RSM men’s hockey hold onto Sharpley cup!
After an intense warm up, Royal School of Mines won the toss and chose to play with the sun behind them. It did little good. Four minutes into the game and all the meticulous game day preparations seemed to be in vain, as Camborne School of Mines scored the opener. This only proved to spur on RSM. A goal line save to prevent an equaliser added to the frustration, but it wasn’t long before Henry Sewell set up Rich Price for a well worked goal to raise RSM spirits both on and off the pitch. Celebrations were short lived though, as a quick counter attack from CSM cancelled out the comeback effort and brought the game to 2-1 with ten minutes remaining in the first half. A frantic end to the half saw a stray cross diverted in off RSM defender, Steve Pugh, to gift Camborne a 3-1 lead at the half time whistle.
Rousing words from the older lads rallied the side, and the Royal Miners from London went into the second half with nothing left to lose. A goal-line scramble ended in disappointment as the RSM comeback was denied once more. This lead to yet another swift counter attack with four Cornish players breaking free – a goal looked certain to cement CSM’s victory. Jonny Jones had other ideas as he stormed back to make a last ditch interception to salvage any hope RSM had.
Jonny Jones was the pivotal man once more as he drilled home a short corner to bring the game to 3-2 with 15 minutes remaining. Sensing the game was getting away from them, CSM held the ball in an attempt to run the clock down. This only served to motivate RSM more as Howard Richards nearly broke the backboard with a cannon of a shot to level the match at 3-3 with just five minutes left to play.
Knowing a draw would be enough to retain the Sharpley Cup, the Royal Miners dug in and defended with their lives to see the game out. As the seconds ticked past 70 minutes, the ball found its way back into the RSM circle and a late tackle by Captain Rowan Hedgecock awarded CSM’s Callum Fraser a penalty stroke with the final hit of the game. It seemed the comeback was wasted, but first year goal keeper Lekan Ogunlana had been given a different script. A diving save to his right denied the striker his moment of glory, and ensured the Sharpley Cup would return to London for a fifth consecutive year.
