Six teams entered the 2017 8 goal Brecknock Cup at Cowdray Park with Andrew Swaffield and his Alcedo side of Angus Rowan Hamilton, Nick Clague and James Harper making it to yet another Final, in what has turned out to be an outstanding season for this Patron. Alcedo faced Rhys Cole’s Gales side with Daniel Batchelor at number 1, Tom Brodie at 3 and Will Emerson at Back.
Brodie for Gales scored from a 30 yard penalty to make the first mark on the score board, but it wasn’t long before a lovely pass from Harper to Angus Rowan Hamilton saw the young 0 goal player make the first goal for Alcedo. Harper won the ball from the throw-in but an infringement by Gales saw a safety 60 penalty awarded and Harper’s accurate shot made it 2-1 to Alcedo. Gales won the next throw-in but didn’t keep the ball for long. Harper swiftly sent it back into Gales’ half, Clague moved it forward, and Harper finished off with a neat goal to take the score on to 3-1.
At the beginning of chukka 2, Emerson tried to clear the way for Brodie to attack. Daniel Batchelor was first to the ball and steadily carried it on to score for Gales so that they were just one goal behind. Harper won the ball from the throw-in, sent a big shot forward and galloped to catch up with it and score his third goal, increasing Alcedo’s lead to 4-2. Gales kept the pressure up with Emerson and Brodie working hard to break Alcedo’s defence, but Harper continued to stop them and offload the ball to Clague. Clague found a space and passed back to Harper who dashed away to score again and make it 5-2. Gales won the throw in but Harper stole the ball from Cole. Once again Alcedo were on the move but this time the yellow shirts of Gales surrounded Harper and prevented him scoring again so that the score at the end of chukka 2 remained at 5-2.
Alcedo kept up the pressure in the second half, but early on Harper was well positioned to slip the ball over the goal line to make it 6-2. A super team effort combined to give Harper yet another chance and 7-2. Alcedo won the ball from the throw-in, but Gales stopped the onslaught and attracted a whistle. Harper tapped the penalty hit forward, tapped again for Clague to pick up, but Rowan Hamilton was ideally placed to claim it and neatly sent the ball between the posts for 8-2.
There was more of the same in the final chukka and although Gales tried to make the most of their chances, Alcedo simply worked together as the better team. A safety 60 awarded to Gales failed to result in a goal and their luck ran out completely as Clague stole the ball from Brodie, sent it to Harper who leaned into it and flipped it between the goal posts for 9-2. Try as they might, Gales simply couldn’t gain sufficient possession and the match ended as a resounding win for Andrew Swaffield’s Alcedo with James Harper having scored seven of his team’s nine goals. The cup and prizes were presented by Poppy Emerson.
In the subsidiary Final, Peter O’Rorke’s Strategic/Help for Heroes team beat Jon Turner’s DJ Cats 6-4.
