BROMSGROVE Hockey Club hosted the England mixed national team in a mixed hockey match on Monday, putting up a strong fight, but ultimately went down 5-1.
The club’s players watched on as the national side trained at their facilities on St Godwald’s Road on Sunday, before testing themselves against the nation’s best.
Being driven on by the unique opportunity to go head to head with the national team, Bromsgrove gritted it out and were determined to up their level.
Their spirit kept the game scoreless for the first 20 minutes, before England struck two goals in quick succession to deliver a hammer blow to the hosts.
A stunning strike from Charlie Parke halved the deficit, but as Bromsgrove started to flag, the higher fitness levels of the England team, and their ability to rotate all 33 members of their squad, made the telling difference.
Three goals in the final quarter made the final scoreline 5-1, but did little to take away from the level that Bromsgrove demonstrated.
As a result of their efforts, a number of the club’s players have been invited to attend next year’s trials for the national team, whilst an invitation for a rematch has been extended to the England mixed team in future.
