well to stand up to Emma Laurie’s shot as the Lynx broke straight from the push back after their second goal, to once again threaten the Pennine goal.

From the resulting sideline ball Leiper added a third goal to finish off the scoring after just 23 minutes. As the half drew to a close, Brown again pulled off a string of saves from penalty corners, as her defence repeatedly struggled to clear the ball.

The second half saw the Pumas penned back into their half for the majority of the 35 minutes, with only a brace of penalty corners at the opposite end giving them respite. For the Lynx Ciara Bamford went closest to scoring , putting her reverse stick shot just over, after the Beeston player had done well to create space for herself in the circle.

Saxon Tigers U16 Boys	2	(0)	-	2	(2)	Wessex Leopards U16 Boys
Scott Perry 45 (F)						Daniel Faulkner 30 (PS)
James Gall 54 (PC)						Ed Matts 33 (F)

Despite leading 2-0 at half-time, the Wessex Leopards couldn’t hold onto their lead to take their first win of the Futures Cup, allowing the Tigers to roar back into contention in the second half in an entertaining 2-2 draw.

The Leopards had scored twice shortly before the interval, but the Saxons scored two goals in quick succession after half-time, with neither side able to capitalise on their chances to find a winning goal as the match wore on.

The Saxon Tigers had began the game the brighter, with Rob Farrington releasing James Gall down the right, but Leopards goalkeeper Hamish Hall was equal to the initial shot, while Harry Sainsbury but his rebound effort wide.

The Wessex defence held strong in the face of Tigers pressure at a pair of penalty corners, and when the Leopards won a penalty stroke at the other end, Daniel Faulkner converted low into the bottom left corner, just inside the post and out of reach of Perry Foster to give the blues a 1-0 lead.

Despite being reduced to ten men after Wes Howell was dismissed with a yellow card, the Leopards extended their lead with an excellent goal from Ed Matts after 33 minutes. The Yeovil & Sherbourne player held off the strong attentions of a Tigers defender as he strode deep into the Saxon half, before breaking into the circle and unleashing a reverse stick shot from a tight angle on the left beyond Foster.

Nick Scott had a chance to put the game beyond the Tigers’ reach after the break, but after first being denied by replacement goalkeeper Sam Brooks, he saw his rebound effort come off the post before Luke Taylor cleared Bertie Wyatt’s follow up off the line.

Rutland’s Scott Perry then reduced the Leopards’ lead, lifting the ball over Hall into the top left of the goal to make it 2-1. Matts almost immediately went very close to deflecting a long drive in, but the majority of the pressure was coming from the Tigers.

The Wessex defence was all at sea for the Saxon Tigers equaliser, as Gall waltzed through a number of defenders at a penalty corner before placing a hard shot into the goal off Hall.

Wessex invited further pressure onto themselves by spending large amounts of the second half reduced to ten men, as both Faulkner and Tom Groombridge received yellow cards for infringements, but the Saxons couldn’t capitalise on their advantage. Vice captain Farrington then also saw yellow to restore parity after 64 minutes.

Matts had the chance to win the game, smashing a mid-air reverse stick shot straight at the goalkeeper as the ball flicked up off a defenders stick, before putting his follow up reverse just wide, while a Faulkner drag flick also went just wide minutes later.

Brooks then was out smartly to deny Albert Thornton who was free in the circle with two minutes remaining, while Oliver Preston had the final chance of the game for the Tigers, but could only find the side netting, meaning both sides had to settle for a solitary point apiece.

Wessex Leopards U16 Girls	1	(1)	-	2	(2)	Saxon Tigers U16 Girls
Rebecca Van Berkel 14 (PC)						Lucy Wood 3 (F)
						Lucy Hyams 16 (PC)

Saxon Tigers went clear at the top of the U16 girls table after a 2-1 win over Wessex Leopards thanks to goals from Lucy Wood and captain Lucy Hyams.

It was a very even match in the early afternoon sunshine but first blood went to the Tigers when Wood finished off a flowing attach after just three minutes.

The Wessex Leopards refused to let their heads go down after the early set back though and showed some enterprising play coming forward down the right wing. Their persistence paid off when Rebecca Van Berkel struck a well hit penalty corner into the bottom corner to make it 1-1 in the 14th minute.

Shortly after, at the other end, the Tigers’ captain Lucy Hyams for the second day running to give the the girls in yellow what would become the winning goal. A penalty corner pulled out to the top of the circle was shifted left to Hyams who rounded two defenders before pushing the ball into the net.

The remainder of the half was a fairly even affair with the teams going in 2-1 at the break and little changed in the second 35 minutes. Both teams did create chances in the second half but there were no goals. Lauren Grey in the Leopards’ goal was marginally the busier of the two goalkeepers but late on Abby Skinner did well to save a penalty corner effort to keep her team ahead and secure all three points.

Mercia Lynx U16 Boys	4	(1)	-	3	(0)	Pennine Pumas U16 Boys
Sam Burroughs 18 (PC)						Jonathon Powell 44 (F)
Tom Morris 51, 64 (F, PC)						David Swarbrick 51 (F)
Arjan Drayton-Chana 55 (F)						Sam French 68 (PC)

In the second U16 boys match of the day, the Mercia Lynx and Pennine Pumas played out a very engaging match in front of the noisiest supporters of the weekend so far with the Lynx just shading it 4-3.

After an even opening spell Sam Burroughs gave the Mercia Lynx boys the lead in the 18th minute although there was something fortuitous about the goal given that it went through the legs of the Pumas goalkeeper.

And the Lynx could have been further ahead when a cheeky backward flick from Tom Morris landed at the feet of Ted Bennett who could only squeeze his shot wide.

1-0 at half time but the Pumas quickly turned things around after the break when first Jonathon Powellconverted a quick breakaway, much to the delight of a noisy crowd, and then David Swarbrick gave the Pumas the lead for the first time in the match.

In between the goals, Pumas’ ‘keeper had Sam Falkington produced an excellent diving save low to his right from a Lynx penalty corner but he could do little about the Lynx’ immediate reply to going behind; Tom Morris the scorer.

Four minutes later and the Lynx regained the lead in a match that was flowing back and forth at good pace. A quick attacking break saw Arjan Drayton-Chana feed Tom Corkett at the top of the D and when Corkett returned to pass to the onrushing Drayton-Chana he was sufficiently wide of the goalkeeper to allow a simple finish for 3-2.

Morris bagged his second with just over five minutes remaining when he deflected home a low slapped effort from Drayton-Chana at a Mercia Lynx penalty corner and it looked like game, set and match to the boys in red but with two minutes remaining Pennine Pumas captain Sam French successfully converted a drag flicked penalty corner to give his team faint hope of a comeback.

Sadly for the Pumas, who are still awaiting their first win of the week, it wasn’t to be as the Lynx closed the game out to win 4-3.

The Wessex Leopards rounded off their Futures Cup group campaign with a convincing 5-0 victory over the Pennine Pumas, with Charlotte Cox scoring a brace. With the two sides already consigned to the U18 Girls 3rd v 4th match, only pride and bragging rights were at stake.

By keeping a clean sheet, goalkeeper Jennifer Mashford ensured that the Pumas are still yet to score in the U18 Girls competition at the 2009 Futures Cup, something they’ll be keen to put right on Sunday afternoon when the sides meet again.

Gloucester’s Lisa Daley opened the scoring after nine minutes from open play with Louise Hopkins going close to doubling the lead minutes later, but the Southampton player swept her shot wide.

At the other end, Mashford was out smartly to smother the efforts of Pumas forward Emma Pringle when she found herself free in the circle. Pennine goalkeeper Rachel Wilson wasn’t so lucky however, being caught out by a series of deflections, the last of which came off the stick of Katie Pugh, that left her moving the wrong way and completely stranded when the ball hit the backboard to make it 2-0.

Eight minutes later Cox added a third, scooping the ball out from under Wilson, after she had stopped a straight strike from a penalty corner, and into the goal.

Emma Bevan made it 4-0 and then should have had a second after good work by Alice Toynton. The Canford School student waltzed through the Pumas defence from the sideline and pulled the ball back for a simple finish, but Bevan missed the ball to let off the girls in black.

Cox scored her second and the Leopards fifth from a quick counter attack to finish off the scoring after 56 minutes, with Wessex having further chances to score from penalty corners, but seemed to over complicate their routines, and so had to settle for 5-0.

Saxon Tigers U18 Boys	3	(2)	-	2	(1)	Mercia Lynx U18 Boys
Aathavan Lingeswaran 12 (F)						Liam Adams 27 (PC)
Sam Driver 15 (F)						Nick Bandurak 38 (F)
Josh Godfrey 52 (PC)

The Saxon Tigers survived a fight back from the Mercia Lynx to secure their place in Sunday’s final of the U18 Boys competition at the Futures Cup with a 3-2 win. Two nil up inside 15 minutes, the Lynx fought back to level the scores just after the break, but a penalty corner by Josh Godfrey sealed the win.

With the Lynx having to win if they wanted to progress to the final, they set out to attack with Nick Bandurak setting out their stall early on, cutting in from the right and lifting the ball across the face of goal, but no Lynx were there to make contact.

When the deadlock was broken, it was thanks to some great skill by Sam Driver, who controlled a long lofted ball expertly and broke into the circle at pace before squaring to the fast arriving Aathavan Lingeswaran who slotted home for his third goal of the Cup.

Three minutes later and it was Driver’s turn to score. The Bromley & Beckenham forward moved from right to left across the top of the circle after taking a self pass free hit and then unleashed an unstoppable reverse stick shot beyond David Overton.

At 2-0 the Tigers looked in control, but Liam Adams brought the Lynx back into things with a well placed drag flick after 27 minutes. Driver almost restored the two goal parity, but shot wide of an empty goal under pressure, after Overton kicked the ball straight to him in the process of clearing Harry Martin’s shot.

Bandurak levelled the scores moments after the break thanks to some nice skills in the circle that created enough space for a reverse stick shot beyond Diccon Stubbings. Despite a draw still potentially being enough for the Tigers to qualify, they went on the attack in search of a winner. From a penalty corner Overton and his defenders stopped the first couple of Saxon efforts, but Godfrey made sure with his effort to make it 3-2.

Stubbings had to pull off an excellent save to tip the ball over the bar as Jonny Maunder suddenly appeared in the Tigers’ circle to latch onto a long, bouncing cross field ball. Stubbings also denied Bandurak, while his opposite number Overton extended a foot to make a good save from Ross Gilham-Jones, who hit a hard shot on the turn.

Defeat puts the Lynx into the 3rd v 4th Play Off on Sunday at 13.30, while the Saxon Tigers face the Wessex Leopards for Futures Cup Gold.

Saxon Tigers U18 Girls	0	(0)	-	2	(1)	Mercia Lynx U18 Girls
-						Holly Brown 9 (F)
						Alice Sharp 44 (F)

In a precursor to tomorrow’s U18 girls final, the Mercia Lynx girls beat the Saxon Tigers 2-0 although with both teams already qualified for the final it would be foolish to read too much into the result.

The Mercia Lynx began the match with the best of the early possession and were rewarded with a goal by Holly Brown in the ninth minute after she finished from close range.

Shortly afterwards the Lynx could have doubled their lead but the lightening quick cross from the wing just missed the outstretched stick of the leading forward. At the other end, Emily Smith had a chance for the Tigers but after entering the circle on the left hand side she passed when a shot looked on.

So, at half time it was 1-0 to Mercia Lynx.

Into the second half and Mercia Lynx had a good effort saved in the 42nd minute when a hard, early pass from Charlotte Hobbs to Rachel Mack inside the circle saw the Bromsgrove pupil attempt a slight deflection but Calianne Clark in the Leopards goal made a good save while stretching.

It wasn’t long though before they did double the lead through Belper’s Alice Sharp who finished off another move from close range.

After the goal the Saxon Tigers looked to get a foothold in the game and Lynx goalkeeper Alice Stuart-Grumbar pulled off a good double save from a penalty corner to retain her clean sheet however that was the most she had to do and the Lynx progress to the final as the pool winners with three wins from three.

Despite running out 5-1 winners over the top side in the U18 boys pool, the Pennine Pumas have to settle for a place in tomorrow’s third place playoff against Mercia Lynx.

Callum Stoddart gave the Pumas a well deserved lead in the ninth minute but despite dominance of the boys in black they were unable to further breach Tom Pinnegar’s goal with the Cannock ‘keeper, playing on home turf, in inspired form pulling off several top drawer saves.

The Pumas continued to enjoy the bulk of possession as the second half started and when Aiden Khares netted low into the corner from the middle of the circle it was no more than they deserved.

The Leopards rallied immediately though and when Will Matthews latched on to a long pass he needed no second invitation to fire the ball home and make it 2-1. It was nearly 2-2 when a Pumas defender was robbed inside the 23 metre line but a combination of goalkeeper and defender prevented the Leopards from equalising.

Then came the lesson in set piece taking from the Pumas. First, on 49 minutes, Phil Roper flighted a well placed flick inside the left hand post before captain Andy Bull scored with an identical effort three minutes later. The goals killed off any thoughts of a Leopards recovery but there was still time for Bull to score another from the corner. After a spin left at the top of the circle the Pumas skipper flicked low into the goal for 5-1.

The Leopards though were already assured of their place in the final on Sunday where they will meet the Saxon Tigers. For the Pumas it’s a match against fourth placed Mercia Lynx.

Wessex Leopards U16 Girls	4	(2)	-	0	(0)	Pennine Pumas U16 Girls
Lily Owsley 26 (F)
Olivia Chilton 28, 51, 60 (F,F,F)

The Wessex Leopards gave themselves an outside chance of clinching the U16 Girls Futures Cup with a convincing 4-0 win over the Pennine Pumas, who rarely threatened the Leopards’ goal. Wessex scored twice in either half, to move themselves into second in the group and their chances of victory reliant on the outcome of the Saxon Tigers v Mercia Lynx match.

Lily Owsley opened the scoring after 26 minutes, netting her second goal of the 2009 Futures Cup. Kirsty Hoskins broke down the Leopards’ inside right channel, and her cross found two teammates arriving completely unmarked, with Owsley hitting a looping ball up over the despairing Lois Hunt Brown, who had no chance, and into the back of the goal.

Two minutes later and a poor clearance by the Pumas’ defence only went as far as Olivia Chilton, who rode a couple of challenges to break into the circle and unleash a hard shot beyond Brown.

After the interval Chilton added a third, advancing into the circle and seeing her first shot save by substitute goalkeeper Amy Tennant before tucking away the rebound from a very tight angle on the right.

Chilton’s fourth made her the first player to score a hat trick in any of the competitions at the 2009 Futures Cup, setting up a close finish at the top of the group, and consigning the Pumas to fourth place in the table.

Saxon Tigers U16 Boys	2	(1)	-	3	(0)	Mercia Lynx U16 Boys
James Gall 6, 63 (PC, PC)						Jack Baker 47 (F)
						Ted Bennett 59 (F)
						Tom Morris 69 (F)

The Mercia Lynx clinched the U16 Boys Futures Cup, with a last minute goal to round out an excellent performance against the Saxon Tigers. The Lynx fought back from 1-0 down at half-time to deny the Tigers the title, and with the scores at 2-2 were already assured of taking the title when Tom Morris scored a splendid solo goal to see them home with a win.

James Gall had given the Saxons the lead after six minutes, deflecting home a penalty corner to make it 1-0 and give the Tigers the hope of overturning the Lynx’s lead at the top of the standings.

Moments later Navraj Degun sent a cross fizzing across the face of the Tigers goal, but no teammates could convert the chance. Back at the other end, captain James Warrington was putting Sam Steel under pressure from penalty corners, forcing saves from the goalkeeper as well as firing narrowly wide with a drag flick.

Andrew Blood came closest to equalising for the Lynx in the first half, but his reverse stick shot eventually passed well over the cross bar. Rob Farrington did have the ball in the net for the Saxons, but his attempt was adjudged to have been too high and was disallowed.

Half time replacement goalkeeper Sam Brooks was in action not long after the interval, sliding out well to deny Ted Bennett. Jack Baker was the man who grabbed the equaliser after 47 minutes, setting up a frantic final twenty minutes as the Saxons sought the win they needed.

Warrington had another penalty corner well saved, while Gall saw two attempts at the rebound denied by goalkeeper and defence. The Lynx' Todd Dudley was then called upon to make a good save from a penalty stoke to keep the scores level.

Just short of the hour mark Mercia took the lead for the first time, with Bennett firing a hard shot into the roof of the goal with Brooks lying prone as he beat away the initial shot.

The Mercian defence then stood like statues to allow Gall all the time in the world to dance unchallenged through the circle at a penalty corner to restore parity and give the Tigers hope of the win.

With 2-2 still good enough to ensure the Lynx would lift the cup, they rounded off the game in impressive style, with Morris collecting a through ball before twisting and turning around two defenders who were left in knots. Brooks advanced but Morris coolly drew the goalkeeper to slide the ball in from the left of the circle, providing a flourish to the Lynx’s finish.

Saxon Tigers U16 Girls	3	(1)	-	1	(1)	Mercia Lynx U16 Girls
Lucy Hyams 10 (PC)						Jessica Horn 31 (F)
Lucy Wood 44 (F)
Izabelle Wood 67 (F)

The U16 Saxon Tigers girls were crowned 2009 Futures Cup winners this afternoon after a 3-1 victory over the Mercia Lynx in a match that was preceded by a visit from the Queen’s Baton Relay in celebration of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

After the Commonwealth Baton had been presented to England Hockey’s Performance Director David Faulkner things got underway in the match that would decide the destiny of the 2009 U16 girls’ Futures Cup.

A fairly open contest in the early stages was lit up by Lucy Hyams’ opening goal in the 13th minute as she gave the Saxon Tigers the lead from a penalty corner. The goal took the Kent College pupil, who plays her club hockey for Canterbury, to joint top in the goal scoring charts.

The Mercia Lynx girls though were playing good hockey and thoroughly deserved their equaliser when it came just before the break. Positive, probing play going forward created the space for Jess Horn to enter the circle at the top left and her reverse stick shot flew inside the post low to the goalkeeper’s right.

Saxon Tigers U16 Girls in action against Mercia Lynx at the 2009 Futures Cup at Cannock Hockey Club, 1 November 2009 The second half began with the Lynx given the ideal opportunity to turn the match on its head from a penalty stroke but Horn’s effort was saved by Tigers’ ‘keeper Lucy Kirkby.

The match was still very open but things turned in the Tigers’ favour when Horsham’s Lucy Wood slotted home a penalty corner after several passes inside the circle.

At the other end the Tigers breathed a sigh of relief when they successfully managed to keep out a well flicked Lynx effort on the goal line and the points, and the Futures Cup, were wrapped up with three minutes to go when another Wood, Izabelle, scored a well taken goal sparking scenes of celebration around the pitch.

The result also confirmed the other finishing positions in the pool with the Wessex Leopards leap-frogging the beaten Mercia Lynx into second and the Pennine Pumas finishing fourth.

Pennine Pumas U16 Boys	0	(0)	-	2	(1)	Wessex Leopards U16 Boys
-						Tom Groombridge 30 (PC)
						Ed Matts 41 (PC)

With the Mercia Lynx U16 boys already having been confirmed as 2009 Futures Cup winners this match was about improvement, pride and as high a finishing place as possible for the Leopards and the Pumas.

There was little to choose between the two teams in the opening exchanges although the Wessex Leopards did manage to force a couple of penalty corners which went harmlessly wide of the goal.

They did however make the breakthrough with five minutes to half time and it came from a penalty corner with Tom Groombridge, the Kingshill pupil and Cirencester player, putting the finishing touch beyond Sam Falkington in the Pumas’ goal.

Immediately, the Pumas responded and it took a good save from Leopards’ goalkeeper Hamish Hall at a penalty corner to keep the Leopards their lead going in at the break.

The boys in blue, who had yesterday surrendered a two lead over the Saxon Tigers to draw 2-2, extended their lead from another penalty corner in the 41st minute. The ball pulled out to the top of the circle was slipped left and the Leopards number ten found teammate Ed Matts in a prime position in front of goal where he deflected home to double the lead.

Despite their best efforts the Pennine Pumas struggled to gain any real momentum to go forward although Hall was called upon once more to save at a penalty corner.

With the Leopards in control the clock ticked down on a 2-0 win that secured their third place finish in the U16 Boys pool, one place ahead of the Pennine Pumas and behind the Saxon Tigers on goal difference. The Mercia Lynx finished five points clear and are the 2009 U16 boys Futures Cup Champions.

Mercia Lynx U18 Girls	3	(2)	-	2	(1)	Saxon Tigers U18 Girls
Joanna Leigh 9, 25 (F, PC)						Katey Barnett 6 (F)
Hayley Turner 44 (F)						Maddie Tait 37 (PC)

The Mercia Lynx clinched the U18 Girls title at the Futures Cup, defeating the Saxon Tigers 3-2 with Joanna Leigh bagging a brace in the victory. The win means the Mercia Lynx go undefeated through the 2009 tournament, having won all four of their games, scoring 17 goals and only conceding three.

The Lynx fought back from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 at half-time, and despite the Tigers fighting back to 2-2, held on to take the win, with Cannock player Hayley Turner netting the winner on her home Astroturf.

Katey Barnett opened the scoring after six minutes touching in a drive towards the far post to make it 1-0. It was a lead the Tigers would only hold for three minutes, with Leigh levelling after a dummy move at the top of a circle saw Lauren Thomas sweep the ball goalwards, with Leigh getting the final touch to score.

Shona McCallin then shot over with the goal begging, but Leigh made no mistake minutes later to make it 2-1 at the break. Maddie Tait restored hope of a Tigers victory by netting just two minutes after the interval.

Turner scored the winner after 44 minutes, collecting the ball on the left of the circle and drawing the goalkeeper. Dulcie Davies pursued the Lynx across the circle, giving Turner enough space to shot beyond her, putting Mercia into an unassailable lead.

The Lynx proceeded to have the majority of the remaining chances, with Davies going down well to turn Thomas’ shot around the post at a penalty corner, and then stretching to keep out Leigh’s reverse stick shot, which emerged out of a crowded circle.

At the other end Lynx goalkeeper Caitlin Jefferies kept her side in the game, stopping Chloe Hunnable’s shot, which was heading for the top left corner until her intervention.

In the closing minutes the Lynx kept possession preventing the Tigers from even having a sniff of goal, and so like in their group game they came out on top, only this time with silverware as a reward.

Having played out an entertaining draw on Friday afternoon, the Pennine Pumas ran out 4-1 victors in the sides’ second encounter of the weekend, to take third position in the U18 Boys competition.

The Pumas were almost constantly on the prowl in the Lynx half for much of the game, looking assured for the win from the moment they took the lead after just four minutes. Good play by Phil Dutoy found Brendan Creed on the right, with Dutoy nearly getting on the end of the return pass back into the circle.

With a resulting infringement giving the Pumas a penalty corner, Dutoy hit home putting the Pennine side into a 1-0 lead. Four minutes later Philip Roper took the ball into the opposition circle and let rip with a reverse stick shot that found Tom Feasby standing on the far post to gently control into the goal.

Lynx goalkeeper Jamie Bowler was called on on several occasions throughout the first half to keep his side in the match, making a good save with his feet from Dutoy before diving and stopping Creed’s snapshot with an outstretched hand, and padding away the reverse stick drive of Roper a minute before the interval.

Captain Andy Bull added a third on the 40 minute mark, before Nick Bandurak had a good chance to score for the Lynx, but with the ball running away from him and the tight angle, he did well to place his shot as close to the target as he did.

Roper’s fourth stretched the Pumas’ lead out further, until Mark Smallwood ran across the front of Pennine goalkeeper Will Green to divert Ian Welch’s driven ball beyond him for a consolation goal and 4-1.

Wessex Leopards U18 Boys	0	(0)	-	2	(0)	Saxon Tigers U18 Boys
-						Tom Batchelor 44 (PC)
						Harry Kempe 58 (PC)

Saxon Tigers U18 boys won the 2009 Futures Cup for the second successive year after winning a highly entertaining final against the Wessex Leopards thanks to second half goals from Guildford’s Tom Batchelor and Old Loughtonians’ Harry Kempe.

The Tigers threatened first from an early penalty corner move which did not quite come off and the Leopards showed their claws soon after when good work down the left created an opportunity but the touch in the middle took the ball over the top.

Play was temporarily stopped to allow the collection of the substitutes’ numbers which had blown onto the pitch in the gusting wind and after the restart Shaun Cox in the Tigers’ goal made a good close range save after a Leopards long corner.

Going in at the break there was little to separate the teams but when they returned for the second half it was clear that the Tigers had been most inspired by their half time pep talk.

In the 44th minute they won a penalty corner. Tom Batchelor pulled the ball out to the top of the circle where it was slipped left to Jonny Gall. Gall fired a pass towards Ardy Lingeswaran whose deflection was well saved by Harry Gibson but the Leopards’ goalie could do nothing about Batchelor following up to open the scoring.

The goal swung the match in the Tigers’ favour and Sam Driver nearly doubled the lead but he was thwarted by a good double save by Gibson.

Just before the hour mark a good piece of umpiring allowed the Saxon Tigers to grab their second goal, which again came from a penalty corner. Once again Batchelor pulled the ball out to the top of the circle where Harry Kempe hit a powerful shot against the foot of the onrushing defender. Spotting that the ball had rebounded into Kempe’s path the umpire called the advantage and Kempe flicked the ball high into the net for 2-0.

Two yellow cards did not help the Leopards’ cause as they handed the Tigers a personnel advantage and if it was not for the good goalkeeping of Harry Gibson the Tigers may have scored again.

As it was, they were more than happy to settle for 2-0 and the 2009 Futures Cup title.

Pennine Pumas U18 Girls	0	(0)	-	2	(1)	Wessex Leopards U18 Girls
-						Alice Toynton 35 (F)
						Jessica Orrett 68 F)

In the third place playoff, Wessex Leopards won an engaging match against the Pennine Pumas thanks to a goal in each half from Alice Toynton and Jessica Orrett.

The Leopards threatened early when they earned a third minute penalty corner but Alice Pews in the Pumas goal made a good save from the powerful shot. The Leopards then enjoyed the bulk of the early pressure although their few circle entries came to nothing and the Pumas gradually found their way back into what became an open match.

At the pavilion end the Pumas almost took the lead halfway through the half when a ball cut back from the baseline was met by another Puma and a deflected shot looped beyond Jennifer Mashford in the Leopards goal, however, the retreating Leopards defender cleared the danger.

There then followed a series of two penalty corners to the Pumas, the first of which was smothered by Masshford and the second of which had the Pumas celebrating, albeit prematurely. After seins veral touches inside the circle the ball was diverted towards goal and looked to be going in but despite the cheering it snuck just inches wide.

And the cheers turned to tears when Alice Toynton broke free at the other end, bearing down on Plews’ goal. As Toyton looked to round the ‘keeper Plews managed to get her stick to the ball but it was not enough and Toynton had her wits about her to knock the ball into the empty goal.

1-0 to the Leopards at the break.

In the second half the Leopards were unfortunate not to double their lead ten minutes in when Rebecca Watkins came a post’s width from scoring with a sweep from a baseline cut back.

As the game wore on the Wessex Leopards looked the likelier to add to their tally and under five minutes remaining they wrapped up the victory with a penalty corner goal from Jessica Orrett. Despite the Leopards making a mistake at the top of the circle they recovered well with Orrett firing home after the ball dropped to her from a defender’s block.

That sealed the result and ensured that the Wessex Leopards finished third and the Pumas fourth.

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