National honour for rising hockey stars
Perthshire Hockey Club’s talented under-18 team have become history-makers after winning the National Club Cup for the first time.
Edinburgh’s Peffermill playing fields provided the platform for the determined local squad to shine in a close-fought final win against Inverleith.
Messages of congratulation have still been flooding in after the weekend success as club members now reflect on a special triumph.
Kerr Thomson, the team’s assistant coach, spoke of his pride and thanked all who made the day possible.
He said: “It’s the first time the club has managed to win this cup. They had been very close in the past.
“Neil Mitchell, our other coach, has been taking this team for 10 or 12 years and got close with other teams who had quality players.
“Those teams included big brothers of players who have won it this time around. So there a few little bragging rights for the wee brothers!
“It’s a big boost for the club and brings the visibility of hockey in this area to the fore. It’s well deserved.
“These kids have put in years worth of work and it’s not something that has just happened. It’s been a long, drawn out approach.
“Many of them have come up from seven or eight years old together. The really good news is, of the team, only two aren’t eligible to play next year.”
Shire’s route to the final was made possible thanks to a last four 2-0 win against Grange, Ewen Kilpatrick and Tom Cahalin the scorers.
“It was always going to be a tough game against Grange in the semi-final,” coach Thomson continued.
“They have some good players and the coaches are good at setting the team up. But the boys worked really hard and were one up at half-time.
“In the second half we absorbed a lot of pressure and defended really well. The boys were very solid.
“We managed to score on the break with a well-taken reverse hit goal three or four minutes from the end. We were elated with that result.
“It was a real boost and we were confident, because we know that we train well, work hard and get them prepared.
“Grange are a big club in Edinburgh with a lot of kids to choose from. It’s great for Perthshire to overcome that.”
Spirits were high heading into the showdown match with Inverleith, a side Shire had drawn 1-1 with in the qualifiers the week prior.
“We went into the final with a real positive attitude,” said Thomson. “We were keen to take the game to the opposition.
“I have to say that, in the final, both goalkeepers played brilliant and made three or four saves to keep their teams in the match at various points.”
The all-important breakthrough came with only five minutes remaining on the clock. Cameron McNeil’s penalty corner found the back of the net to spark jubilant celebrations in the Perth end.
Time still remained but the determined youngsters remained resolute.
Thomson continued: “We had a number of short corners that we didn’t manage to convert.
“But five minutes from the end we managed to score to take the lead. From there, it was just a case of managing the game out to the end.
“Satisfaction is probably the word I’d use when the goal went in. It gave the boys confidence to know that they could move on and see the game out.
“There weren’t too many further chances after the goal - and we managed to keep them at bay.”
The team are indebted to the support of sponsor Stephen Homes while coaches thanked parents for their continued efforts throughout the season.