Harlequins Ladies Hockey Match Report

Harlequins 3 - UCC 2

Division 6 Cup

Sunday 10th April 2005

Scorers: H. Cahill, B. McCarthy 2

by Andrew Whitaker (Joint Coach)

Last Sunday the long awaited glory that harlequins has been looking for for so long finally arrived after numerous defeats in less prestigious competitions harlequins finally brought the bacon home. The ladies Fourth's after a titanic struggle emerged victorious. From the very start this contest brought back memories of the gladiatorial contests of ancient Rome. It was a lovely April afternoon but none of these teams cared for their blood was up.

The game kicked off there was an air of apprehension and due to the delayed start, not a few muttering's of "thank Christ... ". Harlequins attacked, UCC attacked, Harlequins attacked, UCC attacked etc... Then BOOM right wing cross and an open goal for the quins winger, but she missed it. The crowd wanted blood....... and they got it, quins centre forward tackled from the wrong side and bang goodnight Vienna (Something which we are all familiar of), she was last scene being taken to hospital by her mother, suspected broken thumb. This stirred the quins, no one messes with us. After about ten minutes (It took a while for them to get going) Hannah Cahill gets a deflection onto a cross from midfield (Something Ivan had being showing her), keeper saves, the ball is loose, the crowd quiet my chest tightening, then up pops Hannah and puts it under the keeper, the sound of it hitting the backboard was like a firework to begin scenes of celebrations not seen since VE Day. We were in front.

Half time hit, the team talk was brisk and to the point, they were told to start this match as if it was 0-0 and not concede, they were ready... thirty seconds later some a UCC attack saw them equalise.

Then BOOM 5 minutes later we were behind, didn't quite see it as it was very scrappy, scrambled over the line. The pain in my left arm kicked in, the bench was silent, Ivan was silent. This woke the girls up, they attacked with vigour. The game see sawed between the teams (felt a bit sick), then BOOM we got a short corner, well we had got about 25 before hand but we decided to give UCC a chance by not actually doing anything with them. This time we struck, the ball pushed out to Becky "Wendy" (Irish examiner name) McCarthy and like a rattle snake going for my foot the ball was in the net. We were BACK.

We pushed forward looking for the winner but we weren't looking in the right places Then the umpire put her two fingers up (we hadn't been getting along all day) and it was over, extra time beckoned, not a happy chappy as I was meant to be in Barry's for 6:30 but we all had to make a few scacfices.

1st half of extra time began, nothing much happened we were all getting tired.

Now the last ten minutes began, our shot at destiny, we were born to win this. We pressed hard, they pressed harder, tooing and froing, pints being pulled, then BOOM we got a short corner. The comment "wouldn't it be nice if they actually put the bloody thing in the net was heard", they must have heard it on the pitch too. Time seemed to stand still, the ball was passed out to Becky, the stick went back (quite a way back) she hit the ball , lightning flashed (okay made that bit up) the ball spun towards the goal, the keeper was there, iht the pads making a sound like a sonic boom, but it crept past, it was going in then, crack, it hit the backboard, it's there. We were in front, on the home stretch, the final count down you get the feeling.

Then four minutes later it was over, we avenged harlequins honour, all the pain of 75 years wiped away by these brilliant 16. The screams of joy filled the air, quickly followed by half the dog population of cork. We had done it after 18 years since last winning the cup, some of the team wasn't even born then.

What next you ask well most of the team well move on to newer pastures, what about the coaches, well they hear there is a well known first's team going to be looking for a coach soon, who knows?