Edinburgh join university elite

British universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Premier National Play-Off: Edinburgh University 4, Oxford Brookes 1 (at Peffermill, Edinburgh)

Written by Nigel Duncan

 

COSTAS Stylianou fired home from close range in the dying minutes to confirm Edinburgh University’s promotion to the top tier of men’s British university hockey and send Oxford Brookes down.

The late strike, after the visitors had withdrawn their impressive goalkeeper, Michael Callum Chapman, secured a well-merited 4-1 win before a highly-partisan crowd at Peffermill.

The students, who are third in Scotland’s men’s Premiership and lifted the British Universities and Colleges (BUCS) Vase, celebrated wildly at the final whistle.

Winning promotion was their No 1 aim, according to player/coach Hamish Imrie who praised his team from bouncing back from a confidence-sapping, Scottish Cup, 3-2 semi-final defeat to Hillhead on Sunday and the hammer blow of losing out on promotion at the first attempt last week, being edged by Oxford 4-1 after penalty strokes.

Scottish international Imrie, who took over the coaching role at the start of the season, said: “We’ve had over 40 games in BUCS and the Premiership this season and the boys have given me everything they have.

“To become the first men’s Scottish university to play in the same league as the elite of British university hockey is a great achievement, particularly after the disappointment of last week when we were beaten in a penalty shootout after Oxford levelled at 2-2 late in the game.”

Next year, the students will travel to venues like Exeter, Nottingham and Birmingham, but and Imrie will start planning in the next few days, but he added: “Let’s enjoy the moment.”

Photo by David McCarthy

Edinburgh attacked from the first whistle, pressing Oxford Brookes back, trying to capitalise on the English side’s decision to travel up by bus on the morning of the game, leaving Oxford at 5.40am.

Declan Bradley from Birmingham deservedly opened Edinburgh’s account, slotting home via a deflection after 12 minutes, and Inverness-born Iain McFadden added No 2 two minutes later, firing a drag flick home low from a penalty corner.

The second quarter was blanked, but Edinburgh skipper Robbie Croll netted from a drag flick just before the whistle at the end the session.

Desperate Brookes piled pressure on the home side at the start of the final quarter, forcing a series of penalty corners, but the scoreline stayed that way until the visitors scored on a breakaway through Owen Lloyd.

They then withdrew goalkeeper Chapman, who had made a series of quality stops during the game, five minutes from time to have 11 outfield players. But the gamble failed when Cyprus-born Stylianou found himself unmarked at the back post to fire the ball into the net and get the large crowd on their feet.

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