ENGLAND - Bowdon Hightown's women and East Grinstead's men overcame some top quality opposition to win the 2011 super sixes National Indoor Hockey Finals titles in front of an amazing crowd of nearly 5000 people at Wembley Arena.
Bowdon Hightown's dramatic 9-8 penalty strokes victory over Reading in the women's super sixes Final came on the back of a 5-5 draw and sealed a tenth title for the club formerly known solely as Hightown. Not even four Final goals from Reading's England and Great Britain forward Alex Danson could stop the 2009 champions from winning the 2011 title. The Cheshire club fought back from 3-2 down at the break to tie the match at 5-5 and force it to penalty strokes. Such was the parity between the two that it took 22 penalty strokes for there to be a winner; Bowdon Hightown's teenage goalkeeper Amy Tennant was her side's eventual heroine, saving Emma Thomas' penalty stroke low to her left to spark exuberant scenes of celerbation.
For West Sussex side East Grinstead, their 8-5 win over Nottinghamshire's Beeston sealed a third successive national indoor title as David de Prez led from the front with a hat-trick in the final follow on from four in the semi final victory over Old Loughtonians. Beeston refused to lie down though and kept things interesting right up until the final minute, when they removed their Maxifuel Man of the Match goalkeeper George Pinner for a sixth outfield player. The move failed to pay off though and the West Sussex side took the men's super sixes title thanks to goals from De Prez, England & Captain Barry Middleton, his GB colleague, Scotland's Niall Stott and former England and GB star Mark Pearn. Beeston's goals came from Tim Davenport, England and GB international Adam Dixon, James McBlane and Stephen Wood.
More information about the matches can be found on England Hockey's website: www.englandhockey.co.uk
Source: England Hockey
