Spalding Hockey Club hosted the finals of the Spalding primary schools hockey tournaments at Glen Park, Surfleet, on Friday.
All of the five tournaments held through the school year have been well attended and there was a full quota of 20 teams from 13 local primary schools at the finals day with around 160 youngsters playing hockey.
As usual, the teams were split into four groups of five teams with leagues at advanced, intermediate and beginner levels.
In the advanced league, the current holders Monks House started strongly with wins over Ayscoughfee A (3-0) and John Harrox A (1-0) but were beaten (3-0) in the crucial clash with Boston based Tower Road A.
Indeed it was Tower Road A who came through strongly to win the trophy without conceding a goal.
After a slow start when they were held to a goalless draw by John Harrox A, Tower Road swept to three straight wins over Gosberton Academy A (2-0), Ayscoughfee A (3-0) and Monks House (3-0).
Gosberton Academy A, who had been promoted from the intermediate league, did themselves proud by finishing in second spot having beaten Ayscoughfee A (2-0) and John Harrox A (3-1).
Their goalless draw with Monks House in their last game was just enough to secure second place on goal difference.
In the intermediate league it was newcomers Spalding Parish who dominated to win the league.
Having started the year in the beginner B league, this team has developed remarkably through the season and thoroughly deserved their success.
A win (1-0) over St John’s in a tight opening game got Spalding Parish off to a great start and they continued with wins over St Thomas’s (4-1) and St Norbert’s A (3-0) but were denied a clean sweep when held to an exciting draw (2-2) by Tower Road B who finished in the runner up slot.
Tower Road showed they have strength in depth when their C and D teams dominated the beginner A league.
The C team won all four of their games beating Gosberton Risegate (2-1), Pinchbeck East (1-0), Eye Primary (1-0) and their own D team (2-1) to win the league.
There was great excitement in the beginner B league as Surfleet Primary took the honours in a closely fought league. Surfleet started with a win (1-0) over Ayscoughfee B in their opening game followed by beating St Norbert’s B by the same score. They were held to a goalless draw by John Harrox B team but in a tense final game managed a 2-0 win over Gosberton Academy B much to the delight of the home crowd.
All games were excellently umpired by volunteers from Spalding Hockey Club.
