Picture Courtesy Gordon Morrison
Saturday night at the Herne Bay Arena widely regarded as the home of Roller Hockey in England saw Ely & Chesterton United’s female team take on Valdagno (Italy) in their WSE Cup European tie. A fantastic crowd of over 200 spectators turned out to support the team, creating a great atmosphere.
The ECU Females entered the rink in their famous skorts, bringing both style and determination to the European stage. It was an exciting match with strong performances from both sides. Valdagno came out aggressively from the start, scoring within the first minute and again in the final eight seconds of the first half, giving them a 2-0 lead at the break. The scoreline didn’t fully reflect the first-half action, as ECU created several chances but faced a well-organised and physical Italian side.
ECU fought back in the second half when Courtenay-Barrow drove at the Valdagno defense, using a screen from Bolt to fire the ball into the top corner. With a crucial second leg in Italy ahead, ECU pushed for another goal to close the gap, but Valdagno capitalised on their opportunities, adding two more goals before sealing a 5-1 victory.
Picture courtesy of Gordon Morrison
After the game, ECU coach Roger Courtenay-Barrow shared his thoughts on the performance:
"We responded well to the physical game brought by Valdagno, and despite going 1-0 down, the girls reacted well for the majority of the first half. The late goal in the 25th minute was hard to take into halftime. The group injected more energy and pressure of their own in the second half, getting a deserved goal, but a few lapses of concentration probably prevented a closer scoreline. The whole team contributed to a great fixture, and with some tactical tweaks, we’ll go into the next game on the 14th optimistic for a better result."
Despite the result, it was fantastic to see this young ECU team competing at the European level. With talents like Bolt, Courtenay-Barrow & Chandler in their ranks, England’s roller hockey future looks bright. We wish them the best of luck in the return fixture on February 14th!