Dragons slay Garvey as Euro dreams lie in tatters

LISNAGARVEY’S groundbreaking trip to the KO 16 round of the EHL, ended last Friday evening when they could not match a highly professional Dragons team form Belgium who defeated them by seven goals to two.

Playing against a very well organised side which moved the ball with devastating speed and finished clinically especially when the set pieces were involved, Garvey held their own for most of the first period with their best player Mark Raphael keeping them in touch with two superb goals and only in the second half did Garvey crumble under the class of the opposition.

Again beginning a game without their ace card Timmy Cockram who was again unfit, Garvey began well with Andy Forrest creating after chance but after his good work not even a penalty corner came from the move and it was John Tormey who made the first save in the eighth minute after a lightning break by the Belgians.

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The 10th minute saw Garvey work their way into the Dragons circle and force a penalty corner but a slow push out nullified the set piece as the ball was cleared after a shot was blocked and a minute later the opening goal of the game went to the Belgians.

Following a good shot and save by Tormey, another shot was deemed to have struck a Garvey defender and from the resulting penalty stroke, Loick Loypaert made no mistake taking his team into a 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately Garvey immediately conceded a penalty corner and after a retake, Loypaert beat John Tormey with wicked drag flick which found the roof of the Garvey net.

While Garvey were fearing the worst, Mark Raphael had other ideas; in the 16th minute he received a pass from Andy Forrest and took the ball across the Dragons circle before beating keeper Leroy with a brilliant shot just inside the far right hand post.

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Garvey’s spirits were lifted by the goal but they had to keep focussed as the Belgian team again raised their level of play and after a superb four man move which started at the own corner flag, winger Matthew Cobbeart scored from a narrow angle to put Garvey once again trailing by two goals after 28 minutes.

Not for the first time at the highest level, Mark Raphael showed his class and when Garvey skipper Jonny Bell crashed the ball into the Dragons circle the alert midfielder was there to deflect the ball past the goalkeeper for yet another great effort.

Garvey’s second goal had come in the 32th minute and they were able to hold on to the impressive Dragons and reach the half time interval just a goal adrift at 3-2.

The massive Garvey support had been given a great first 35 minutes and were hoping for more in the second period but the Garvey threat was quickly annulled in the 38th minute when the Dragons stretched their lead to 4-2 with a goal from Jeffrey Thys beating John Tormey with a rocket reverse stick shot and a minute later all Garvey fears came to pass as the Dragons third penalty stroke was converted by man of the match, Loypaert who beat Tormey with another drag flick which was deftly deflected in mid circle.

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With the score at 5-2 and still 30 minutes remaining, Garvey had to be at their best defensively and they were well served by Brian Waring, Jonny Bell and Steven Arbuthnot as wave after wave of Dragons attacks piled in on the Garvey circle.

Peter MacDonnell did have a good dribble and run at the Belgians but his shot went past the post and the Dragons created two more scoring chances in the 45th and 47th minutes with only great last ditch tackles coming to the rescue.

At the three-quarter mark in the game, Dragons were still ahead at 5-2 but the 53rd minute saw their sixth goal and again it came from Loypaert with another drag flick which left John Tormey motionless.

Garvey were now chasing after a game which was lost just after half time and were trying to deny their classy opponents anything but a respectable defeat but coach Kyle Lunn still had the temerity to play the rest of his squad and give them the chance to play at the highest level of club hockey.

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Reserve goalkeeper, Luke Campbell replaced John Tormey in the 60th minute and after an early mistake, made a fine reaction save in the 63rd minute but he was penalised in the 66th minute for using the back of his stick and that man Loypaert beat him with a rocket penalty stroke to take the Dragons into a comprehensive 7-2 lead.

The Belgians had another penalty corner chance in the 68th minute Campbell made a second good save while in the last minute, Garvey had a rare chance to reduce the deficit but their second set piece was poorly executed and no shot resulted.

The game ended with the Dragons going through to the quarter final with seven superb goals with Garvey having only two great responses by Garvey’s best player Mark Raphael to show for their considerable efforts throughout the 70 minutes of intense high class hockey.

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