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Men Cup Match Report (2-2) 5-3 on Flicks

Men Cup Match Report (2-2) 5-3 on Flicks

Liz Spencer23 Mar 2015 - 19:37
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Finally they beat Brooklands this season!!!

Reading booked their place in the final of the NOW: Pensions
Men's Cup with a dramatic semi-final win over Brooklands in Manchester.

Blues won 5-3 on penalties after the tie had ended all square at 2-2.
Their opponents in the final at Lee Valley on May 2nd will be Surbiton, who also needed penalties (5-4) to beat Cannock in their semi-final.

It was a tension-packed match with Brooklands missing a late penalty stroke to seal victory in normal time.
They have been a bogey side for Reading this season, coming from 0-4 down to win 5-4 at home in the league and then from 0-1 to win 3-1 at Sonning Lane.

And a similar story looked to be developing last Sunday.
Blues took an eighth minute lead when good work by Richard Springham and Jonty Clarke led to Ben Boon opening the scoring.
They continued to enjoy more of the play, but Brooklands looked dangerous on the break and Stefan Ray-Hills equalised after 24 minutes.
The hosts, who the previous week had won their battle for survival in the Premier Division, started the second half strongly and it took them just five minutes to take the lead through

Aidan Khares from a deflected penalty corner.
There were chances at both ends, but Reading continued to push hard and were rewarded on the hour mark.
From a penalty corner, Rick Mantell's initial shot was stopped, but he followed up to score.
Both sides had chances to win the game in the final five minutes.
The best opportunity fell to Brooklands when they were awarded a disputed penalty stroke, harshly awarded against John Jackson for a foot infringement, but justice was done as the stroke hit the outside of the post.

Reading nearly celebrated that let-off by scoring themselves when a fierce shot from Tom Carson was brilliantly saved by the keeper with his boot.

Blues team manager Chris Davey said: "It was a good end to the match and 2-2 was probably about right on balance. We played the better hockey, but they (Brooklands) fought hard in a game that saw more heart than niceties."

In the penalty shoot-out, Reading went first and Ireland captain Jackson put them ahead.
Keeper Tommy Alexander then made a superb save, high to his left, to deny Brooklands and Blues kept the advantage with skipper Chris Newman, Carson, Jonty Clarke and Mantell completing a 5-3 victory.

Coach Andy Watts said in all in his tweet "...reflection on @readinghc season. Cup Final, 6th in League, Indoor Semi's. Not too shabby for new era. Excited for 2015-16"

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