Hockey
by Mike Haymonds

SLOUGH Ladies, sponsored by The Hub Entertainment, returned empty-handed from the final four stage of the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup in Den Haag, Holland, but they came desperately close to winning medals after dramatic conclusions to their two matches, neither of which were lost in regulation time.
In their semi-final with English league champions Leicester a first half penalty corner equaliser from their skipper Chloe Strong gave them a 1-1 draw in normal time.
After a goalless extra time they lost the new-format one-on-one penalty shoot-out 2-0.
In the bronze medal game against Dutch club Laren, who had lost their semi-final with their compatriots ‘s-Hertogenbosch 1-0 Lauren Penny bagged a 67th minute equaliser to make it 1-1 but Laren scored the winner three minutes into silver-goal extra time.
Slough captain Strong said: “We were pleased with how well we played over the two games but very disappointed to lose to Leicester as it was a game we could have won.”
Slough manager Lynnette Smith echoed those sentiments: “We were desperately unfortunate not to add to the host of European medals we’ve won over the past 28 years.”
Slough’s semi-final was halted after just nine minutes by a thunder, lighting and hail storm and, when play resumed 40 minutes later, Leicester opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Katie Long fired in from close range.
Leicester had the better of the first quarter but Slough recovered in the second period, winning a succession of penalty corners, from the fourth of which Strong beat the Leicester keeper Maddie Hinch with a strike into the bottom right corner.
Slough were on top in the third quarter and into the fourth but Leicester came closest to scoring when Rachel Herbert was denied by Slough goalie Becky Duggan and, with three minutes to go, Leicester’s Crista Cullen was off target with a corner effort.
After a goalless extra time Leicester won the penalty shoot-out 2-0 when Chloe Rogers and Anne Panter beat Duggan while Nicola White and Ashleigh Ball were unsuccessful.
Slough had lost 3-0 to their 3rd/4th place match opponents Laren in a pool game at Easter but they were much more competitive this time.
They went behind to a 10th minute Carlijn Welten field goal and had to rely on solid defending, with keeper Duggan to the fore, to deny the Dutch on numerous occasions.
Slough were a different side in the second half and took the game to their opponents.
However, Laren were close to clinching victory five minutes from time when a slick corner routine was thwarted by a spectacular goalline save by Strong.
Two minutes later Slough were level when White and Ball combined down the right before Ball crossed for Lauren Penny to score from close range.
As the game moved into silver-goal extra time Laren almost won the match when Kim Lammers forced a fine save from Duggan.
But the Dutch were not to be denied and, with three minutes gone, Naomi van As escaped her marker Natalie Bell, who until then had shut her out of the game, and fired an unstoppable shot past Duggan.
‘s-Hertogenbosch beat Leicester 4-1 in the final to clinch their 12th successive European title.

SLOUGH: Duggan, Strong, Nicholson, Coulson, Bowe, Cunningham, Greenham, Bell, Scott, Penny, Ball, White, Bevan, Ilkei, Daniels, Filochowski.

ends