Having already secured promotion to North League One finishing nine points clear and smashing the all-time goals scored record along the way, this would be considered a good season by any standards. However, the Men’s 1st team are just 3 games away from turning a great season into a magical one having reached the semi-final of the England Hockey 1st XI Trophy and the Lancashire Cup Final.
The Men’s 1st team now stand just one game away from a place in the national EH Trophy final at Lee Valley in May. Standing in their way, however, is a strong Guernsey team who have made the last three finals in this competition. The journey started back in October with a 6-2 victory over a Lincoln Roses team who now look set for promotion into North Division One next season. A late forfeiture by Lancaster & Morecambe in the next round meant a bye through to round three and a trip to Brigg. An 8-0 win was one short of last season’s haul of 9 at the same ground, but a resounding win all the same.
This brought the visit of Tulse Hill and Dulwich from the Southern league in the quarter-finals. A tight game ensued and Richard Wilkinson’s finish from a short corner looked like it would be enough to seal victory, but a last minute equaliser took the game straight to penalty strokes. A marathon shoot out in driving rain finally saw the Oak seal a semi-final spot and a trip to the cup holders.
“Opportunity to achieve something even more special”
Captain Rich Hayward is eagerly anticipating Saturday’s showdown: “It’s been a great season already with the league title secured and the all-time North league goal-scoring and goal difference records added for good measure. We’ve got the opportunity to achieve something even more special over the next two weeks though with the Guernsey semi-final on Saturday then then county cup final the following weekend. They get good crowds down in Guernsey of 200-300 people, so that’s something the lads are all looking forward to. It’s a chance for us to show what we can do and make all our hard work over the past ten months pay dividends.”
If you are interested to watch the Lancs cup final at Formby on 29th March, please get in touch with the club who are putting on a coach for supporters so you can get behind the lads.
