HOCKEY:BRANDON PANTHER'S late two-goal salvo on Friday proved the vital moment for Pembroke as they progressed to the last 16 of the EuroHockey League over the weekend in Eindhoven.
The South African scored twice in the last two minutes of the Dublin club’s first Pool F game, snatching a 4-3 win over Ukraine’s Olimpia Kolos Sekvoia.
With Dutch side HGC trouncing Sekvoia 9-2 on Saturday afternoon, Pembroke were guaranteed one of the two qualification slots from the three-team pool.
It left the Dubliners a shot-to-nothing on Sunday, aiming to cause a huge upset that could hand them a potentially easier ride in the knock-out phases.
But the Hague-based club had too much know-how, moving 3-0 ahead by the 44th minute.
Panther did net his third of the weekend and Craig Wilson also scored with 12 minutes remaining but they eventually ended up on the wrong end of a 4-2 defeat.
Nonetheless, it represents a huge achievement for the Dublin club as they at least emulate last season’s performance in the top club competition in the continent despite losing almost 600 international caps worth of experience over the summer.
One of the departees, Irish captain Ronan Gormley, helped Madrid’s Club de Campo to top spot in Pool B.
Fellow Irishmen Eugene Magee and Stephen Butler shone in the colours of KHC Dragons from Belgium as they produced the shock of the competition, beating the reigning champions UHC Hamburg 4-2, to win Pool E.
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