England: French blocking Slough's progress
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| England |
March 2, 2003
The Times
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By Cathy Harris
SLOUGH know that they must defeat the hosts in their final group match today to qualify for the medal play-offs after a mixed opening day of the European Indoor Club Championship in Cambrai, France, yesterday.
Jane Smith scored a hat-trick to help the team to start on a winning note, beating Wiener Neudorf, of Austria, 4-2, but they went down 7-3 to Russelsheimer after conceding three early goals.
Sue Chandler, one of Slough?s most experienced players, said: ?You can?t give a team of their stature a three-goal lead and hope to get back into it. But we certainly created as many chances as they did, although none of ours were particularly clear cut.?
Triumphing over the awesome German team is a feat Slough have never achieved, with Russelsheimer having captured the title in nine successive seasons, winning it 11 times since 1990.
Slough are England?s most successful club in this competition, having won three silver medals, but their form in Europe is notoriously inconsistent. Having recently regained their national title, though, they do at least know that if they do not win a medal in Cambrai, they will be back in Europe next year.
On the domestic front, Simon Ramsden, the premier division?s top goalscorer, is hoping for another clutch of goals when Cannock play a league and cup double this weekend. The leaders travel to Surbiton today before returning to the Midlands for a home tie in the cup against Beeston tomorrow.
One player who will not be in action over the next fortnight is Craig Keegan, the Australian-born player-coach at first division Belper. Keegan was shown a red card for a verbal offence while coaching Belper?s women?s team last Saturday and was given the minimum mandatory penalty of a 16-day ban.
In the women?s premier division today, second-placed Olton could close the gap on Slough, the leaders, if they beat Leicester.
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