Indoor
The Ladies Indoor team have won the EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Challenge 2011. Fantastic achievement! Here is all the news from the tournament.
Team: Grace O’Flanagan (GK), Isobel Joyce, Kate Dillon (C), Holly Jenkinson, Kate McKenna, Cecelia Joyce, Ruth Hutchinson, Emer Lucey, Helen Johnston, Eimear Dolan, Orla Fox, Lisa McCarthy
Coach: Kenny Carroll
Manager: Siobhan Smyth
Videographer: Tristan Seaton Stedham
Proud Champions Feb 2011
Champions!
Officially crowned
Champion Coach
Kate Dillon, Railway’s captain lifted the Eurohockey Indoor Women’s Club Champions Challenge in Bratislava when Railway beat Turkey’s champions Nizip Halk Egitim SC 6-4 today. The hosts KPH Raca had earlier beaten the Croatian’s HC Zrinjevac, who had beaten Railway 6-4 yesterday. Railway finished the tournament on 11 points, the Croatians got silver on 10 points with hosts KPH Raca on 8. Railway’s opponents in the final match (Nizip Halk Egitim SC) finished 4th. The top two in the tournament (Railway and HC Zrinjevac) win promotion into the Eurohockey Indoor Women’s Club Champions Trophy next year, where Ireland will be represented by Armagh.
Come on Railway!
Click here for the official webpage from the tournament.
MATCH REPORT 5: Railway 6 Nizip Halk Egitim SC (Turkey) 4
Railway scorers: Kate Dillon (3), Isobel Joyce, Kate McKenna, Cecelia Joyce
In the match today Railway found themselves a goal down after a minute when Nizip were awarded a penalty stroke after their attacker was taken down in the circle. In the second half of the first half, though, Railway’s dominance bore fruit when they scored 3 goals to go into half time 3-1 up. The first came from another penalty stroke when Orla Fox, having a great game in the centre for Railway, was taken out. Kate Dillon made no mistake from the spot. Kate Dillon was scorer of the second Railway goal following good work by Kate McKenna who rounded the keeper for Kate Dillon to slot home. Isobel Joyce was the scorer of the third goal, scoring off a penalty corner switch. Despite being 2 goals ahead the second half was a tense affair as the young, skilful and fiery Turkish team tried to make up the deficit. It was Railway, however, who put the goals on the scoreboard, the first after 2 minutes when Kate McKenna scored the goal of the match, receiving a ball on the edge of the circle and beating the keepr with a cracking shot. Kate Dillon increased Railway’s lead with another penalty stroke when a Turkish defender took a ball to the body on route to goal. Despite being 4 goals ahead with just 10 minutes to go Railway could not relax as Nizip continued to apply pressure. They were rewarded in the 11th minute when they scored from open play. Railway increased their lead 3 minutes later when the Joyce twins combined to score Railway’s 6th goal – Isobel the supplier and Cecelia the finisher. At 6-2 with 5 minutes remaining the Turkish team got two more scores from a penalty corner and a penalty stroke .. but ran out of time and Railway were champions.
MATCH REPORT 4: Railway 4 HC Zrinjevac (Croatia) 6
Railway scorers: Kate Dillon 3, Kate McKenna
Railway played the Croation table toppers from the other pool, knowing they were facing a tough indoor test. So, they could hardly believe their luck when they were 2 goals up in the first minute! Coach Kenny Carroll’s tactics were working to a T! First, from the tip off Kate Dillon finished off a fine passing move after 14 secs. With just 42 secs on the clock Railway had their second goal when Kate Dillon dispossessed a Croation defender and slotted home. The Croatians, however, registered their first score after just 3 minutes scoring their fist corner with a flick high to the right hand corner despite the best efforts of Grace O’Flanagan, the Railway GK. On 5 minutes and 7 minutes they repreated this feat, with Railway scoring through Kate McKenna on 6 minutes after dispossessing a defender. So after 7minutes it was 3-3. The game then settled down, with the Croatians employing a half court press deep in their own half and trying to catch Railway on the counter attack. Railway had the ball in the goal 3 times but all were disallowed for various infringements – and so it remained 3-3 at half time. Just on the re-start HC Zrinjevac went ahead at just 50 seconds when a high forward slotted home behind the Railway defence. Railway showed patience and tenacity to create chances and were rewarded when Lisa McCarthy won a corner on 13 minutes which Kate Dillon duly converted. They remained on par until the Croatians stepped up the pace winning a corner 4 minutes from the end which Grace O’Flanagan saved brilliantly. However, Railway failed to clear and the Croatians won another corner which they scored using a switch. Railway went in search of the equaliser but got caught on a counter attack one minute later and again the Croatian penalty corner flicker put away the resulting corner with 18 minutes on the clock. Railway took their GK off, replacing her with a ‘kicking back’ but were unable to reduce the deficit in the time remaining. After 2 games in the ‘promotion pool’ HC Zrinjevac top the pool on 10 points, Railway are 2nd on 6 points with Nizip Halk Egitim SC (Turkey) on 3 points and the hosts KPH Raca on 3 points. Railway play Nizip Halk Egitim SC tomorrow in the last game of the match, their final placing in the tournament dependent on the result of this match and the outcome of the match preceding them between pool toppers HC Zrinjevac and the hosts KPH Raca.
Click below to see the goal:
Railway Goal #1 v HC Zrinjevac
Railway Goal #2 v HC Zrinjevac
Railway Goal #3 v HC Zrinjevac
Railway Goal #4 v HC Zrinjevac
MATCH REPORT 3: Railway 1 KPH Raca (Slovakia) 0
Scorer: Kate Dillon
In a very tight, and at times rough, match against the hosts Railway scored the only goal – a corner flick from Kate Dillon 11 minutes into the second half. The match was a tense affair but Railway were marginally on top through-out winning 6 short corners to the hosts 1. It was a superb team performance from Railway who were playing total hockey – all defending, all attacking, with an extraordinarily high work rate. The hosts upped the ante in the last 9 minutes but with the result that 2 of their players spent time in the sin bin after flooring first Holly Jenkinson and then Kate Dillon. The result means that Railway top their pool on full (15 points), carrying the result of this match (and the 5 points) into the top four promotion pool. They play the Croatians Hockey Club Zrinjevac, who topped pool B, this evening at 7.30pm (6.30 Irish Time) and the second placed team in Pool B, the Turkish Nizip MAE Halk Egitim SC, in the final match of the tournament at 13.40 (12.40 Irish Time) tomorrow.
Click below to see the goal:
MATCH REPORT 2: Railway 9 v CF Os Belenenses (Portugal) 1
Railway scorers – Kate Dillon 4, Holly Jenkinson 2, Cecelia Joyce 2, Kate McKenna 1
To the sound of the noisy Railway supporters just arrived off the plane, Kate Dillon opened the scoring after 2 minutes receiving a ball on the left hand side of the circle and slotting home. After a period of frantic play Railway were awarded a stroke when Cecelia Joyce was taken out by 2 defenders in the circle. Kate Dillon duly did the honours flicking high to the keeper’s right hand side. Railway put 3 on the board a minute later courtesy of Kate Dillon again when she slotted home from Lisa McCarthy. The Portuguese won the first corner of the game in the 14th minute but Grace O’Flanagan was out like a flash to smother the flick. Eimear Dolan saw green and took a 1 minute break after a fracas on the right hand board. Railway continued to control the game and with the return to full complement Kate McKenna scored Railway’s 4th on the half time hooter. Half Time – Railway 4 – CF Os Belenenses 0. The second half started a hectic pace with Railway adding another 3 goals in the first 5 minutes – Cecelia Joyce after good work by Kate McKenna, Holly Jenkinson who drove through from the back and Cecelia Joyce again (no jet lag in her legs despite stepping off the plane just over a hour earlier) following a good move down the right by Emer Lucey. The Portuguese got their first of the game half way through the second half when they scored from the right hand side of the circle. Railway were soon in the ascendancy again when Holly Jenkinson scored from a corner slip and Kate Dillon added to her tally following good work by Isobel Joyce.
Click below to see the goals:
MATCH REPORT 1: Railway 3 vs HK Bask (Serbia) 1
Railway scorers – Kate Dillon, Lisa McCarthy x 2
Railway opened their account in their inaugural European Competition with a win against Serbian’s HK Bask. Indoor veteran and captain Kate Dillon opened the scoring with a trade mark flick at a penalty corner but it was starlet Lisa McCarthy who secured the 5 points for the win with a brace. After Kate Dillon opened the scoring Holly Jenkinson made a strong run from the back and Lisa McCarthy slotted home the lay off to put Railway 2 up. It was a tight match, in which, Emer Lucey, Holly Jenkinson and Grace O’Flanagan, the Railway Goalie, were outstanding in defence. However, HK Bask caught Railway on the break to get one back before half time (Railway 2: HK Bask 1). In a hotly contested 2nd half HK Bask levelled with 10 minutes remaining and put Railway under pressure with a number of corners, bravely defended by Holly Jenkinson and Grace O’Flanagan. 3 minutes from time Lisa McCarthy touched in a pass from Kate Dillon after a good passing move. The other match in Railway’s pool was won by the Slovakian hosts KPH Raca beating the Portuguese CF Os Beleneses 7-3. Railway play the Portguese at 19.00 (18.00 Irish time) this evening, strengthened by the arrival of Cecelia Joyce, and some travelling reporters.
Click below to see the goals:
- Indoor 2010/11 Squad
The Ladies Indoor team have reached the final of the National Indoor Trophy weekend of the 12th & 13th of February in the Tallaght Stadium! The Ladies won their group beating Glennanne 3-2 and Trinity 4-1 yesterday and this morning beat Galway 4-2 in the semi-final. They play in the final today Sunday 13th Feb at 16.15. Come along to the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght and support the girls in their quest to retain the title for a second year!
Update 14th Feb
Commiserations to the Ladies Indoor team who lost out 2-1 in the final of the National Indoor Trophy yesterday to Armagh. Heartbreakingly for the Railway Ladies, the game was tied at 1-1 until Armagh were awarded a short corner right on the final hooter which they converted to take the title. Congratulations to the Railway Ladies and their coach Kenny on getting to the final and for their excellent displays all weekend. Congratulations also to Armagh.
Read on for Helen Johnston’s report on the weekend:
Railway relinquished their national indoor title the weekend of the 12th February, losing out when Armagh scored the winning goal on the final hooter after a close fought match. Railway won their pool on Saturday beating Glenanne 3-2 in a tight match at 9.00am. Coming twice from behind through goals from Holly Jenkinson and Kate Dillon, Cecelia Joyce put Railway ahead in what turned out to be the winning goal. Next up was Trinity at 10.15 where Railway built a 2 goal lead through Cecelia Joyce and Kate Dillon. However, Trinity narrowed the lead to one and it wasn’t until the last quarter that Kate Dillon put the game beyond doubt with 2 trade mark flicks from penalty corners. Railway returned to the National Basketball Arena on Sunday morning to face Galway in the semi-final. Railway raced into a four goal lead through Kate Dillon (2) and Cecelia Joyce, with Lisa McCarthy adding a stylish 4th goal finishing off a fine passing move with a high flick. Galway rallied and got 2 goals in the last 5 minutes. So to another final, with the stands bedecked in green and yellow, and the team cheered on thanks to our stalwart supporters. The final itself was a low scoring affair – Armagh scoring their first corner in the first minute and Railway looking for the equaliser for most of the remainder of the game. Their goalkeeper was proving hard to beat, saving a stroke from Kate Dillon. Kate McKenna got the important equalising goal half way though the second half, following good work by Isobel Joyce and Holly Jenkinson. Just when it looked like extra time was on the cards, Armagh won a corner from which they scored and with it took the trophy. Notable performances from GK Grace O’Flanagan who got her best work-out all season and Holly Jenkinson who took a battering in defence but was also central to the Railway attack. Thanks are due to coach Kenny Carroll, who not only guided the girls to the final, but also played for the Railway men’s team who won their group but were narrowly beaten in the semi-finals by eventual winners Three Rock Rovers. We wish Kenny and the girls all the best in the European Indoor Club Challenge tournament in Bratislava. Pictures of the girls in action – in their new gear - are available on the Hook website, courtesy of Tristan. The indoor squad would like to thank everyone who supported their fundraising quiz on Friday night – it was a great success with 27 teams taking and some great prizes won!
Weekend Results
Saturday 12th February 2011
Railway Union 3-2 Glenanne
Railway Union 4-1 Trinity
Sunday 13th February 2011
Semi-final: Railway Ladies 4-2 Galway
Final: Railway Ladies 1-2 Armagh
