Tough for hockey men in three county finals

On Saturday, Penguin were a league below their opponents, and lost the Plate Final 10-3 to a Horsham side who searched goals ruthlessly. Penguin finished well when they got close enough. Dave Matthews made it 4-1 in the first half, then Stuart Maconachie 9-2 near the end and Jon Miles touched in a Will Aldous drive to complete the scoring.

On Sunday morning, Worthing lost the Veterans Final to an East Grinstead roughly the same as the one they beat 4-2 i n trhe league in March. Keeper Chris Wheeldon was Worthing's star man and saved his side from a heavier defeat. Worthing went 4-0 down and, too late, switched to a three-man attack and immediately, substitute Bob Catlow deflected in from a short-corner strike with 14 minutes left. Worthing had two netted efforts at short corners overruled in the second half. It was 2-0 at half-time.

Then Worthing 1st XI were even more up against it in facing a Brighton & Hove side two division above them in the South Premier League.

The result, 9-0 to Brighton, reflected less the difference in playing quality than the lethal finishing of their full-time player-coach, former South African international, Craig Carolan. He scored six goals, comprising the first five, then the eighth. Irish player Gareth Lendrum scored twice and Sam Rose hit the ninth. It was 4-0 at half-time after Brighton scored three times in the last four minutes.

Worthing played their part in a tight first half opened up by Carolan's marksmanship in any dangerous situation. Again, it was the Worthing keeper, this time Chris Binns, who was their hero. He saved probably another nine efforts on goal.