Mansfield Hockey Club U18s have made club history by reaching the National Plate final for the first time in their 58-year history.
They will face Havant in the final this Sunday at Guildford.
This follows a nailbiting 3-1 semi-final success over Middlesex club Ashford in which Mansfield came from behind to win with two ice cool Ben Morris penalty flicks.
Ashford started st
rong and took the lead within 10 minutes and then dominated.
However, Mansfield held on until the 34th minute when Paul Lester made it 1-1 just before half time.
Coaches Clive Morris and Chris Goddard spent the interval helping their players believe in themselves.
They came out a different side, had most of the play and, when Ben Morris was through on goal, he was fouled to gave Mansfield a penalty flick.
Ben stepped up to follow in his dad’s footstep as the ‘ice man’ on big occasions to make it 2-1 with 10 minutes to go
Ashford pushed forward for an equaliser but left Chris Portman to run the length of the pitch, only to be brought down.
Another penalty flick saw ‘ice man junior’ Ben make it 3-1 and secure victory.
On the way to the final the boys also beat: Sheffield Hallam (a nailing biting 5–4, Derwent (walkover), Sutton Coldfield (5-1) and Northampton Lions (quarter final - 4-3 after trailing 2-0 at the interval).
The full article contains 246 words and appears in Ashfield Chad newspaper.
