Belper u14 Boys National Champions after winning the England Hockey Junior Club Championships 2023.
Belper U14 boys met Wimbledon on Sunday 23rd April in the final of the England Hockey Tier 1 Cup, at the Nottingham Hockey Centre. As hockey matches go, the final had all the expected excitement and drama, with Belper being rewarded for their tenacity when Wilkins fired home a well-worked penalty corner after just 8 minutes giving Belper an early lead. As pressure mounted on Wimbledon, it was Wilkins again finding the net, giving him a brace of goals and taking Belper 2-0 up. Wimbledon then woke up and started to dictate the play, and were rewarded scoring at 18 minutes to take it to 2-1. Two quick goals in reply from Caton and Marval just before the half time whistle dealt the decisive blow and Belper went into half time with a 4-1 lead. Great defending and awesome saves by Cooling, meant Wimbledon couldn’t find a response in the second half. Result 4-1 to Belper.
Head coach, Mark Lamb said, “I am so proud of the boys. They have worked hard all season and developed into one of the most formidable teams in England for their age group, they deserve all the success they have earned. We have one more tournament left this season (the National Supra League Finals), so we are, of course, going for the double”.
The Belper boys were spurred on by club members who turned out in force to show their support. A massive thank you goes to coaches, Mark Lamb and Rory Stieger, manager Emma Williams and our sponsor Peak Liquid Packaging for their unwavering support.
Read the report in the Derby Telegraph HERE
The club are always looking for new players at both junior and senior level. To find out more visit our website at www.belperhc.co.uk and make an enquiry.