Rovers go down fighting in EHL

Three Rock Rovers’ memorable EuroHockey League campaign came to a heartbreaking end at the hands of KHC Leuven this afternoon, the Belgian outfit running out 2-1 winners in Hamburg. Rovers came flying out of the blocks against a side they had drawn 1-1 with in the pool stages, with Mitch Darling sliding onto a Peter Blakeney centre to force a decent save from Manu Leroy early on. But Irish nerves were very much in evidence in front of a boisterous crowd for the rest of a truly forgettable first half, as Rovers repeatedly gave away the ball cheaply.

However, their massed defensive ranks were doing a good job of frustrating Leuven, with Charlie Henderson – who has put in some of the best goalkeeping performances in the tournament this season – a safe presence behind. Their lack of potency as an attacking force left the commentator resorting to patronising platitudes about Irish heart and fight – and he was later forced to apologise to viewers when Rovers coach Turloch O’Siochain was shown using some choice language during his half-time team-talk. There wasn’t a single corner forced at either end until the 41st minute, and Pau Quemada ensured Leuven made it count, dragging high into the top right of the goal to give them the lead. Leuven thought they’d doubled their lead minutes later, when Quemada took out Henderson and crossed for Jean Collin to tip the ball in, only for Peter McConnell to brilliantly get back to whip it off the line. The goal was initially given, but Rovers used their video umpire appeal and it proved to be a wise choice, with replays proving the ball hadn’t fully crossed the line. In between, Henderson pulled off a great stop from another Quemada drag. The gaps were beginning to appear in the Rovers defence with increasing regularity, largely due to the fact skipper Alan Bothwell’s movement prohibited by a knee injury. Bothwell did make a timely interception to stop one certain goal, but despite having Hugues De Cooman in the sin-bin, Leuven made it two in some style. Bothwell’s loose pass was picked up by Fabrice Bourdeaud’hui on the left, and he surged into the circle before planting the ball across Henderson and high into the far corner. That superb finish meant it looked like curtains for Rovers, whose only real attempt on goal since Darling’s first minute effort had come when Lucas Piccioli was unlucky to deflect Peter McConnell’s drag wide from a corner. But they gave themselves a lifeline with ten minutes to go, Peter Blakeney sweeping Michael Maguire’s ball through the middle past Leroy. Quemada had the ball in the net again at the other end, but his drag-flick – which was headed wide before deflecting in off a Rovers defender – was ruled as dangerous play.

Mitch Darling’s breathtaking snapshot was well saved by Leroy as Rovers finally sprung into life up front, and he could have stolen a draw right at the death after the ball was worked well around the end-line, only for Leroy to thwart him from point-blank range. Leuven now meet Reading in the last eight after the English side ousted RC Polo Barcelona 1-0, a match that will still have some Irish interest as Bangor man Chris Cargo is among the Reading ranks. There was better news for Ireland’s other teams in European action this weekend. Pembroke Wanderers made it two wins from two in the EuroHockey Club Trophy, seeing off Austria’s Akademischer HTC Wien 2-0, while Pegasus trounced Penarth 5-0 in the EuroHockey Cup Winners Trophy in Lille. Pegs will surely face a greater challenge tomorrow when they meet Victorya Smolevich, who put 12 past the hapless Welsh outfit. Highlights of TRR’s clash with Leuven can be seen here shortly – click on ‘watch video’ above their scoreline.