Banbridge are EuroHockey Trophy II Champions after they beat Czech side TJ Plzen 4-1 in the final at Havelock Park yesterday.
Goals from Hugh McShane, Captain Alexander Tinney, Johnny McKee and Matthew McKee sealed the victory to round of their amazing season.
The tournament got underway on Friday across four days as Banbridge featured in Pool B alongside SG Amiscora, HAHK Mladost and Swansea HC. Having won all three games they finished top of the Pool with an outstanding +26 goal difference, whilst a 13-1 thrashing of Mladost being the highlight the group stage.
That set up a final against the winners of Pool A TJ Plzen who themselves progressed past Gaziantep Polisgücü SK of Turkey and Copenhagen HC of Denmark.
It was the home side who took the lead with just ten minutes played through Hugh McShane before goals from Alexander Tinney and Johnny McKee extended the lead to 3-0.
Their visitors did manage to grab a goal back through Krystof Sestak, but it proved to be a consolation as Matthew McKee added a forth for Bann just two minutes later as it finished 4-1.
Meanwhile the match also proved to be the final appearance of Eugene Magees who is regarded as a Banbridge legend whilst also earning 295 Ireland caps between 2005 and 2019. He became the most capped male player for the Green Machine in 2013, surpassing previous record holder Stephen Butler’s mark of 163 caps.
The cup victory rounds off an outstanding season for Banbridge which has seen them also win the EYHL, Irish Senior Cup and the Champions Cup.
Photo: Front Row Union (https://www.thefrontrowunion.com/)
