MEN'S HOCKEY EUROPEAN TROPHY:A CONTROLLED performance and some stinging finishing from Alan Sothern gave Dublin team Pembroke Wanderers the start they were looking for in the European Hockey Trophy at Serpentine Avenue yesterday.
Sothern’s hat-trick against SC Stroitel Brest from Belarus began in the opening 15 minutes when his drag flicks from two short corners found the backboard and the roof of the net.
His third midway through the second half came after the most exquisite of turns in the circle and a dink over the falling goalkeeper on the reverse stick side.
The striker is on a roll: last week in Pembroke’s must-win, must-score match against Ulster’s Annadale he also delivered a hat-trick that put them into the semi-finals of the Irish hockey League.
Pembroke, if they wish to be severely critical of themselves, will feel that, given their dominance and control of the match, a few more scores went begging. But the 4-2 result puts them in good stead and they now lead Pool B.
Akademischer HTC from Vienna won the other Pool B game against Dinamo Olimpik VSM 3-2, so Pembroke top the table.
The first three corners of the match yielded goals, with two from Sothern and one from Avaksander Biarynchuk leaving the score at 2-1 after 15 minutes.
Gordon Elliott added a third for the home side when his shot from a rebound found the net from another corner. Sothern then made it 4-1 with his delicately lifted chip as Pembroke continued to hold the ball and create countless circle penetrations.
Avaksandr Radzivinovich finally brought the score to 4-2 as his team pressed in the dying minutes, Pembroke ending it satisfied enough and in a good place for the rest of the weekend.
POOL A:HC Rotweiss 4 (A Benz, S Steimer, M Kloter, R Sporri) AHC Suelli 2 (G Caria, L Pitzalis); Dinamo Elektrostal 4 (P Alexandr 2, A Mamoshkin, K Bjorkman), HAHK Mladost 3 (L Vucic, T Hanzek, M Rucevic).
POOL B: Akademischer HTC Wien 3 (P Proksch 2, M Gero) Dinamo Olimpic VSM 2 (I Lekmenko, O Polishchuk); Pembroke 4 (A Sothern 3, G Elliott), SC Stroitel Brest 2 (A Biarynchuk, A Radzivinovich).
