1st team presses on
On Friday 22 January, the Eastbourne College girls 1st XI hockey team beat Kirkham Grammar School 3-1 at home in the quarter-finals of the Smile Group Travel ISHC National Competition. This win has secured them a place in the semi-final stage where they will meet Cheadle Hulme School away in Cheshire.
The quarter-final match was played in appalling weather but this did not dampen the determination of either side. Kirkham Grammar started the game as the stronger of the two teams and soon put the Eastbourne College defence under pressure with some fast and direct attacking moves. Goalkeeper, Bex O’Dwyer made a series of excellent saves to keep the scores level, however Kirkham managed to score just before half time to go into the interval 1-0 up.
The Eastbourne girls came out after half-time to produce some excellent attacking hockey that saw Katie Butler-Manuel equalise and then Holy Goble score twice as Eastbourne found their passes and dominated the second half. There was still some defending to do as Kirkham pressed hard in the closing minutes, but great work from Augusta King and Bex O’Dwyer ensured that the home team progressed into the final four of the competition.
