Sheffield Hockey Club

Sheffield Hallam men retained the YHA Men’s Champions Trophy for the third time at Wakefield HC last weekend with a weakened squad.

The competition was played as a four team round-robin due to the withdrawal of two teams with two games being played on Saturday and one on Sunday. Hallam started the ball rolling with a tense game against hosts Wakefield and it only took Wakefield five minutes to take the lead through ex-Hallam player Danny Berry. Wakefield have strengthened their squad following promotion last season from the North League to the National League and while they were very much the best team in the North competition in the national arena things will be much tougher. The signing of second-top goal scorer Berry, along with Owen Leask from Doncaster, will go some way to providing the ammunition needed for their national campaign; They still have some way to go to guarantee a good first season.

Hallam were soon on the case and it only took Hallam five minutes to equalise when new boy Sukhdeep Singh Sidhu’s pacey penalty corner drag flick found the back of the net. After this Wakefield’s play became a bit ragged and it was when Wakefield were short-handed due to two yellow card sin-bin offences that Hallam took the lead through up-and-coming teenager Adam Harriman.

After the break Hallam continued to pressure Wakefield but they had to watch their backs when attacking as Wakefield’s Moorhouse is capable of winning the one-on-ones on the break. Half way through the second period Hallam’s captain Alex Bailey was yellow carded for five minutes and Wakefield immediately took advantage when Oliver Couttie converted their second penalty corner of the match to level the scores at 2-2.

After that both sides pressed hard and Hallam’s persistence finally paid off when Dave Goodfield ended a four pass move with the winning goal for the cup holders.

Hallam’s second was against local city rivals Sheffield University Bankers and it was not quite as exciting as the first game although Hallam did play well Bankers raised their game following their first match 3-1 defeat by Doncaster. Bankers played with width and moved the ball around well while Hallam appeared tired after their earlier exertions but Hallam’s class finally told when Joe Bradley netted just before the break to spark the game into life.

Hallam failed to capitalise on their lead in the second period coming close on occasion but never really threatening to open the flood gates. Bankers kept their cool and continued to play the ball round and Matthew Kettley equalised with a deserved goal with eight minutes left. Hallam could have won the game three minutes later when they were awarded a penalty stroke following a very rash challenge but Tom Barrett could only the find the post and the chance of a late winner disappeared.

At the end of Saturday’s competition Hallam were top of the table on four points, followed by Doncaster and Wakefield both on three and Bankers trailing last on one. Hallam would have to beat Doncaster on Sunday to guarantee winning the trophy but if they drew they would have to hope that the Wakefield v Bankers game also ended in a draw for them to finish top.

The Sheffield Hallam v Doncaster had been seeded as these two teams were reckoned to be the strongest of the four and the game on Sunday didn’t disappoint. The play was end-to-end and as the game progressed Doncaster were probably the better side although the half time score of 0-0 didn’t really reflect what had gone on.

This all changed after the break when one of Hallam’s new signings, Roy Scott, found the net in open play just after the break and five minutes later Adam Harriman scored his second to give Hallam a comfortable 2-0 lead. Complacency is something that team should avoid at all costs and it is often said that teams are most vulnerable just after they have scored and it proved so as another ex-Hallam player, Josh Barras pulled one back for Doncaster.

But it was not enough. Had Doncaster taken advantage of the penalty corners they had won when, for once, Tim Shelley failed to convert any of them, they would have beaten Hallam and taken the trophy home. As it was Hallam kept them out and received their reward retaining the Champions Trophy for the third year in a row.

This was a good performance by Hallam playing with only half their probable national league starting line up as top scorer Phil Roper was on England international duty and Rhys Gowman and Mike Shaw were similarly absent but playing for Wales in Cardiff. David Smith had been playing alongside Hallam’s Nicola Cox against the Welsh for the England mixed squad.

Champions Trophy Squad: Simon Hujwan (GK), George Ratcliffe (GK), Will Burns (GK)Tom Barrett, Alex Bailey (Capt) David Goodfield, Jack Rogers, Tom Feasby, Tim Baker, Saul Halladay, Chris Woodcock, Adam Harriman, Brendan Creed, Sukhdeep Singh Sidhu, Joe Bradley, Josh netherwood, Roy Scott, Duncan Longson. Coach: Vicky Joel

Hallam welcome several new faces to their squad for the coming season with the inclusion of Martin Sutherland, Adam Dunbavand, Roy Scott, Sukhdeep Singh SIdhu. Players that have moved on include: Martin Ebbage who joins Premier Division Cannock, Pat Longson who has moved to London and has joined Old Loughtonians, Danny Berry as previously mentioned, who has joined Wakefield, Alex Humphries who has finished at Hallam Uni rejoins his former club Bowdon and Scott Sanderson who has returned to his roots at Chapeltown.

The other major change to Hallam’s set up is end of a six-year very successful partnership between Hallam and their men’s first team coach Gareth Tyler, who will be concentrating on his England duties. Vicky Joel, who is an England Hockey centrally-contracted coach who was Gareth’s understudy last season has taken over the men’s 1st team squad and will look to consolidate last year’s second place and hopefully go one further and get to the play-offs for a place in the Premier Division.

This week Sheffield Hallam start their EHL Men’s North Conference campaign against Midlands-based new boys Khalsa, coached by yet another ex-Sheffield play, Scott Cordon. This game will start at 6.30pm at Abbeydale Park and be played under lights.