Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Bay’s show of strength earns them title double
Roller hockey
Herne Bay RHC’S strength in depth at under-15 level was on view as they recorded two league titles in one weekend.
The club were confirmed as Eastern Counties League champions on Saturday and then followed up by securing the top two positions in their local South Eastern Counties League the following day.
On Saturday Bay travelled to Sudbury needing just four points from their final four matches to clinch top-spot.
The day began in comfortable style against Peterborough W with Bay running in 14 unanswered goals.
King’s Lynn, title winners in four of the previous six seasons, proved much tougher opposition in a 2-2 draw but following another routine 7-0 victory over Cottenham Y, Bay drew 1-1 against Cottenham O to finish their campaign.
Bay finished undefeated with 14 wins and two draws from 16 matches, scoring over 100 goals and conceding just 11 times on their way to the title.
The following day at Maidstone YMCA centre, Bay’s two teams were looking to end the season strongly against local rivals HBU, Maidstone and Invicta.
HB1 began the day in third position needing three wins from three to leapfrog Maidstone and move into second, and the team duly delivered with wins against HBU (3-0) and Invicta (4-1) either side of a dominant 3-0 victory over Maidstone.
HB2, needing just one win to end the season as league winners, achieved their aim with comfortable wins over Invicta (11-0) and HBU (5-0).
A 4-2 win against Maidstone condemned the hosts to third place and confirmed HB1 as runners-up, and made it 14 wins from 16 matches for HB2.
Next up for Bay is the Under-15 National Cup final on July 2.
Eastern Counties squad: Lucas Crow (gk), Bailey Smith (gk), Nattie Hopper, Sian Emslie, Mason Albon, Herbie Hudson, Jake Rawlinson, Jamie Tritton, Charley Langford. South Eastern Counties squads: HB1: Bailey Smith (gk), Owen Laird-archer, Nattie Hopper, Finlay Norton, Mason Albon, Herbie Hudson, Jake Rawlinson, Callum Read-jones. HB2: Edan Emery-webber (gk), Sian Emslie, Jamie Tritton, Lewis Ing, Joe Witty, Charley Langford.