Bedford Hockey Club’s, Vincent Pretorius and Dave Appleton were in action for their England Over 35s and Over 40s teams, respectively, in the Four Nations Competition over the past weekend.
Vincent’s Over 35s tournament victory, played in Cork, came from a 5-0 win over Wales, a phenomenal 8-0 triumph over Scotland and a tighter 2-1 defeat of Ireland.
Vincent – now with 22 England caps to his name – contributed to the goal tally, with a goal in the Wales match and two in the Scotland game.
Dave gained his 16th international cap during the Over 40s competition which took him to Cardiff, where his squad put in an equally impressive performance, securing a 7-1 victory over Scotland, a 5-0 win over Wales and a 3-1 win against Ireland.
Next up for both players is the European Championships, taking place from the 20-29 June in Valencia, Spain.
For another Bedford player, Kelly Bingham, who already has 16 England caps to her name, Euros participation is just on the horizon with the Women’s Over 45s Euros beginning on the 23 May and running until 1 June.
Kelly’s trip to Valencia with her England squad opens with a game against Scotland. Ireland and Australia are the other two teams in Pool A, with Belgium, Germany, Spain and Wales in Pool B.
There was further Masters’ action at the weekend for other club members, with the Women’s Over 40s and Over 65s Regional Tournaments taking place.
Kate Costin, SJ McDonald and Toni Wakeham-Moon, representing the East, headed north to Timperley for their Over 40s competition.
After making a strong start on the Saturday, with a win and two draws, they finished the weekend just outside a podium position, having to settle for fourth place.
Lynn Pearce and Sue Phillips travelled to Folkestone as part of their East Region squad for the Over 65s competition.
The team finished in a creditable third place, following two wins and four draws without conceding a single goal across the two days.
Words by Jean Fitch
