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HBU Triumph in the Finals as the Curtain falls on the Pier Pavilion

Posted by  on July 24, 2011

HBU were in 3 out of the 5 National Cup Finals and won 2 out of the 3.

Senior National Cup Final

HBU 4 – 3 Middlesborough

Location: Pier Pavilion: Date: 23.07.11; Time: 16.45

Herne Bay United were crowned National Cup winners in the last ever game to take place at the Pier Pavilion on Saturday.

United having lost the League to Middlesbrough were determined to end the season on a high. United hit the ground running and were rewarded for their fast start when Simon Hosking scored from a tight angle in the first 2 minutes to put United in front. The game then settled down with both teams creating chances. However both keepers were in fine form and neither side could make the break through.

Then with 12 minutes remaining Middlesbrough equalised from close range with John Jones managing to force the ball home to make it 1-1. United did not let the goal affect them and within 90 seconds Brendan Barker hit an unstoppable shot into the top corner of Middlesbrough’s goal to make it 2-1 to the local side. Middlesbrough were rattled and began to lose their cool, committing a number of team fouls in quick succession. Then with 6 minutes left in the half, Middlesbrough’s John Jones was blue carded for verbally abusing the referee. Barker stepped up to take the penalty but his shot flew just over the cross bar. United should have been a couple of goals clear but the score remained 2-1. Then with 4 minutes remaining in the half a penalty was awarded against United when a Middlesbrough shot deflected high off a United players stick in the penalty area. Middlesbrough’s Owen Stewart missed the penalty but scored from the rebound to make it 2-2. Despite the goal Middlesbrough were feeling the pressure, and with only 34 seconds left in the half United’s Hosking and Middlesbrough’s Peter Lonsdale both went in hard challenging for the ball in the bottom corner of the rink. Lonsdale reacted angrily to the hard challenge and in full view of the referee threw an elbow at the United capt. The referee had no choice but to issue a straight red card to the Middlesbrough player and award a penalty to United. Hosking picked himself up off the floor to take and score the penalty to make it 3-2 at halftime.

The second half was as close as the first, both teams created some excellent chances but neither side could capitalise. United were alternating their players really well to ensure that Middlesbrough were kept under pressure for the whole game. They weren’t getting it all their own way though. Middlesbrough are the national champions and they kept battling all the way. United had the chance to put the game out of reach twice in the second half, when they were awarded two penalties, the first one after 3 minutes as Middlesbrough committed their 10th team foul, and the 2nd one with 10 minutes left when Middlesbrough committed their 15th team foul. Both were missed so the score remained 3-2.

United were looking solid in defence and despite some close efforts from Middlesbrough it looked as though they had done enough to see the game out 3-2. However with just 34 seconds left in the game United captain Hosking tripped Owen Stewart and was shown a blue card and Middlesbrough were awarded a penalty. Owen Stewart took the penalty and although Jamie Williamson saved the initial shot Stewart scored from the rebound to make it 3-3 and to send the game into Golden Goal Extra time.

United were now under extreme pressure, they were on 9 team fouls, if they committed one more foul then Middlesbrough would be awarded a penalty. The local side kept their discipline and continued to attack and take the game to Middlesbrough. Then with 2 minutes and 38 seconds of extra time left, Joe Singleton played a one – two with Barker before firing a low shot past the helpless Middlesbrough keeper to win the game for United 4-3. All United’s players sped onto the rink to celebrate and the crowd erupted as United were National Cup Winners for the 13th time in their history.

Following the game United’s match winner Joe Singleton said: “I haven’t scored that many this season but the ones I have got have all been important. Since losing the Premier League to Middlesbrough we have all worked really hard in training, and the hard work has paid off. We wanted this for ourselves, our manager and the fans. We’re delighted!!”

 

Manager Phil McVey added: “Take nothing away from them Middlesbrough are a very good side, but today we were better than them. We should have put the game out of sight early in the second half. We had 4 penalties in the game, and we scored one. They had 2 and scored both of them. To restrict them to 1 goal from open play is excellent. We needed to win this game, Herne Bay United is a club that demands success, we want to be the best, and we want to win every competition that we enter. Whilst I still think there is plenty of room for improvement, the team performed very well. We had a lot of pressure on us today, it was the last ever game at the pier, it was against our biggest rivals who we have just lost to in the last league game of the season. To respond the way we did was excellent. At the end of normal time I felt my players had let their heads drop after Middlesbrough equalising in the last 30 seconds. I called them together and just reminded them that they are HBU players, this is what HBU are good at, the game is in our hands, go out there and take it. To their credit that’s exactly what they did.

 

The day was excellent for the club as a whole. Our U11 side added the National U11 Cup to the National Club Championship title they won last month, by beating Plymouth 5-2 and our U12 side were runners up in the National U13 Cup to Invicta. So all in all a very successful end to a very successful season.”

HBU Senior Team; David Garlick, Jay Williamson(gks), Neil Austin, Brendan Barker (1), Danny Butcher, Steve Clarke, Joel de Figueiredo,  Simon Hosking capt (2), Joe Singleton (1), Karl Smith.

Manager/Coach Phil McVey

Roller Hockey

National Cup Finals 23 July 2011 Herne Bay Pier Pavilion

U/11 Cup Final HBU v Plymouth

While HBU has played under 11 matches in winning the National Championship they had not come up against Plymouth who were thus an unknown quantity. From the warm up it was clear that Plymouth had a couple of large, strong players and a good goalkeeper.

The match started with Plymouth attacking strongly and HBU holding their shape and counter-attacking. HBU’s teamwork paid off with Oliver Hudson scoring the opening goal of the match. Plymouth then went on the all out offensive but their solo runs were thwarted by HBU’s defence or saves from Rhys Young in goal and this gave HBU the openings to counter-attack leading to 2 quick goals from Jamie McVey and one from George Daly. HBU were 4-0 up with less than half the first half gone.

 

Plymouth’s coach acted to restore order in his team and this was rewarded by a goal making the half-time score 4 – 1 to HBU.

Immediately after the restart, Plymouth’s McNabb scored a second goal and it was clear that HBU could not sit back on their lead and that Plymouth had organised themselves back into the match. HBU’s teamwork kept the defence tight and produced some attacking moves but it was not until 2 minutes from the end that George Daly scored the final goal that gave HBU the 5-2 victory.

This was a great performance by HBU’s players that showcased the progress of their individual skills and in what proved to be a tactical match.

HBU Team: Rhys Young (GK), Luke Huckstepp, Max Bassom, Archie Isaacs, Jamie McVey, Oli Hudson, George Daly, Jamie Leonard (GK).

Goal Timings (count down from 12 minutes)

8’46 -Goal1 Oli

8’31 – Goal 2 Jamie

7’25 – Goal 3 Jamie

6’39 – Goal 4 George

3’31 Plymouth J McNabb

4 Half Time 1

11’53 Plymouth J McNabb

2’02 – Goal 5 George

5 Full Time 2

U/13 Cup Final HBU v RHC Invicta

HBU’s U13 team is based on the U11s. It had been a surprise to HBU to get through the playoffs to reach the final and this match was always going to be a challenge against the winning team from 2010 now playing for RHC Invicta.

 HBU’s defence was well organised but the young players were out-gunned by the best under 13s in the country playing at the top of the age-group. Almost inevitably, HBU was 0 – 8 down at half-time with the final result 1 -13 to RHC Invicta. The highlight of the second half was Jamie McVey breaking clear to score a great goal for HBU.

  HBU Team: Luke Huckstepp, Charlie Bassom, Owain Steadman, Luca Commentucci, Jamie McVey, Oli Hudson, George Daly, Will Parkinson-Wellard, Rhys Young (GK), Jamie Leonard (GK)

Goal Timings (count down from 12 minutes)

6’16 (2nd Half) Jamie mcVey