GU14 Wrens Through to EH Cup Final
By Mark Rogers
GU14 Wrens 4 - 0 Morpeth HC GU14 (H)
EH Tier 1 Cup Semi-Final
Cup fever had hit the country big time and it was standing room only on the East Coast stopping service as the whole of Tyneside flocked south for the match of the century. However, the match day volunteers - last seen in such numbers at London 2012 - were left dumbfounded as the Toon Army walked straight past the signs for the Carabao Cup final at Wembley and onto the Victoria line for South West London where Morpeth HC - thirty minutes north of Newcastle - were facing the Surbiton Wrens in the semi-final of the EH GU14 Tier 1 Cup.
Both teams were unbeaten all season, which set the scene for an epic battle, and no one was buying Morpeth's modesty that they were "just a small club from the North East". The visitors, having travelled what can only be described as the length of the known hockey universe, were clearly made of steel and arrived with a squad full of determination and, presumably, a lot of snacks. Meanwhile, the Wrens were ready to prove that their penalty corner practice the previous weekend was not just for show.
It was a clash that had everything—sunshine, short corners, and even a working scoreboard - and the game kicked off under the blazing sun, which was either a blessing or a curse depending on how much you enjoy squinting. Morpeth started strong, showing off some impressive skills and proving that long-distance travel had done nothing to dampen their hockey spirits. But 15 minutes in, the Wrens struck first. Eva, demonstrating that she’d been paying attention in penalty corner practice, slotted home a beauty to make it 1-0.
Ten minutes later, the Wrens struck again—another short corner, another goal. At this point, it was clear that Surbiton had been taking notes during training, and the Morpeth shot-stopper was starting to wonder if she’d accidentally wandered into a penalty corner masterclass. The first half ended 2-0 to the Wrens, with Morpeth battling valiantly but struggling to break through Surbiton’s damn-like defence, led by the rock-solid duo of Emily and Darcey.
The second half saw more relentless pressure from the Wrens and equally heroic defending from Morpeth, leading to ferocious counter-attacks that kept Amelie and Marnie busy. Poppy, making a welcome return to the team from injury, pulled off a decisive save as the Morpeth girls showed their claws.
Rosie and Isla kept the home team moving forwards, delivering the ball into the Morpeth D, with Tileena and Grace testing the Morpeth goalie over and over again. The Wrens’ third goal came from—wait for it—another short corner. Elsa delivered a lightning-fast injection, Hattie and Carter coordinated like they were running a military operation, and the ball ended up in the back of the net. 3-0, and the Wrens were flying.
Erin and Joycey kept up the pressure on the Morpeth defenders, who rallied strongly and kept repelling the attacks, sending the ball up the pitch as they sought to get themselves onto the scoresheet.
The home team was missing Lizzie, who was laid up with illness, but with five minutes left on the clock, Eva sealed the win with her second goal of the match, a superb field goal that the Morpeth defence was powerless to stop. 4-0 to the Wrens, and the dream of a cup final against Reading in April was within touching distance.
Morpeth put up a fantastic fight. All of their team gave everything and their goalkeeper was an absolute hero, pulling off save after save and earning herself the Player of the Match award. It won't be the last time that these players grace the hallowed Sugden Road turf. Their travelling fans were loud, proud, and kept the energy flowing. And some of them even got to go to Wembley afterwards for a consolation win.