Semi-final heartache for Magpies’ two teams

Both Harleston Magpies Under-18 teams fell at the semi-final stage of the England Hockey National Tier 1 Championships on Sunday.

The Girls, who eased to a 5-1 win over Leicester in the previous round, were up against last year’s beaten finalists Reading at their Weybread base.

However, with a number of players away in South Africa on a hockey tour with Framlingham College, Magpies found it tough going and were 3-0 down at the break.

They managed to get themselves on the score sheet after the restart, but Reading added a further two goals to rubber-stamp a 5-1 victory and also book their place in next month’s final at the Olympic Park in London.

The Boys, meanwhile, travelled to Marlow — a side that had scored a hefty 27 goals in the previous four rounds.

Magpies took the lead via a counter-attack, but Marlow hit back twice to take a slender lead into the break.

It was 2-2 soon after the restart as a gutsy Magpies side got themselves level.

However, Marlow went back in front from a short corner before putting the game out of reach by scoring their fourth goal of the afternoon.