9th September 2009
UK School Games arrives in South Wales
The multisport nature of the UK School Games provides hockey with a unique opportunity to expose its athletes, team managers, coaches, physios, umpires, officials and internal staff to the challenges and positive experiences similar to those of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. Within the UK, there are no other multisport events and hockey has no European or World level multisport event for young internationals other than the Youth Olympics in Australia for U-20s. The UK School Games therefore provides an important stepping stone to future high performance athletes and others roles. Hockey players are selected for the UK School Games through the regional/national talent development programmes in each of the home nations, which culminate in inter-regional competitions where players play for their own region. Players are identified to join the regional programmes after impressing in competitions for either their school or club, with national junior championship run in each home nation.
Come and show your support for Wales’s team at the Welsh Institute of Sport, Cardiff!
The UK School Games Opening Ceremony featuring an athlete parade, interviews with sport stars and live entertainment is FREE to the public and will be held in the Oval Basin, Cardiff Bay 20.30 - 21.30 on Thursday 3rd September.
UK School Games website - visit www.ukschoolgames.com
Photos of each match available at www.fidopics.co.uk / International tab
Friday 4th September
Girls
Wales opened their UK School Games campaign with what promised to be a tough match against England. For a time it looked likely that this promise would be fulfilled as England went 1- 0 up after only 5' with a powerful shot from the edge of the circle. The Welsh keeper's view was blocked so there was little chance to save it. England continued to press earning several penalty corners but Wales defended strongly with some fine saves from keeper Roseanne Thomas. By the later stages of the half Wales had settled down and began to find more spaces making some dangerous attacks themselves. The second half continued much as the first had ended with Wales putting together a couple of penetrating moves in the first ten minutes. A defensive lapse by Wales however let England increase their lead to two in a similar fashion to the first one after 51'. Both teams continued to press with England creating more opportunities than Wales but failing to convert any more to leave the final score at 2-0.
Boys
Wales boys exploded into action in their first game of the UKSG in Cardiff with a comprehensive victory over the Scots who failed to impress on this occasion.
Goals in the first half came from Gareth Furlong who converted a penalty corner with a well placed drag flick and a supreme second goal created by a series of quick passes from Paddy McDowell and James Kyriakides with Rhys Gowman adding the finishing touch to an accurate cross.
Wales did not let up in the second half and continued to push forward in an attempt to put the game out of reach of the opposition. A third goal came after just 5 minutes when Alex Humphries netted from the top of the D. A fourth goal follwed 10 minutes later when Freddie Campbell put away a cross from Gareth Furlong and a fifth came from Si Hodgkinson to round off an excellent performance.
Tomorrows game is against England, Wales will be looking to continue the open fast moving hockey that they demonstrated to good effect today.
| 11.00 | England | 2 | Wales | 0 | Girls |
| 13.00 | Scotland | 2 | Ulster | 2 | Girls |
| 15.00 | England | 4 | Ulster | 1 | Boys |
| 18.00 | Scotland | 0 | Wales | 5 | Boys |
Saturday 5th September
Girls
Wales got off to a flying start when forward Sophie Clayton sneaked a goal just inside the post after the Scots keeper saved a shot after just 10'. Wales maintained good shape and possession for the majority of the half but Scotland fought back and equalised after 21'. The teams went off 1-1 at half time which was a fair result after a close fought thirty five minutes. The second half continued in much the same vein with all to play for. Wales had a couple of chances from penalty corners but did not take advantage. The Scots also developed some scoring opportunities and managed to go ahead 2 - 1 after a breakaway with ten minutes remaining. Wales pressed hard and came very close to equalising just before the end but ran out of time to leave the final result as 1 - 2.
Boys
England conceded four green cards and three yellow cards on their way to their first ever defeat in the UKSG when going down 1-2 to hosts Wales. Despite taking the lead England could not hold on to their advantage for long, conceding five minutes later and then falling behind 20 minutes from the end of the clash against a Wales side who are unbeaten in the competition, having confidently beaten Scotland 5-0 on Friday evening. Brooklands' Peter Jackson followed up his goal in their opening match on Friday with another against Wales as England took the lead with a 17' short corner. But just five minutes later Wales' Dafydd Berry scored with a spectacular equaliser from open play to level the match and on 50', Wales added another from James Kirakides from which England failed to recover.
| 11.00 | Wales | 1 | Scotland | 2 | Girls |
| 13.00 | Ulster | 0 | England | 3 | Girls |
| 15.00 | Wales | 2 | England | 1 | Boys |
| 17.00 | Ulster | 8 | Scotland | 2 | Boys |
Sunday 6th September
Girls
Wales were determined to get some points on the board in their match against the Ulster girls, the last one of their UK School Games Tournament. A win and a bronze medal would the theirs. Wales started brightly and the early pressure resulted in a penalty corner which was smartly converted by defender Laura Sugar after 11'. Ulster reacted strongly to going one down earning a total of eleven penalty corners in the first half butonly managing to score the equaliser after 27'. Ulster followed this with a second goal, which was awarded despite protests from Wales that it should not have been allowed, to go ahead after 31'. Determined to cancel out the apparent injustice Wales pressed forward with defender Sophie Clough equalising from a penalty corner right on the stroke of half time. The game ebbed and flowed in the second half with Ulster applying slightly more of the pressure. Wales defence held strong until the 65' when Ulster managed to score what turned out to be the winner to leave the final score 2 - 3 to Ulster and the bronze medal in their hands.
| 10.00 | Wales | 2 | Ulster | 3 | Girls |
| 12.00 | Scotland | 3 | England | 5 | Girls |
| 14.00 | Wales | 2 | Ulster | 1 | Boys |
| 16.00 | England | 8 | Scotland | 1 | Boys |
Final Positions
Boys
Girls
1st Wales England
2nd England Scotland
3rd Ulster Ulster
4th Scotland Wales
