Bann await Euro fate

Eugene Magee was named Player of the Tournament. Pic: Presseye.

Mark Tumilty’s side reached the final of the EuroHockey Champions Trophy at the weekend, with three players picking up individual awards.

Bann were eventually undone by Welsh challengers Cardiff and Met, who scored four second half goals to claim a 4-0 win in Monday’s decider.

However, the club are hopeful that they have still done enough to secure a spot at the top table of European hockey next season.

Valuable ranking points were on the line, with Bann aiming to secure a second European Hockey league berth for Ireland.

The club are hopeful that they have done enough to leapfrog Russia and join Lisnagarvey in next season’s EHL.

Failing that, it will be another season in the European Champions Trophy.

It was a big weekend for the team and the big players delivered. Skipper Eugene Magee was even named Player of the Tournament, Gareth Lennox Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Stephen Dowds Top Scorer.

Dowds did much to fire Bann the whole way to the final.

He scored in Sunday’s storming 4-0 win over hosts Kelburne, the other goals coming from Eugene Magee, Jamie Wright and Bruce McCandless as Bann secured top spot in Pool A.

They had begun their campaign on Friday with a 2-2 draw with Rotweiss Wettingen, Dowds and McCandless with the goals.

And there was another two for Dowds on Saturday when Bann smashed HC Minsk 4-1 to rocket to the top of the group, Mills and Wright with a goal each.

However, the final ultimately proved a bridge too far with Bann beaten by a team who had played a game less over the course of the weekend.

Should Bann’s suspicions prove correct and the gain an EHL spot, it will be very much a case of job done.