EuroLeague points at stake for Kelburne and Grove

EUROPEAN CLUB CHAMPIONS TROPHY  –  FRIDAY 06
APRIL TO MONDAY 09 APRIL
GLYNHILL KELBURNE (MEN) IN LILLE
GROVE MENZIESHILL (WOMEN) IN BELFAST

Glynhill Kelburne (men) and Grove Menzieshill (women)
are on a mission of recovery, to win their respective European Club
Champions Trophy and pick up valuable points for the return
Scottish clubs to the elite EuroLeague.

Kelburne travel to Lille to play HC Roma (Italy), Whitchurch
(Wales) and SV Arminen (Austria) in a pool competition with the
winner only going into Monday`s final.

“This a tough format with four games in as many days against
hardened European opposition.  I`ve seen footage of Roma and
Whitchurch who will provide their own challenge for us, but I would
anticipate the final pool match against the Austrians to be the
crucial encounter,” said Mark Ralph, Kelburne`s player/coach. 
“But most of our players have experienced this cut-throat type of
European competition, so they know that it will be both a physical
and mental test, and it will require self-discipline to be
successful.”

Playing under pressure is not something the Paisley side have
been used to during the domestic season, Kelburne won the league
title with a perfect record until last weekend`s 3-1 defeat by
Grange.

“The Grange result was a wake-up call for everybody, you have to
have the correct attitude going into these tough European games,
and there`s no doubt we will have to raise our game to make an
impact on this tournament,” said manager Harry Coles.

Coles maintained that the best form of defence is attack, and
here the contribution of Jonny Christie and Alan Forsyth along with
Ralph and Willie Marshall from set pieces could be crucial to
Kelburne`s success.   But a real strength of the Scottish
champions is that during a season almost everybody, excluding
keeper Mark Fulton, has pitched in with a goal or two at one time
or another.

However, composure at the back has often been the Paisley side`s
Achilles heel, a fact commented on by Coles.  “The most
alarming in the game against Grange was the number of times we were
opened up at the back.”   Despite the cavalier,
free-flowing, attacking style for which Kelburne is rightly
renowned, success at this level of European competition requires
cool heads and organisation in the defensive department.

Coles is under no illusion regarding the task facing Kelburne in
Lille.  “In an ideal world we would be looking to win and gain
maximum points to held Scotland regain their EuroLeague place,
maybe consolidating our current position would be more
realistic.”

Kelburne will travel to Lille with a squad of 16, and although
there are still lingering injury concerns over David Forsyth and
Craig Morton, Coles hopes to have everybody available for the
opening fixture against Roma today.

Grove have a similar tough assignment in Belfast with the
powerful Eastern European pair of Victorya Smolevichi (Belarus) and
MSC Sumchanka (Ukraine) in the pool along with Libertas San Saba
(Italy).  

“Not having seen the other clubs in our pool, we will
concentrate on our own game.  We are aware of their style of
play, so we will take one game at a time and assess the situation
as we go,” said Charlotte Jones, Grove`s coach.  However,
Jones can take some comfort from the fact that Grove beat the same
side from Belarus 3-2 in last year`s competition, ironically the
East Europeans went on to win the entire event.

Grove enter the European cauldron on the back of domestic
success, the Taysiders are in line for the league and cup
double.   “I am extremely happy with the work rate and
mental attitude of our squad, the never-say-die attitude has won us
success this season, so hopefully that will now transfer to
Europe,” Jones said.

Exam commitments have robbed the Dundonians of Danielle Johnston
and Hazel Hall while Jen Wright will also not make the trip. 
Grove will kick off against Smolevichi today in what could be a
physical contest. 

Recent posts:

Back to all news
Back to top