HEREFORD Sixth Form College Hockey team capped an excellent season last month by winning the Wolverhampton Grammar School Mixed 7s hockey tournament. Despite only taking a squad of seven players to Wolverhampton, the college managed to overcome their private school opposition, beating Wolverhampton Grammar School, King Edward’s School and Stourbridge on the way to the final. In the highest scoring match in the tournament, Hereford won 7-0 against a struggling Stourbridge, with captain Will Alderton netting four times. Hereford also benefited from the fine performance of Nick Evans who, with excellent skills and a cool head in front of goal, top scored for the college with 11 goals in the tournament, many of which were fine solo efforts. The college won their group (of five)due to an all-round performance, with Matt Styles only conceding two goals, pulling off some memorable saves in order to do so. By this point, Hereford had turned from underdogs into favourites, with the tournament organisers paying special tribute to the female players in the squad. Faye Anstee, Alice George and Amy Wilkins were said to be the best three female players in the tournament, which meant Hereford had strength right across their team, whereas some other teams only had a few individuals. However, Hereford’s advancement looked in some doubt in the semi-finals when Evans was sent off for violent conduct in the latter stages. Although the decision was dubious, Hereford hung on to their 2-0 lead for the remainder of the game and progressed to face TC in the final; the only side that they had failed to beat in the group stages, drawing 2-2. Hereford took an early lead in the game, with Evans once again scoring with a powerful shot. However, having had only seven players meant that all of Hereford’s players had played every minute of the tournament so far, whereas TC had a large squad. This began to count and a sluggish Hereford side conceded two quick goals before half-time to go in 2-1 behind, one of which was a stunning reverse stick strike from the edge of the circle. Things got worse for Hereford after half-time when they conceded another goal, allowing the opposition captain to run unchallenged up the middle to slot home. Heads were down at this point, with only five minutes of the 16 remaining. But an individual piece of magic by Evans, beating two opposition players on the base-line and rounding the keeper, gave Hereford the hope they needed. Minutes later, after a good tackle by Nick Unwin, Hereford had the ball again. After a fine passing move, Wilkins deflected the ball past the TC keeper. And Hereford weren’t finished there. Despite tiring legs, they once again dispossessed the TC captain and worked the ball to Wilkins. She received the ball 20 yards out, turned past an opposition and drilled home the shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the circle. It was TC’s turn to look down-heartened, but they were unable to turn it around. Unwin once again got the better of the TC captain and Evans rounded off the move putting the result beyond doubt, with Hereford finally winning 5-3. An exhausted Hereford collected the trophy; having only lost two games over the whole season.