Scotland U21 Men claim win over Club All Stars at Auchenhowie

Scotland U21 Men got their Club All Stars Series off to a winning start with a 5-1 victory at Auchenhowie. It was the first of three matches against a team made up of select club players who are providing competitive opposition as Scotland U21 men prepare for U21 EuroHockey Championship II this summer.

It was a very tight first half with both sides battling hard in the contest, but neither side was able to take its chances and grab the lead. Despite lots of good play it remained goalless at half time.

Then came two quick fire goals from Struan Walker and Andy McConnell to put the U21s ahead after the restart. McConnell’s strike came courtesy of a penalty corner while Walker converted a lovely finish on the reserve to get his name on the score sheet.

A goal from the Club All Stars, scored by Nikki Homfray, put the pressure back on the U21s as it took the score to 2-1 in the final quarter. It was very nearly 2-2 but an All Stars penalty corner rattled the post and the U21s were able to keep hold of their lead.

Another goal for the U21s gave them a cushion – a lovely reverse stick shot from McConnell made the score to 3-1 with just over six minutes to go.

Then some lovely transition play from the U21s resulted in an easy tap in for David Nairn to make the score 4-1, and make the game safe.

There was still room for icing on the cake however. Another goal for McConnell saw the striker complete his hat-trick, just before the final whistle, and give his side an excellent victory.

It finished 5-1 to the Scotland U21s with the next game scheduled for Tuesday at Clydesdale with 7:30pm start.

Scotland U21 Men Head Coach Graham Moodie said, “It’s a really good start to the series and our preparation for the Euros. The game was competitive, especially in the first half, and it was really pleasing to see the guys work hard and get sharper as the match went on.

“The All Starts team on Tuesday is a strong one so we’re looking forward to a really competitive match. It’s really important to get matches so thanks again to the All Stars team for these tough games.”

 

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