KO8: Waterloo Ducks HC – Old Georgians HC

Match report

Old Georgians earned a place in the EHL FINAL8 for the first time as they won a heated battle against the Waterloo Ducks 3-2 in Barcelona.

They did it the hard way, coming from behind twice to with Chris Proctor’s 49th minute deflection proving the ultimate difference after a rollercoaster contest.

OGs had the better of the first quarter, dominating possession and territory against a packed WatDucks defence with Sam Ward having the best of the openings well saved by Simon Vandenbroucke.

Waterloo, meanwhile, were working on the counter and they got a corner in the 22nd minute which Victor Charlet ripped into the bottom corner.

Ward equalised four minutes later when he got an amazing touch behind his back to James Albery’s thunderous cross from the right wing.

The flow of play switched in the second half with Waterloo adopting a more attacking mindset and it paid dividends when they won another couple of corners, the second of which Charlet slung home for 2-1.

The lead was short-lived, though, with Old Georgians winning a stroke which Alan Forsyth stepped up to flick into the net, his second of the weekend.

Ashley Jackson brilliantly got back to prevent Waterloo getting a third, chasing back to deny Gaetan Dykmans. It came while the Ducks were down to nine players – William Ghislain was already in the sin-bin and then captain Charlet followed in bizarre circumstances.

Goalkeeper Vandenbroucke was delayed returning to the field after the Q3 break and then was deemed to have run onto the field at the incorrect point, resulting in the card for the team.

OGs then got the crucial goal with 11 minutes to go when Jackson fed the ball at pace into the circle where Proctor got the perfect touch to guide it up into the roof of the net.

Waterloo piled forward in the closing stages but could not convert from a corner and so Old Georgians join next Easter’s FINAL8 party.