Hockey: Never-say-die Inverleith get off to a rousing start in bid for European promotion

PROMOTION is very much on the agenda for European first-timers Inverleith as they drew 5-5 with Belgian side Racing Club Bruxelles, then crushed AD Lousade from Portugal 8-3 in the opening day of the European Indoor Club Trophy at Napier University in Edinburgh yesterday.

With literally one second remaining Inverleith looked down and out in their opening match against Racing Club, a quick free hit went to Stephen Dick and he passed it on to Derek Salmond who promptly slammed a low shot past the goalkeeper for a dramatic equaliser to level the match.

The Edinburgh outfit were always chasing the game as the Belgians held the initiative throughout, but Stuart Neave’s charges stuck to their task with courage, and emerged with a share of the points at the end in a pulsating contest.

Despite early chances falling to Graham Moodie, Salmond and Andrew Sinclair, it was Racing Club who took the lead through Tom Boom in seven minutes. The writing looked on the wall when the Inverleith defence failed to clear the danger and were suitably punished by Cedric Charlier for the Belgians’ second. Further chances were squandered, John Harris missed the ball after Moodie had created the opening, then Adam MacKenzie fired a penalty corner straight at the Belgian goalkeeper. Inverleith clawed their way back into the contest at an overtime set piece, MacKenzie switched the ball left to Dick whose low shot gave the keeper no chance.

Racing Club were first into the second half when Thibault Cornillie fired the ball through Allan Dick in the Inverleith goal to restore the two-goal lead, but back came the Scots within two minutes, Salmond found himself in space and took his time to slot the ball home for 3-2. Inverleith drew level midway through the second half, Salmond was fouled by the Belgian keeper in the circle and Chris Duncan converted from the spot.

The game then seemed to be running away from the Scots when Racing Club moved into a 5-3 lead, first Fred Mesa Hernandez’s shot went in off Allan Dick’s glove then Thierry Melotte added another with seven minutes left.

Inverleith dug deep, a flowing attacking move opened up the Racing club defence and Tom Cousins was left with a simple tap-in, to be followed by Salmond’s last-gasp equaliser.

Inverleith got an early shock against Lousada when Marco Santos punished a lack of concentration in defence to open the scoring. The Edinburgh side were soon back on level terms, at a penalty corner a trademark switch left by MacKenzie allowed Dick to score with a low shot. Inverleith went in 2-1 up at the interval when a clever pass from Dick found Salmond in the clear and he made no mistake.

Just after the break another set-piece switch found Dick, he delayed and then slotted the ball past the goalkeeper for 3-1, Salmond then hit a post but almost immediately Hugo Santos pulled one back for Lousada.

Moodie made it 4-2 from another clever switch, to be followed by a direct strike by MacKenzie for the fifth. Salmond made it 6-2 when found himself in plenty of space, he rounded the keeper and slotted the ball into the empty net. Although Bruno Santos scored a third for Lousada, in the final minute late strikes Andrew Sinclair following a pass from Dick and then John Harris made it eight.

Today Inverleith continue their campaign for promotion with games against Danish champions Slagelse and HC 1972 Rakovnik from Czech Republic.