QUEEN Elizabeth Under 16 girls hockey team went to the National Finals at their first attempt at indoor hockey this year having qualified as winners of the North regional competition.

At the state-of-the-art Bromsgrove School QES dominated the first half of their opening match against Cranleigh but could not capitalise by scoring.

In the second half Cranleigh came out all guns blazing and took QES by surprise, racing into a 5-0 lead before QES rallied to score a consolation.

The next pool game was against Millfield, and QES started brightly, leading 1-0 and 2-1 during the game.

However QES players were pulled out of shape a little, leaving a gap between the forwards and the defence, and Millfield scored an equaliser before they bagged a heart-breaking winner in the last minute to prevail 3-2.

QES went on to lose 3-1 to a Worksop side boasting a German U16 international in their ranks.

The next day the team were back for their final pool match against Ipswich School.

QES changed things around and showed renewed vigour, which resulted in them leading within five minutes, and a goal for each side made it 2-1.

Beth Cordukes restored their two-goal cushion but it didn’t last long as Ipswich scored again.

However, QES defended heroically for the remaining minutes and closed out a deserved 3-2 victory against a team that eventually won the pool.

Team: Sasha Cotton (c), Rachael Harkness, Alice Clews-Smith, Beth Cordukes, Amy Cordukes, Lauren Challis, Didi Davies, Laura Hayton, Fiona Crackles, Scarlett Dale.