More Blues for Reading at Super Sixes finals day

Shakila Barabhuiya • Published 2 Feb 2012 11:30 0 Comments

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IT was a day of disappointment for Reading Hockey Club last Sunday as both mens' and ladies' teams were beaten in the semi-final and final respectively of the Maxifuel Super Sixes Finals tournament at Wembley Arena.

Reading and England hockey player Jonty Clarke was proud of his side's performance but 'gutted' to lose 9-8 to eventual champions East Grinstead on sudden death penalty flicks.

Speaking exclusively to the Chronicle after the game, Clarke said: "I think we did ourselves proud but I'm gutted to lose in that way.

"It's something that's happened too much to us in this tournament. I think we played well enough to get a result."

On a positive note, he added: "We can take away the fact that we're a big game team and we've got great fighting spirit in our side -we do it for each other."

Reading came from 3-1 down at half-time to storm into a 4-3 lead with goals from Richard Mantell (2), Clarke and a superb solo effort from Nick Catlin.

Barry Middleton then equalised for East Grinstead with a cheeky chip from a seemingly impossible angle and then Ashley Jackson completed his hat-trick a minute later before Clarke popped up with Reading's fifth goal, striking through the keeper's legs to make it 5-5 at full time.

It was nip and tuck throughout the penalty shootout but Clarke scored the crucial flick to take it to sudden death at 7-7.

He then held his nerve to score first and Jackson followed suit for East Grinstead.

But Simon Mantell's effort was saved and it was Iain Lewers' strike that sent his side through to the final where they beat Beeston 8-5 to win the tournament.

l READING'S player of the match Sam Quek hopes it will be third time lucky after seeing the ladies go down 1-0 to Leicester in the Super Sixes final.

It was the second year in a row that the ladies have been beaten finalists, this time conceding the eventual winner to Lauren Turner in the 36th minute.

Quek, who made two goalline clearances in quick succession, said: "Hopefully we can learn from our past two experiences and come away with the goals and make it third time lucky.

"Last year it was the first time Reading had got into a final and we lost on penalty strokes. This time it wasn't our day. We had three or four penalty corners and we could have scored and Leicester had a few chances.

"Indoor hockey's such a tight game, whether the scores 8-0 or 1-0, a loss is a loss."

Becky Halle spurned a chance while Quek's effort from a penalty corner was palmed away.

Meanwhile Sarah Ellis played out of her skin in the Reading goal, making several crucial saves to shut out Leicester.

"It was such a close game, it really could have gone either way," she said after the game.

"Obviously I'm disappointed to let in a crucial goal but I'm pleased with my performance, I don't feel that I made any errors.

"Normally if you let in one goal, you're doing really well and you should definitely win but it didn't go like that."

l GREAT Britain captain Kate Walsh missed a penalty but helped her team claw back a 2-0 deficit against the Netherlands to draw 2-2 in their second pool game of the Champions Trophy in Argentina.

Reading's Sarah Thomas also made her 50th appearance for GB.

Reading's Helen Richardson and Alex Danson were on target in the opening 3-0 pool win over Japan while on Tuesday, GB beat China 3-1 in their final pool game.

They will play the side finishing third in Pool B in today's (Thursday) quarter-finals.

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