Junior girls 2009-10
Belper Hockey Club Junior Girls are probably the most successful club in England in recent years having won national titles at all age groups indoor and out.
Click here to view their impressive achievements from 2003 to this current season. Many of our girls have represented Derbyshire, the Midlands and England and we are always looking for future stars to join us and continue this great record. u18 Junior Girls Training is incorporated within club training sessions. Contact: Jackie Sharp 01332 840325 or jackie@southlea.plus.com u16 Junior Girls Junior u16 girls training Wednesday 6.00-7.30pm commencing Wednesday 2 September, 2009. Contact: Jackie Sharp 01332 840325 or jackie@southlea.plus.com u14 Junior Girls Junior u14 girls training Wednesday 6.00-7.30pm commencing Wednesday 2 September, 2009. Contact: Jackie Sharp 01332 840325 or jackie@southlea.plus.com U12 Mini Hockey
The mini hockey section is run on a Sunday morning and has up to 60 boys and girls from 6-12 years training and playing matches. The u11 girls won the England Mini Hockey national title in 2002, 2003, & 2006 and were runners up in 2004 & 2005. The U11 boys won the England Mini Hockey national title in 2005 and 2007. Players in years 1 to 4 from 9.30 to 10.30 a.m. Players in years 5,6,7 (for players born after 1.1.98) from 10.00 to 11.30. Players of all abilities are welcome from beginners through to more experienced players. If you would like further information please contact Andrew Hartley, mini hockey head coach on 01629 540668 or at andrew.hartley@w3z.co.uk Belper Hockey Club Junior Code of Conduct and Rules • Code of Conduct for Parents/Guardians/Spectators • Code of Conduct for Club Officials and Volunteers • Belper Hockey Club Equity Policy • Safeguarding and Protecting Young People Click here for details...  Belper's U18's qualify for England Hockey Cup Final. Belper 4 - Surbiton 1 (HT 1-0) Scorers: Amy Davies 18f, Alice Sharp 50f; Joanna Leigh 56f, Charlotte Hobbs 63f. Team: Charlotte Howarth, Annabelle Church, Laura Smith, Joanna Lane, Sophie Hawkins, Jessica Horn, Rhiannon Rogers, Alice Sharp, Anna Toman, Amy Davies, Charlotte Hobbs, Joanna Leigh, Amber Carnell, Rachel Mason, Amelia Browne. Injured - Camilla Hall. Belper's Under 18 team eased into their England Hockey fourth Cup Final in a row with few alarms against a dogged and determined Surbiton side from Surrey. With 7 of the squad having played and won an extremely demanding and memorable national league game at Wakefield the previous day, it was perhaps not surprising that the little extra spark to turn the almost continuous possession into goals was missing and the physical and mental effort involved had drained the players of much of the sharp and slick decision-making that is usually their trademark. With only an 18th minute goal from Amy Davies to show for their first half efforts when she pounced on a loose ball from a rebound to slap it through a narrow gap, Belper were disappointed with their performance. Surbiton's policy of long passes to relieve pressure were being successfully dealt with by the Belper rearguard but complacency could not be countenanced. Annabelle Church in goal made a crucial save in first half overtime, when she got down quickly to a penalty corner shot going just inside the post to deflect it away with her stick. The second half started the same way as the first had finished, with Belper enjoying the majority of possession. Finally in the 59th minute, a penetrating run by Rhiannon Rogers was illegally ended near the circle and Alice Sharp's speedy self-pass allowed her to enter the circle and whip a shot past the keeper. On 61 minutes Joanna Leigh, the hero from the previous day with her devastating 7 minute hat-trick against Wakefield, added another to her weekend total with a hard-hit shot from halfway into the circle to end Surbiton's hopes of any upset. To their credit the Surrey side forced a penalty corner in the 61st minute and the switch and subsequent shot beat keeper Charlotte Howarth inside the post to make the score 3-1. Two minutes later, Charlotte Hobbs, on the back post, restored the 3 goal advantage when she tucked away Laura Smith's fast and accurate centre to finalise the score at 4-1. Belper now journey to Cannock Hockey Club on 10/11th April to compete in the four team round-robin final to try to make it a record-breaking four wins in succession. Their opponents will be Buckingham HC from the south of England, Firebrands HC from Bristol and old rivals Wakefield HC from Yorkshire. Belper girls selected for England U18 Four Nations Tournament in Netherlands over Easter Good news for Belper Ladies came from England Hockey this week with the announcement that four of Belper's 1st team players have been selected for the Four Nations Tournament at Leusden Hockey Club near Amersfoort in the Netherlands over Easter and a fifth, Joanna Lane, has been named as a non-travelling reserve. In the Under 18 squad are Alice Sharp, Anna Toman and Joanna Leigh and they will play against the Netherlands, Germany and Spain in this annual tournament between Europe's top teams. Alice is already an Under 18 international and both Anna and Joanna represented England at Under 16 level last year and have made the step up in one year. Jessica Horn has been named in the Under 16 squad for the same tournament and this will be her second year at this level.  Belper move through to quarter finals of EH Cup. Belper 13 - Stourport 0 (HT 6-0) Scorers: Anna Toman 9c, 20f, 46c, 55f; Charlotte Hobbs 18c, 24f, 48f, 49f; Joanna Leigh 56f, 57f, 66f; Alice Sharp 20f; Sophie Hawkins 11s. Team: Charlotte Howarth, Annabelle Church, Laura Smith, Joanna Lane, Sophie Hawkins, Jessica Horn, Rhiannon Rogers, Alice Sharp, Anna Toman, Amy Davies, Charlotte Hobbs, Joanna Leigh, Amber Carnell, Rachel Mason, Amelia Browne. Injured - Camilla Hall. Following her two goals the previous day in the national league for the 1st team in their confident 2-0 win over Sheffield Hallam, Charlotte Hobbs had too many shots in her armoury for the Stourport defence to cope with as she notched up four quality goals to inspire Belper to a 13-0 win over a courageous Stourport side. Her pace and dribbling skill caused constant problems for the opposition and with 7 other 1st team national league players from Saturday's game with her on the pitch, Stourport were on a hiding to nothing. The power and pace of England U16 internationals Anna Toman and Joanna Leigh contributed another 7 goals as Belper's passing tore the Stourport defence apart at regular intervals. First team defenders Joanna Lane and Sophie Hawkins were in imperious form. Having only conceded two penalty corners in the last two national league games, they were full of confidence and this allowed them to show the full range of their attacking skills with some exquisite passing from the back to set up the chances. However, their immaculate skills at the back meant that neither keeper - Annabelle Church or Charlotte Howarth - touched the ball in their 35 minutes each on the pitch. In obtaining an early cushion on the game, Belper were able to give all 15 players in the squad plenty of pitch time. What was very pleasing was the quality of skill and decision making from the non-1st team players - Laura Smith, Amy Davies, Amelia Browne, Amber Carnell and Rachel Mason - who all slipped seamlessly into the patterns of play. The fact they were on the pitch for the majority of the second half - saving the legs of the 6 players who had 3 day international training camps starting the following day - and proceeded to score 7 goals as opposed to 6 in the first half, speaks volumes for their ability. Belper have drawn Surbiton at home in Round 5 - the quarter-final. The winner of this round goes to the National Finals 4-team round-robin tournament on 10/11 April.   These great action photographs are published courtesy of www.hockeyweb.co.uk official photographers to England Hockey. Belper win second successive national under 18 indoor title  By Tim BarlowU18 Indoor Squad: back row, Tim Barlow (coach), Charlotte Howarth, Rhiannon Rogers, Joanna Lane, Charlotte Hobbs, Camilla Hall, Annabelle Church, Jackie Sharp (manager), front row, Laura Smith, Anna Toman, Alice Sharp, Joanna Leigh, Sophie Hawkins, Amy Davies. Photo courtesy of HockeyWeb - click to view an enlarged image. Scorers: Joanna Leigh 5f, 11f; Sophie Hawkins 20f, Anna Toman 24c; Alice Sharp 24f. Belper Under 18's became National Indoor Champions for the second successive year at a packed TrentFM Arena in Nottingham on Sunday, with a convincing 5-0 victory over local hockey club, Beeston. Belper put pressure on their opponents from the start and were awarded two penalty corners within four minutes but Yasmin Haywood in the Beeston goal foiled both attempts. Two of Belper's Under 16 England internationals finally combined to break the deadlock in the 5th minute when Anna Toman, having got round the back of the defence, supplied the pass for Joanna Leigh to deflect past Haywood. Belper won another corner on 9 minutes but this also was saved. It was Joanna Leigh again on 11 minutes who increased Belper's lead when her initial shot was saved but the ball rebounded to her and she made no mistake with her second chance, planting the ball high in the Beeston net. Two more corner chances went begging before half-time as Belper strove to increase their 2-0 lead but Beeston doggedly remained in the game as Belper squandered their opportunities to make it safe. Belper continued to press after the break without reward and then suddenly, in the space of four minutes, the game was over. Defender Sophie Hawkins picked up an interception, drove forward, and planted a firm shot past Haywood. Two goals in the 24th minute set the seal on Belper's polished performance. Anna Toman finally managed to beat Haywood at a penalty corner and almost immediately Alice Sharp fastened onto a rebound to take the score out to 5-0 to make the Championship safe. Seven of the indoor squad now return to the outdoor game and their first National League fixture is on Saturday away to Sunderland. Sunderland have slipped into the relegation zone after a bright start to their season which included a 3-0 win over Belper. The Nailers will not only be looking to avenge that defeat but also to retain their 3rd place and try to gain ground on Sutton Coldfield and Durham University above them. Click here England Hockey report...  Under 18 Squad: Joanna Leigh, Laura Smith, Sophie Hawkins, Rhiannon Rogers, Joanna Lane, Camilla Hall, Charlotte Hobbs, Charlotte Howarth, Amy Davies, Alice Sharp, Anna Toman, Annabelle Church. Belper bid for second successive under 18 indoor title By Tim Barlow Belper’s Under 18 indoor team, the current national champions, were a class act in the England Hockey Board’s National Indoor Championships sponsored by the MAN Group at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield over the weekend. They won all their four group games in style scoring 26 goals and only conceding 5. Second in Belper’s group were Horsham Hockey Club from Sussex who, although they won three games, only scored 13 goals and conceded 14 giving them a goal difference of minus one in contrast to Belper’s plus 20. Horsham were Belper’s first opponents on the Saturday and suffered a comprehensive 8-1 defeat in the opening game. The Nailers were 5-0 up at half-time with three goals from England U18 international Alice Sharp and one each from Sophie Hawkins and Anna Toman, both England U16 players. In the second half Alice Sharp added one more and there were two for Joanna Leigh, Belper’s third U16 international player. Next up for Belper were Doncaster who proved to be much tougher opposition. Belper were 2-1 down at half-time although having the greater possession. This stung the Nailers into an angry response and they piled in 6 goals in the second half, Doncaster only managing a single effort to leave the final score at 7-3. Leigh added two more to her total, Charlotte Hobbs also bagged a brace and there was a goal apiece for Alice Sharp, Anna Toman and Rhiannon Rogers, Belper’s Senior Welsh indoor international. Game 3 on Sunday in the group saw a 7-1 scoreline for Belper and this time the team to suffer were the West representatives, Plymouth. 4-0 up at half-time courtesy of Alice Sharp (2), Rhiannon Rogers and Charlotte Hobbs, Belper eased out the second half with three more goals from Charlotte Hobbs, Anna Toman and Alice Sharp completed her second hat-trick. Belper needed to win their last group game against Canterbury to ensure that they finished leaders to have a favourable draw in the crossover semi-finals. This was Belper’s most professional performance of the weekend. Although the score was only 4-0 in comparison to the previous goal-fests, Belper did not concede a goal and only one penalty corner and that was in the final minute, Sophie Hawkins & Joanna Lane (England U18) having outstanding games as the defensive pairing. Belper steadily dissected the tight Canterbury defence with two goals in each half – Joanna Leigh 2, Alice Sharp and Rhiannon Rogers being the scorers. The final match of the weekend was the semi-final versus Harleston Magpies from Norfolk. A 1-1 half-time score was indicative of the attritional nature of the game. However, in the space of one minute just after the break, Joanna Leigh and Anna Toman put Belper into a 3-1 lead. Magpies came back with a goal at a corner seven minutes from the end but almost immediately Sophie Hawkins restored the two goal advantage at a Belper corner to earn a 4-2 victory. This now means that in the Under 18 final, Belper will play local rivals Beeston Hockey Club from Nottingham, winners of the other semi-final, on Sunday 31st January at the TrentFM Arena at the EHB’s National Indoor Finals Day at 12.30pm.  Under 16 Squad- Sorcha Cahill, Giverney Sanders, Ellie Miles, Kim Wilson, Kathryn Lane, Olivia Rafferty, Maddie Wood, Jess Horn, Rachel Griffiths, Nat Tipper, Charlotte Middleton, Becky Hawkins Belper u16 at National Clubs Indoor finals By Ruth Lane Belper travelled to Cocks Moor Woods Leisure Centre in Birmingham to play in the National Clubs Indoor finals and were drawn in a group with ISCA, Havering, Wycombe and Wakefield. The top two teams would qualify for the semi-finals, the winners of each would contest the final in the Trent FM arena on Sunday 31st January. The tournament started well with a goal in the opening minute of the opening game against ISCA, in Belper’s favour. The full squad of 12 were used in this game with all players making valuable contributions to the positive 4-1 scoreline, with three goals from Jess Horn and one from Nat Tipper. Belper’s second game of the day resulted in a 3-5 defeat against Havering, not withstanding Belper’s 3-1 advantage after seven minutes. The goals came from Charlotte Middleton (two) and Jess Horn. Sunday started well again with a 2-0 victory against Wakefield. Belper were totally dominant having thirteen penalty corners, compared with Wakefield’s three, before they scored in the 26th minute, adding a second just before the final whistle. Goals came from Kim Wilson and Jess Horn. The girls just needed to win, draw or even lose their final group game by 1 goal only to qualify for the semi-final. Again they dominated the game gaining 8 penalty corners compared with the oppositions three, but failed to score from any of them. Wycombe scored two goals late in the game to ensure they qualified for the semi rather than Belper. Overall the competition was a tight affair with Belper losing out by the narrowest of margins, however the girls gained great experience of indoor hockey both at the competition and during the preparation period and many thanks must go to coaches Martin Beckford and Tim Barlow.  Under 18 Squad: Joanna Leigh, Laura Smith, Rhiannon Rogers, Joanna Lane, Camilla Hall, Charlotte Hobbs, Charlotte Howarth, Amy Davies, Alice Sharp, Anna Toman, Annabelle Church. Belper u18 and u16 indoor teams bound for national finals By Tim Barlow Both Belper Ladies Under 18 and Under 16 indoor teams have qualified for their respective National Finals in the New Year. Although Belper have been National Champions at both age groups in the recent past, this was the first time that the club have had both teams qualifying in the same year. In a weekend of success at Aldersley Leisure Village at Wolverhampton, the Under 18 team were crowned Midlands Champions and the Under 16 team took the runners-up spot in their competition, the top two teams qualifying for the finals. In both final matches, the opposition was Beeston Hockey Club from Nottingham. Both teams scored 23 goals in total, with the Under 16s conceding 7 and the Under 18s 4. Excellent statistics.  First up on Saturday was the Under 16 competition. With the four teams having to play each other twice in a round-robin competition, Belper beat Sutton Coldfield 4-1 and 3-1 in their first series. In their second set of matches they beat Lichfield 9-0 and 6-1. Beeston also won their matches vs Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield convincingly, so both teams had qualified for the National Finals before they met in the two-match play-off to decide the Midlands Championship.The games were tense and tight affairs with Beeston emerging the winners in both cases. In match 1, Beeston took an early lead in the 3rd minute and try as they might, Belper could not break down the Beeston defence to share the points. In the second match it was Belper who opened the scoring though a well taken penalty corner by Jess Horn in the 5th minute. Alas, Belper's elation was quickly cut short as Beeston replied within a minute to level the scores. It remained 1-1 until three minutes from the end when Charlotte Middleton received a yellow temporary suspension card for preventing a free hit being taken quickly. With Beeston having a player advantage in the six-a-side indoor format, Belper were unable to prevent Beeston from going ahead. On Charlotte Middleton's return, the Nailers went on all-out attack to try to level the scores but only managed to concede a further goal to leave the Nottingham club 3-1 winners and Midlands Champions. Jess Horn had an opportunity at the end to reduce the deficit but had her penalty stroke saved. For Belper, Jess Horn scored 8 goals in the competition and Rachel Griffiths 6. Charlotte Middleton, Maddie Wood and Becky Hawkins registered 3 each. Belper now prepare for their finals at Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre in Birmingham on the weekend of January 23/24. Under 16 Squad: Giverny Sanders, Sorcha Cahill, Kim Wilson, Kathryn Lane, Ellie Miles, Olivia Rafferty, Jessica Horn, Maddie Wood, Charlotte Middleton, Rachel Griffiths, Becky Hawkins and Natalie Tipper. Results: vs Sutton Coldfield Round 1 - Won 4-1. Rachel Griffiths 1c,12c; Jessica Horn 9c; Charlotte Middleton 10c. vs Sutton Coldfield Round 2 - Won 3-1. Charlotte Middleton 1f, Rachel Griffiths 6f, Maddie Wood 8c. vs Lichfield Round 1 - Won 9-0. Charlotte Middleton 1f; Jessica Horn 8c,8f,9f,10f; Becky Hawkins 18f,19f; Maddie Wood 20f. vs Lichfield Round 2 - Won 6-1. Rachel Griffiths 8f,10f; Jessica Horn 9c,10c; Becky Hawkins 11f; Maddie Wood 17f. vs Beeston Round 1 - Lost 0-1. vs Beeston Round 2 - Lost 1-3. Jessica Horn 3f. The following day, Belper Under 18s went one better to clinch their Midlands title for the second year in succession. In their two pool games they beat Stourport 9-0 and Olton 7-1. In their semi-final versus Lichfield, Belper took an early two goal lead through Charlotte Hobbs and Joanna Leigh but despite control of the game, could not increase their advantage. Lichfield caused a degree of nervousness in the Belper ranks when they reduced the deficit just before half-time but two goals in the second half from Joanna Leigh eased Belper into a 4-1 scoreline which they maintained to the end. It was no surprise to find that Belper's final opponents were their longstanding rivals, Beeston HC, from along the A52. Belper opened the scoring in the 2nd minute with a clever deflection by Charlotte Hobbs from a corner. Joanna Leigh added a goal in open play 4 minutes later to take Belper into a comfortable 2-0 lead. The Nottingham club then stunned the Nailers with two goals in a minute to equalise. It remained 2-2 until the last minute, when captain Alice Sharp coolly converted a penalty corner to gain Belper the trophy. Alice Sharp and Joanna Leigh top-scored with 7 goals each and Charlotte Hobbs claimed 5. Other scorers were Anna Toman 3 and Rhiannon Rogers 1. The Under 18's National Finals are also on the weekend of January 23/24 but they will have to travel to Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield to try to retain their national title which they won at the NIA in Birmingham last year. Under 18 Squad: Annabelle Church, Charlotte Howarth, Joanna Lane, Anna Toman, Laura Smith, Camilla Hall, Alice Sharp, Joanna Leigh, Charlotte Hobbs, Rhiannon Rogers, Amy Davies. Results: vs Stourport - Won 9-0. Joanna Leigh 5c,9c,19f; Alice Sharp 7f; Anna Toman 9c,14c,23f; Charlotte Hobbs 10f,22f. vs Olton - Won 7-1. Joanna Leigh 2f; Alice Sharp 5c,8f,13c,14f; Rhiannon Rogers 14f; Charlotte Hobbs 25f. vs Lichfield - Won 4-1. Charlotte Hobbs 4f; Alice Sharp 6f; Joanna Leigh 10c,17c. vs Beeston - Won 3-2. Charlotte Hobbs 2c; Joanna Leigh 6f; Alice Sharp 20c. Belper U18's ease into round 4 of EH Cup. 29th November, 2009. Scorers: Charlotte Hobbs 13c; Joanna Leigh 14f, 45f; Anna Toman 20f, 60c. Squad: Charlotte Howarth, Rachel Mason, Joanna Lane, Sophie Hawkins, Judy Wrigley, Rhiannon Rogers, Alice Sharp, Anna Toman, Camilla Hall, Charlotte Hobbs, Joanna Leigh, Amy Davies, Amber Carnell. On Sunday Belper's Under 18 team moved smoothly through to round 4 of the England Hockey Board competition, sponsored by the MAN Group with a 5-2 over Leicester at Leicester Grammar School. Leicester scored after 2 minutes as Belper were still clearing the sleep from their eyes. Keeper Charlotte Howarth made a rapid triple-save but the rest of the defence were slow to help her out and the ball finally ended in the net. Belper were stung into a response but despite continuous pressure, it took until the 13th minute before they equalised with a neat deflection from Charlotte Hobbs at a penalty corner. One minute later Joanna Leigh took Belper into the lead with a low flick into the corner after Anna Toman had set up the chance with an excellent piece of dribbling skill and awareness. The score went out to 3-1 six minutes later when Toman rifled a shot past the keeper after good approach work by Alice Sharp. Ten minutes into the second half it was 4-1 as Leigh completed a flowing 9 pass move that encompassed 6 players to leave the Leicester defence stranded. On 51 minutes Leicester had a glimmer of a chance as they broke quickly to score their second but the Nailers put the match beyond doubt 10 minutes from the end, when Toman's quick thinking at a penalty comer allowed her the space to fire the ball past the excellent Leicester keeper. Belper's opponents at home in round 4 on February 14th 2010 are Stourport. Belper U16 lose EH cup game 0-1 v Beeston. 29th November, 2009. Squad- Sorcha Cahill, Giverney Sanders, Kim Wilson, Louise Hobbs, Maddie Wood, Olivia Rafferty, Ellie Miles, Kathryn Lane, Becky Hawkins, Rachel Griffiths, Brie Parkin, Cerys Parkin, Natalie Tipper, Alex Smith, Charlotte Middleton. Belper U16 girls travelled to Highfields, Nottingham to play local rivals Beeston in the third round of the EH Cup on Sunday 29th November. Both teams had won their previous round cup games quite easily, but on paper Beeston looked the stronger side. However, the Belper girls had prepared for the match and put in place a well drilled game plan of pressing the opposition when ever they were in possession of the ball. From start to the finish of the game the Belper girls maintained a fantastic disciplined performance and it was only their poor conversion at penalty corners that let them down. Beeston took the lead mid-way through the first half when a goal mouth scramble led to the ball hitting Olivia Rafferty on the foot on the line. The resulting penalty flick was efficiently despatched. However, this was the only real goal threat as several penalty corners were repelled by Rachel Griffiths captain Kim Wilson, Louise Hobbs, Olivia Rafferty and goalkeeper Giverney Sanders. The hard working midfield of Rachel Griffiths, Nat Tipper, Kathryn Lane, Becky Hawkins and Ellie Miles were a match for anything the opposition could throw at them and it was Rachel, Charlotte Middleton and Brie Parkin who were making inroads in the Beeston defence. Resulting penalty corners failed to test the Beeston defence. Half-time gave the Belper girls time for a rest and the second half quickly settled in to same pattern of play with both teams unable to make the most of their goal mouth opportunities. A series of Beeston penalty corners were saved by Giverney and Charlotte Middleton hit the outside of the goal from a Belper corner. One final penalty corner on full time petered out with no shot being taken and a highly contested game was won by the home side by one goal. The Belper girls put in a fantastic effort, were equally as good as Beeston throughout the game and should be justly proud of their efforts. Belper U18 girls off to convincing start. Belper 5 - Leek 0. 15th November, 2009. Scorers: Charlotte Hobbs 10f, 14c, 41f; Anna Toman 56f; Joanna Lane 70f. Squad: Charlotte Howarth, Camilla Hall, Joanna Lane, Sophie Hawkins, Judy Wrigley, Alice Sharp, Anna Toman, Rhiannon Rogers, Joanna Leigh, Jessica Horn, Charlotte Hobbs, Laura Smith, Rachel Mason, Amber Carnell, Amelia Brown. Belper Under 18s began the defence of their national title with a comfortable 5-0 victory over Leek on Sunday in the second round of the England Hockey Cup sponsored by the MAN group, having had a bye in round 1. This coincided nicely with last year's Under 18 team winning the Team of the Year Award at the Derbyshire Sport Awards Evening at Pride Park on the Friday night, for their exploits in becoming both indoor and outdoor national champions last season. With five players, albeit tired, back from their three day England Hockey training camp, Belper were always in control of the game, so much so that keeper Charlotte Howarth did not touch the ball. Star of the show was Charlotte Hobbs who netted a hat-trick. She opened the scoring on 10 minutes with a close range effort and followed it four minutes later when she deflected home Sophie Hawkins' pass at a penalty corner. Belper continued to press and Hobbs, Joanna Leigh, Anna Toman and Alice Sharp all had further shots saved by the alert Leek keeper to keep the score to 2-0 at the break. Hobbs put the result beyond doubt six minutes into the second half when she deflected an attempt by Sharp past the keeper. On 56 minutes Toman put a rasping drive into the corner of the goal and to round matters off in the final minute, Joanna Lane's reverse stick shot was deflected past her keeper by a Leek defender. Laura Smith made a promising debut for Belper U18s as did 14 year-old Jessica Horn, playing her first game at this level. Both Camilla Hall and Judy Wrigley were confident and composed as defenders.  Belper girls at England Hockey training camp Five of Belper's 1XI training squad - Jessica Horn, Joanna Lane, Joanna Leigh, Alice Sharp and Anna Toman attended an England Hockey training camp at Lilleshall, Shropshire from Thursday 12 - Saturday 14 November, 2009 following their excellent performances at the Futures Cup a fortnight ago. They now have to wait to hear if they have been selected for further training sessions and international games for the season.  Photos: John Hawkins Belper players star in Futures Cup tournament - October 2009 Belper's international players proved to be the star turns in the England Hockey Futures Cup Tournament held at Cannock Hockey Club over the weekend. This tournament is the annual first step on the ladder of international recognition, as the best junior players in England come to play together in four specially selected teams under the eyes of the England selectors. England Internationals Alice Sharp (Under 18) and Joanna Leigh (Under 16) proved to be the top scorers with 3 goals each for the all-conquering Mercia Lynx team who racked up a total of 17 goals in their four matches. They beat Wessex Leopards 6-1, Pennine Pumas 6-0 and Saxon Tigers 2-1 in their group games and in the final, a re-match against the Saxon Tigers, they earned a 3-2 victory. Equally important in the victory was the total of only 3 goals against in the whole tournament. At the heart of the Mercia Lynx defence were more Belper England internationals, Joanna Lane (Under 18) and Sophie Hawkins (Under 16), who hardly put a stick wrong over the four games. In addition Belper’s England Under 16 captain, Anna Toman, was hugely industrious in the midfield and contributed significantly to the team’s outstanding exploits as did first team striker, Charlotte Hobbs. Although not getting on the score sheet, she was instrumental in setting up several goals with her pace and stick skills. Final Table:
3/4 place: Wessex Leopards 2 – Pennine Pumas 0.  Photos: John Hawkins In the Under 16 Tournament, the Mercia Lynx team came third. The captain was England Under 16 international, Jessica Horn, who contributed 2 goals to her team’s tally of 4. Also in the team were Belper’s Rachel Griffiths, Natalie Tipper and Kim Wilson. Belper had the highest total (10) of club players involved in the tournament. Final Table:
10 players selected to represent Mercia Lynx
A total of 10 Belper players have been selected to represent the Mercia Lynx in the England Hockey Futures Cup tournament from October 29th - November 1st, 2009 at Cannock Hockey Club. This is the inter-regional tournament where the initial England age-group squads for the European and Home Nations Tournaments in 2010 are selected. In the Under 18 squad are: Sophie Hawkins*, Charlotte Hobbs, Joanna Lane*, Joanna Leigh*, Alice Sharp* and Anna Toman*. In the Under 16 squad are: Rachel Griffiths, Jessica Horn*, Natalie Tipper and Kim Wilson. * denotes already an England International player. Belper U18s win Amber Valley honours
Belper under 18s outstanding achievement of last season in winning both the England Hockey outdoor and indoor national championships has been recognised by the local council. In the annual Amber Valley Active Sports Awards Ceremony held at Alfreton Leisure Centre last Friday, the Belper Under 18 team won not only the Junior Team of the Year Award but also The Team of the Year Award. 16 Belper players selected for England competitions
Sixteen Belper players have been selected for the first competition stages in the selection procedure to represent Mercia Lynx at the Futures Cup and in the HIPAC competitions. In the Under 18 age group are Sophie Hawkins*, Charlotte Hobbs, Joanna Lane* and Alice Sharp*. The Under 17 squad contains Joanna Leigh* and Anna Toman*. A total of 6 players have earned recognition for the Under 16 competition - Rachel Griffiths, Louise Hobbs, Jessica Horn*, Olivia Rafferty, Natalie Tipper and Kim Wilson. In the Under 15 competition will be Rebecca Hawkins, Kathryn Lane, Elinor Miles and Maddie Wood. Belper's Welsh internationals - Rhiannon Rogers (U18) and Charlotte Middleton (U16) - are not permitted to take part in the latter stages of what are England selection trials and assessments. * denotes already an international player. Belper U13 Girls win Bronze Medal at Foremarke Tournament
Belper U13 girls came away with a well earned bronze medal from this Saturday’s (12th Sep) Foremarke tournament. With 8 teams in the tournament from across the Midlands, the competition was always going to be fierce. Belper opened their account with a 0-0 draw against Foremarke ‘A’ followed by a 1-0 win against Ranby House, a deflected shot from a penalty corner well struck by Alex. The final group game was against the highly impressive Bromsgrove School – Belper went 1-0 up following a great cross from Naomi and a superb finish by Niamh, however Bromsgrove responded well and got a goal back – final score 1-1. This meant Belper qualified for the semis where they met arch rivals Beeston. Beeston scored within 20 seconds of the start following a defensive mix up, however Belper were soon back on level terms with Nicola taking a fine free hit just outside the circle allowing Naomi to score at the far post. As the game went on Beeston started to get on top and ran out well deserved 3-1 winners. So onto the Bronze medal playoff match where Belper met Bromsgrove again. At the end of normal time the game was level at 1-1 and 5 minutes of extra time did not settle the match, Niamh in goal was outstanding keeping the sharp Bromsgrove forwards at bay. Best of 3 penalties followed however the teams were still level so onto sudden death penalties. Drama as the first two penalties from each side were missed or saved, then Alex stepped up and calmly slotted home – Bromsgrove had to score from their next penalty, the crowd were silent as the Bromsgrove player stepped up – Niamh made the save and the Belper players jumped in the air. A great tournament on a lovely day.  Belper u18 girls England Hockey National Champions for a third consecutive year By Tim Barlow Belper Hockey Club Girls' Under 18 team made hockey history at the National Finals at Birmingham University last weekend by being the first team to lift the trophy three years in succession - but only by the narrowest of margins as they beat Wakefield HC by a goal difference of one, at the end of the most pulsating match of the tournament. The elation at this result has now been tempered with the knowledge that a scan on Lucy Horn's knee has shown that she sustained a rupture to her anterior cruciate ligament and will need surgery that will keep her out of hockey for some nine months. Belper had to play three matches over the weekend. Their first on Saturday was a comfortable 4-0 win over Midland rivals Leicester. Charlotte Hobbs opened the scoring on 5 minutes with a deflection off a Sophie Hawkins' reverse stick centre that surprised the keeper. Six minutes later the keeper was again bamboozled, this time by a reverse stick shot from Alice Sharp that whizzed into the bottom corner. On the stroke of half-time Louisa Boddy was on the end of a slick corner move and fired the ball home from close range. Three goals up at half-time, Belper were able to cruise the second half and add one more goal from Anna Toman by the end. This was a fabulous four-pass move involving Louisa Boddy, Camilla Hall, Judy Wrigley and Toman which saw her slip the ball into the corner as the keeper advanced. However, the first half saw the knee injury to Lucy Horn that was to prove to be an influential factor during the tournament and its dénouement. Match 2 on Saturday against the South champions Reading, proved to be a stiff encounter. Lacking Lucy Horn's presence in midfield, Belper stuttered to 0-0 at half-time. A change of roles at the break saw captain Louisa Boddy move from defence into midfield. This proved to be the catalyst as within 4 minutes of the restart, Charlotte Hobbs snatched what proved to be the only goal of the game, when she saw her initial shot saved by the keeper but was able to bundle the rebound over the line. Sunday brought the showdown between Belper and Wakefield - who had also beaten Reading and Leicester - both on 6 points but Belper having a crucial advantage of a +1 goal difference over the Northern champions. Lucy Horn was unable to start but was on the bench in case of emergencies and her absence meant that Belper had to again re-shuffle their pack. It was a disjointed first half for the Nailers as Wakefield had the greater possession and forced a series of 6 penalty corners to Belper's none. The corner defence team of 'keeper Sabbie Heesh plus Anna Boyd, Louisa Boddy, Joanna Lane and Sophie Hawkins were magnificent in foiling all Wakefield's attempts to score. Alas, immediately after the break at the next corner, although Heesh saved twice in quick succession, the third attempt found its mark and Belper were a goal behind. Eight minutes later it was 2-0 to Wakefield as a first-time deflection off a hard-hit centre rocketed into the roof of the net with Heesh helpless. Drastic measures were called for and Lucy Horn came off the bench to play in central defence. Louisa Boddy and Sophie Hawkins moved up into midfield and Anna Toman joined the strikers. The effect was instantaneous as Wakefield were rocked back on their heels by waves of Belper attacks. Alice Sharp's mercurial dribbling skills won a penalty corner with 10 minutes to go. A slick move between Boddy, Lane and Hawkins saw Anna Boyd deflect the ball in at the far post to reduce the deficit. Now Belper just needed one more goal to win the tournament. With six minutes remaining Anna Toman won another corner. The penalty corner attack team that had served Belper so well in the National League had one last chance to get it correct. Louisa Boddy's strike was so fierce that it flew between the Wakefield keeper's legs before she could move. The backboard crack reverberated off the University's stone balustrades to mix with the Belper roars to signify the equaliser. With their international and national league experience coming to the fore, Belper calmly played out time to record their hat-trick of championship wins. To quote the Duke of Wellington after his victory over Napoleon at Waterloo - "a damn close-run thing." Squad: Sabbie Heesh, Ashleigh Theobold, Rachel Mason, Kirsty Macleod, Joanna Lane, Louisa Boddy, Sophie Hawkins, Judy Wrigley, Camilla Hall, Anna Boyd, Alice Sharp, Lucy Horn, Amy Davies, Charlotte Hobbs, Anna Toman. Final Table:
Competition Results: Round 1. vs Southwell Brincliffe - won 15-0. Round 2. vs Leek - won 9-1. Round 3. vs Olton - won 7-2. Round 4. vs Alderley Edge- won 5-0. Round 5. vs Southgate - won 5-1.  Belper take national under 18 indoor title in style Squad: Sabbie Heesh, Joanna Lane, Sophie Hawkins, Louisa Boddy, Lucy Horn, Alice Sharp, Anna Toman, Charlotte Hobbs, Kirsty Macleod, Jessica Horn, Sarah English, Rhiannon Rogers. Belper Ladies' Hockey Club's Under 18 indoor team triumphed at the Birmingham National Indoor Arena on Sunday at England Hockey's National Indoor Championships with a comprehensive win over Trojans Hockey Club. In front of a crowd of over 2,500 spectators, Belper put on an impressive professional performance to defeat the Southampton club 4-0 for their first win at this age level, having been Under 16 champions for the past two years. It was a cagey first half with both teams testing each other out and not wanting to concede the first goal. Trojans, having been defeated 7-1 by Belper last year's Under 16 semi-final, were understandably conscious of the Nailers' reputation. Belper were also well aware that Trojans' Under 21 German international, Pia Grambusch, had been the source of the vast majority of their goals leading up to the final and a 0-0 score at half-time reflected the cautious approach of both teams. Sabbie Heesh in the Belper goal made three excellent saves early on to repel Trojans' initial thrusts and both Alice Sharp and Louisa Boddy had efforts saved by the Trojans' keeper.  It was three minutes into the second half when Belper took the lead. As the ball broke free in the circle an inspirational piece of quick thinking by Alice Sharp produced a reverse stick flick that the Trojans' keeper could only just touch as the ball flew past her at head height and into the net. Two minutes later it was Alice Sharp again who seized on a goalkeeping rebound from Lucy Horn's shot, to slip the ball between the keeper's legs as she advanced. This seemed to give Belper increased confidence as Alice Sharp continued to make consistent inroads into the Trojans' defence with her penetrative dribbling and it was one of her mazy runs that drew two defenders and then a slipped pass to Louisa Boddy allowed her to whip the ball into the bottom corner. Trojans had their chances with a series of penalty corners but Belper's defensive organisation was equal to the task and Jo Lane and Sophie Hawkins both took shots off the line. It was again the Sharp/Boddy combination who put the final nail in the Trojans' coffin when a neat reverse pass from Alice Sharp in the last minute allowed Louisa Boddy to again fire low into the bottom corner to record the final 4-0 scoreline. Sabbie Heesh in goal was in masterful form as she dealt with all Pia Grambusch's corner and open play shots. Jo Lane and Sophie Hawkins were exemplary in their discipline as deep defenders and their inspired covering, intercepting and tackling resulted in no goals being scored - an remarkable statistic in a 30 minute indoor final as Trojans had scored an average of 4.6 goals a game on their way to the final. Lucy Horn controlled the oppositions' right hand board allowing them few opportunities to progress in that area as well as being a key passing outlet and left side playmaker. Captain Louisa Boddy in midfield, was instrumental in keeping Grambusch quiet for the majority of the game and supporting Lucy Horn and Alice Sharp in attack. Belper won all of their pool matches over the preceding two days in their progress to the final scoring 20 goals and conceding 7. The results were: vs Kingston Grammar School 8-5; - Belper were 1-4 down at half-time but a magical burst of 7 goals in 12 minutes did the trick. vs Bradford Wakefield HC 3-1; - Belper were 3-0 up inside 4 minutes, Bradford scored on 6 and that was it. vs Chelmsford HC 4-1; 1-1 at half-time and then Belper scored 3 goals in 7 minutes to put the game to bed. vs Isca Dragons HC 5-0; 1-0 at half-time, then the traditional powerful Belper 2nd half as they raced away . In the semi-final Belper defeated Millfield School 5-4. Half-time score 2-1 and then Belper eased out to 5-3 with Millfield scoring in the dying seconds. Belper final goal tally was: 29 for and 11 against - a goal difference of +18. In the pool and semi-final matches Louisa Boddy scored 11 goals, Alice Sharp 8, Lucy Horn 4 and Anna Toman 2. Team photo courtesy of Hockeyweb, official photographer to England Hockey. Read England Hockey report...  Four Belper girls savour super silver success On Sunday 13 July, 2008, Alice Sharp, Joanna Lane, Sophie Hawkins and Anna Toman became proud possessors of a European Championship silver medal when they lost 1-2 to the host nation, The Netherlands, in the final of the Under 16 Tournament at KZHC in The Hague. Having lost 0-3 in their pool match to the impressive Dutch outfit, the final was a much closer affair. In their other pool games, England beat Belgium 5-0 and Italy 4-1, with Alice Sharp scoring in both. In their semi-final England crushed the pool B winners Spain 4-0, to ensure their rematch with the Dutch who defeated Ireland in the other semi-final. Six Belper girls on u18 international duties An interesting Belper confrontation will occur at 2.00pm on Tuesday July 29th as 1st team Belper team-mates line up against each other in the Under 18 Home Nations Tournament in Cardiff. In the starting line up wearing the England Lion will be Louisa Boddy, Sabbie Heesh, Jess Wood and Lucy Horn, whilst sporting the Welsh Dragon will be Rhiannon Rogers. The Tournament also involves Scotland & Ireland and finishes on Friday August 1st. Only a few days before Rhiannon will have been in training with her opposition trio as Belper 1st team squad prepare for their forthcoming Slazenger England Hockey League campaign in the new North Conference league. If seeing some of her friends and team-mates in the opposition in Cardiff was not enough for Rhiannon, she is likely to get another dose of them in Bristol a month later when England and Wales clash again in the UK Schools Games tournament which is designed to represent a mini-Olympics as there are 9 different sports involved. On the other side of the halfway line this time for England will be Jess Wood again plus Belper U18 captain Alicia Robinson. The other countries involved in the UKSG are Scotland & Northern Ireland.  Team Slazenger initiative to assist young playersBy Nick Fox Slazenger are launching a grassroots scheme looking to support young players at all levels. The Team Slazenger initiative offers a wide range of support packages from free kit to heavily discounted product.
Slazenger has developed the ‘Team Slazenger’ support package to help assist aspiring young hockey talent. The sport lies with youth and it is our aim to support the future Club, International and Olympic players. There are 3 support packages on offer, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Each package is aimed to provide complete hockey support for the athlete. You’ll receive sticks, luggage, shoes, shin pads and protective gloves. We’ve also three special packages for goal keepers. As a member you’ll not only be given access to the best hockey products, but places on Slazenger coaching clinics run by the UK’s top international players and coaches, guest invites to key international matches and be the very first to test and use new stick technologies developed by the Slazenger product team. Please fill in the attached form and send it to the address on the form.  Belper u15/u18 girls National Club Cup Finals success  It was another remarkable weekend (10th-11th May, 2008) for Belper Ladies Hockey Club when the junior under 15 and u18 girls travelled to Canterbury Hockey Club to play in the England Hockey National Club Cup Finals. The u18's were a class act, winning the u18 title in style and a very young u15 team were amazing as they finished runners-up to Wakefield HC. Congratulations to all players, coaches, management and parents who have spent many hours at the training pitch and have run-up hundreds of miles travelling far and wide across the country throughout the season. Belper u18 girls triumph for a second consecutive year Tim Barlow With one slight hiccup, Belper Under 18 team retained their national title at Canterbury HC on May 10/11th by winning two and drawing one of their games. This victory is dedicated to those 2nd team players (and a few from the 1sts) who went and fulfilled a National League fixture at Nottingham in March to allow the Under 18 team to win their 4th round match at Hull (which England Hockey had timetabled on the same day) to progress to the next round. Without their club spirit and willingness to go and endure an 8-0 loss, a result that they knew was likely happen, the Under 18s could not have enjoyed their success at the weekend. Belper opened finals weekend on Day 1 with an impressive 5-0 win over Leicester. The team's control of the game was evident from early on and, but for an outstanding display in goal by England U18 keeper Lucy Dawkins, the score could well have been in double figures. Ellie Green opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a tap in at a pc after Louisa Boddy's powerful shot had punched a hole in the keeper's defences. Lil Robinson bagged a brace - a reverse stick chip over a horizontal keeper after the initial shot had been saved and then her trade-mark deflection at a pc via Louisa Boddy and Jess Wood, that has scored so many goals in the National League. Just after the break, Jess Wood was waiting at the far post to slap the ball home after Anna Boyd had eliminated 3 players along the back line and to finalise matters, Jo Lane delivered a cracking cross-shot at a pc that the keeper never saw. Belper were confident in the early start on Day 2 vs Harleston Magpies but they had not bargained for the determination and aggression that the Norfolk side exhibited from the start in their desire to take on the holders of the Trophy. Belper had enough chances to put the game beyond the Magpies' reach but it was not until 8 minutes into the second half that Charlotte Hobbs's mazy run set up Jess Wood to fire Belper into the lead. The feisty Magpies kept going and Belper did not help themselves with a number of players trying to win the game on their own. With two seconds to go, Belper conceded their first pc of the tournament. The initial shot was blocked by the runner-out but the subsequent mishit looped over all the defence and dropped under the bar to nestle in the net. A 1-1 draw between Magpies & Leicester and Leicester's 3-0 win over Chelmsford meant that Belper only needed a draw to take the title in their last game vs Chelmsford. No thought was further from their minds as in the 1st minute, Louisa Boddy's exquisite pass to Jess Wood ripped open the Chelmsford defence and her subsequent run and reverse stick shot was stunning in its execution. Belper were on fire as their pride in their performance had been dented in the previous game. On 16 minutes Lil Robinson's classy turn and quick shot put Belper in reach of the Trophy. Soon after, Alice Sharp's shot was then deflected past the stranded keeper by one of her own defenders and just before half-time, Louisa Boddy stepped up to thunder a pc against the backboard. At 4-0 Chelmsford were out on their feet. There was no let up in the second half as Belper continued to produce their best Under 18 performance of the season. Anna Boyd and Lil Robinson managed two neat deflections in the 35th and 48th minutes respectively and Alice Sharp needed no help this time from the defence as she smacked in a shot from the top of the circle. The match ended with Belper holding the ball in the back with ease of possession to run the clock down. As the sun sank low in the west behind the famous cathedral, so Lil Robinson led her team up the steps to receive their trophy and gold medals to emphasise once more, that they are the outstanding Under 18 team in England. No more need be added - they were simply the best. Belper LHC would like to express their grateful thanks to the following for their help in making this weekend possible: Belper Meadows Sports Club, Belper Rotary Club, Derbyshire Sports Injuries Clinic, The Lion Hotel, DHL and Derby Rugby Veterans. Squad: Sabbie Heesh, Ashleigh Theobald, Joanna Lane, Rachel Mason, Louisa Boddy, Rachel Sharp, Sophie Hawkins, Ellie Green, Anna Boyd, Alice Sharp, Lucy Horn, Jessica Wood, Alicia Robinson (capt), Charlotte Hobbs, Rhiannon Rogers. Finals Results: vs Leicester - won 5-0 (HT 2-0). Ellie Green 10c; Lil Robinson 25f, 31c; Jess Wood 27f; Jo Lane 37c. vs Harleston Magpies - drew 1-1 (HT 0-0). Jess Wood 31f. vs Chelmsford - won 7-0 (HT 4-0). Jess Wood 1f, Lil Robinson 16f, 48f, Alice Sharp 19f, 36f; Louisa Boddy 21c; Anna Boyd 35f. Final Table:
Competition Results: Round 1. Bye. Round 2. vs Cannock - won 4-0. Round 3. vs Nottingham Highfields - won 7-0. Round 4. vs Hull - won 6-0. Round 5. vs Reading - won 4-1. Belper u15 girls silver medalists Kathryn Lane Having won our four previous cup games of the season we made it through to the England Hockey National Cup Finals, this year held at Canterbury Hockey Club. The weather was gorgeous (if you weren’t playing) and the facilities and hospitality at ‘Polo Farm’ were great. After a long bus journey on Friday, everyone was ready for food and rest. The players and management teams were in good spirits even when we nicked all the pofiterolls from the under 18’s (sorry)! After a fairly early get up on Saturday, it was straight down to the club to prepare for the tournament. Our first game was against Wakefield whom we were sharing a hotel with and who we also believed to be the toughest opposition. We started the game really well and were unfortunate not to take the lead because of two great saves from the Wakefield goalkeeper and it was Joanna Leigh who scored the important first goal for the Yorkshire team to take a half time 1-0 lead. In the second half after some furious battling from both teams our heads dropped after once again Joanna Leigh found the net, the final score was 2-0. We rested and ate lunch, or in my case sucked a muffin to death! We watched the under 18’s and then warmed up for our second game of the day against Pelicans. In the team talk Ben and Lozza gave us two incentives, and I think the best tactics ever invented: ‘Win, and we’ll take you to the beach and buy you ice cream!’ These worked well and we won the game 6-3 with goals from captain Anna Toman (3), Nat Tipper, Charlotte Middleton and Georgi Horn. Maybe we shouldn’t have let three goals in but hey, we were off to the beach! Back at the hotel Ben was timing exactly five minutes to get ready so we alarmed the rest of the guests by running in with our hockey bags and charging down the stairs. After promising to bring shells back for the under 18’s (they’re weren’t any pretty one’s) we ran back upstairs (giving the guests another heart attack) and out onto the coach. The sea was freezing, but the ice cream was good! Tash was the first to dive in to the sea and everyone else followed (slowly in some peoples case). The next day we got up much later and didn’t have breakfast until 9:30. Arriving down at Canterbury HC, we ran down to the bottom pitch to support the under 18’s playing Harleston Magpies. We then played in the heat of the day at 1.15pm and performed really well winning 4-1 against Canterbury the host club with goals from Tash Webb, Georgi Horn, Anna Toman and Charlotte Middleton. Despite being beaten by a well prepared Wakefield team, we got a silver medal (and therfore we’re the second best team in England!) I’d just like to say thanks to Janice, Becky, Viv, Jackie, Tim, the bus driver Steve, all the parents, and well done to the under 18’s. A special big thank you to Ben for being an amazing coach, and I hope you enjoyed your five years of coaching the under 15’s. Hoping to see everyone at the mini hockey nationals next Sunday if you can make it. Well done everyone!   Four Nations Tournament at Mannheim HC in GermanyOver Easter, 21-24 March, 2008 six Belper junior girls travelled to Mannheim, near Frankfurt in Germany to represent England Hockey. Alice Sharp (vice capt.), Sophie Hawkins, Joanna Lane and Anna Toman represented England u16’s with Jess Wood and Lucy Horn representing England u18’s. Mannheimer Hockey Club has facilities any sporting body can only dream of - boasting two water based hockey pitches, an indoor hockey gym, superb clubhouse with bar and restaurant facilities and a 200,000 Euros video tower!! Unfortunately the only thing not under their control was the weather which proved to be very cold and windy with snow showers – at times it was an endurance test for the hardy supporters. Both age groups played Germany, Netherlands and Spain over the first three days in a league of four teams with the top two teams playing off for the winners spot and the other two teams contesting third / fourth place on the fourth and final day. England u16’s managed an encouraging draw in their opening game against hosts Germany but then lost the other three games by a single goal which was really not the complete picture as at times England were the better team as they certainly competed throughout all of their games but were unable to put the ball in the net at crucial times and maybe conceded too many goals. England u18’s started with a 2-3 loss to Germany, but then had a superb 3-1 win against favourites Netherlands. A 2-2 draw against Spain unfortunately was not enough to see them through to the final and they then lost to Spain 0-2 in the play off game. However, both teams should be encouraged by their overall performances with the u18’s due to play again at the Home Nations tournament in Cardiff during the summer and the u16’s who are now preparing for the European Championships in Holland in July. We wish the Belper players all the best over the next few weeks during further England training sessions and hope they can secure their places in these forthcoming squads. u16 results: Germany 2 England 2, England 2 Netherlands 3, Spain 3 England 2, Germany 1 England 0. (4th position). u18 results: Germany 3 England 2, England 3Netherlands 1, Spain 2 England 2, Spain 2 England 0. (4th position). |