The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
The boys from Bretton Gate deliver their greatest victory
Hockey - City of Peterborough are a knockout
City of Peterborough claimed the best result in their history when knocking National Premier Division side Beeston out of hockey’s equivalent of the FA Cup last weekend.
Beeston have won the competition five times in the last 11 seasons, but they were stunned by the boys from Bretton Gate who triumphed 5-4 on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw.
It was a strong Beeston side as well. They were missing two Great Britain players, but they don’t play much for their club side anyway.
It was a third KO Cup meeting in four seasons between the teams with Beeston winning 5-1 in 2016 and 6-0 last year.
City believe the fact they are now a National League side themselves - they play in the division below Beeston helped as did the postponement of an East Conference match at Brighton the evening before the cup tie.
“This was the first time we’ve faced Beeston when we’ve not been playing our second game of the weekend, and they their first,” City manager Graham Finding said.
“That was important. We suspected our form was good anyway and we’ve made some slight changes in terms of system, positional and tactical so all credit to coach MIke Yeoman for his influence.
“It still needed 15 brilliant individual performances to beat Beeston’s regular league side. Everything came together to deliver a perfect outcome.”
Ross Ambler fired City 1-0 up in the second minute, but Beeston equalised within 60 seconds. The visitors took the lead five minutes before the break, but Danny Sissons levelled immediately and a goalless second-half meant penalties .
City ‘keeper Cameron Goodey saved three Beeston flicks enabling Grady Wing to fire home the winner and spark unforgettable celebrations.
City hope to take that form into Sunday’s National East Conference clash at fourthplaced Southgate.
City are hoping to make amends for an 8-1 drubbing at the hands of the Londoners at Bretton Gate in November.
City of Peterborough Ladies’ East Premier Division match at St Albans seconds was one of many matches postponed because of ice and snow last weekend.
They host Wapping at Bretton Gate on Saturday (1pm) and a win would take them above their fifth-placed opponents.