SOME 28 young players from Ludlow Hockey Club have just returned from Durham after a successful pre-season tour.
The club's under-15 boys' team and under-14 girls' each played four matches against four of the top hockey clubs in England.
The boys returned unbeaten with victories over Belper 5-1, Gateshead 4-1, a Durham county team 5-1 and Ben Rhydding 7-2.
The less-experienced girls team lost their first game to Belper, national champions at under-13 age group, by 8-0; recovered well the next day to beat a young Gateshead team by 5-1, lost heavily to Durham county when with the score just before half time the Ludlow goalkeeper was injured and lacking a replacement they could not contain Durham's powerful forwards.
Finally at Ben Rhydding the team comprised players from six different schools who came together brilliantly to win 2-0.
For a side from a sparsely populated area of Shropshire without an astro-turf pitch to beat the senior club sides in North-East England, West Yorkshire and Derbyshire as well as a Durham county team, was a remarkable achievement which surprised the opposition and delighted the travelling supporters.
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