First time Charterhouse have qualified for the South Finals at any age group
Match report by Sam Plater, Head of Performance Sport
Returning to the same stage that saw the U16s exit from last year’s indoor competition, Charterhouse played host to St Lawrence College, Kingston Grammar School and Magdalen College Oxford. For the first match, we were 0-4 down, three minutes in, against St Lawrence. A strong team, who were drilled and clinical, really put the boys to the sword but despite playing well in the second half, we went down 0-8.
Time to rally or we would not be going any further. We faced Kingston Grammar School next and at 1-1 it was anyone’s game. A superb performance upfront from Freddy Clinton made life difficult for the opposition’s defence. Nic “Maradona” Lamming was sensational in the middle and was unlucky not to score a few good chances. Our short corners were solid all afternoon and James Taylor, fresh off the Racquets court, slotted home for us to go 3-1 up. Kingston Grammar School brought one back with two minutes to go but the final whistle came and we were triumphant. If all went well in other matches, we needed to beat Magdalen College, Oxford to qualify in second place for the South Finals.
Even when you have the perfect length of break, warm up time, a double Olympian assistant coach and a home advantage, plans can still go wrong. Unfortunately, we conceded in the first minute vs Magdalen College, Oxford. A few short corners later and some excellent forward link up play and we won the game 7-2, a hatrick each for Clinton and Taylor.
And so we set sail into the foreign waters of the South Finals held at Whitgift in early December. Bring it on.
