Saturday, October 10, 2009

FULL TIME - Glenanne 1 WKS Grunwald Poznan 6

A very tough day out for the Glens as the fresher Poznan produced an immaculate first half to take a 3-0 lead and close down any opportunities from the Tallaght club. It improved in the second half with a couple of corners and some decent chances but there was too much to recover and the gaps at the back were exploited. They are eliminated as Poznan and UHC Hmaburg take the KO16 spots on offer.

The support has been the best on show to date and they will endeavour to enjoy the rest of their weekend in Barcelona.

70 mins GOAL - Glenanne 1 Poznan 6

Consolation goal for Glenanne as Eddie O'Malley threads a fantastic ball through to Jonathan Kane whose first time strike is brilliantly guided past Minch at the near post with 13 seconds left on the clock.

69 mins

Butler drags the corner wide and now Radomir Minch makes his entrance in place of Chyla.

68 mins

The deicision is a corner to the Glens. Poland are waiting to swap their goalkeeper!

68 mins

Goalmouth scramble has Glenanne calling for a video replay as Butler and Eddie O'Malley piled in on the second wave of the corner. Bit of handbags with Dutkiewicz as we await the decision.

67 mins

Johnny Kane is unceremoniously dumped by Marcin Strykowski - looked outside the 25 when the actual foul occurred but a corner nonetheless. Butler's drags saved by Chyla.

66 mins

The solar eclipse has now affected the EHL live stream so for all the updates of the last five minutes, stay tuned!

64 mins - GOAL Poznan 6 Glenanne 0

Pawel Bratkowski finds the corner via Butler's stick on the line for the fourth corner goal of the game.

Poznan 6 Glenanne 0

63 mins

Gareth Carragher is swapped in for Stephen Doran. He straight away will have to face a penalty corner.

62mins

Best Glenanne move, Lambe is found wide on the left and a quick inside pass has Goulding free on the flick spot. He controls well but his shot is tame and easily saved.

61 mins

Graham Shaw fires in a decent reverse shot, dealt with well by Chyla but whistle had already gone for an infringement. Jaroslaw Stasiak is green-carded in the meantime.

57 mins

Eerie quiet around the ground for this closing quarter of the Glenanne's first EHL involvement. A solar eclipse will apparently cause a four-minute delay to Eurosport 2's live coverage!

56 mins

Shane O'Donoghue magic opens the left channel for David Keogh but denied on the circle's egde by a foot.

54 mins GOAL Poznan 5 Glenanne 0

Artur Mikula rounds a couple of challenges and flicks high over Doran.

Poznan 5 Glenanne 0

Three-quarter time - Glenanne 0 Poznan 4

Glenanne's best quarter in an attacking sense but second phase of corners has been their undoing again. Goulding went close and a few more opportunities were created but looks as it pride is all that is left to play for.

52 mins

Graham Shaw auto-pass and reverse creates a bit of panic in the Poznan circle but Chyla alive to the danger and guides the ball out.

51 mins

Johnny Goulding has Glenanne's best effort of the game, a sliding a reverse-stick effort which Mariusz Chyla saves well. His first mention of the day shows the balance of power today.

49 mins - GOAL Poznan 4 Glenanne 0

Another unique, lucky effort. Not stopped and the ball somehow finds its way to the flick spot where Artur Mikula hits the post. The rebound falls to Hutek who scores his second of the day, scrambling in from three yards.

Poznan 4 Glenanne 0

48 mins

Slawomir Choczaj's shot balloons up off Paul Fitzpatrick's stick to hand Poznan their third corner of the game. They've scored twice with odd efforts.

47 mins

Butler drag-flick saved easily and Poznan break quickly with Doran scrambling a save.

46 mins

After a quiet period, Alan Lewis breaks the spell with a good baseline run and wins a corner - possibly a little high into the foot but the Poles save their appeal.

42 mins

Joe Brennan is ordered off for a blodd injury. He bizarrely gets down on his knees as if proposing to umpire van Eert before passing the armband to Gary Shaw.

41 mins

Seriously muddy pitch as evidenced by umpire Lizana's trousers which have turned from black to murky brown and Parsons tumble produces a spray of gunk. Top stop from Doran to T Choczaj's deflection.

40 mins

Much better stuff. Graham Shaw sets Bren Parsons free down the left and his cross is decent. Just beyond McGuinness but first bit of dynamism on display. An early goal and this could be game on.

38 mins

Arul Anthoni has found his voice a bit more this half, barking orders. Johnny Kane puts in a hefty tackle but Glens look a lot more direct this period. McGuinness works a brilliant chance for Butler but he fumbles the stop onto his foot from three yards out.

36 mins

Second half underway and Glens instantly on the attack and have their first circle incision via Butler.

HALF TIME - Glenanne 0 WKS Grunwald Poznan 3

Tired performance from Glenanne. They have offered little and been stung by a zippier Poznan who have taken the majority of their chances, including two bizarre corners. In defence, though, is where they have really shone with stone-wall tackling - indoor style - protecting the circle's edge to perfection and it's a very long way back.

33 mins - GOAL Poznan 3 Glenanne 0

Corner skips the stopper stage and Duktiewicz takes it himself, miscues an effort which serves to spin the ball around Alan Lewis and he plants the ball underneath the out-rushing Doran for 3-0. Unlucky but wild celebrations for the Poles.

Poznan 3 Glenanne 0

32 mins

By contrast, Marcin Strykowski races down the left, plays in Thomasz Choczaj and he finds Stephen Butler's foot for the second corner of the day.

30 mins

It pretty pedestrian stuff out there. A five metre free-in is so easily dealt with by two Poznan defenders and is indicative of the play to date. Still yet to penetrate the Polish circle.

28 mins

"We're all part of Arul's army"

26 mins

Butler's neat spin creates some space and you sense if the Glens have any way back into the game it has to come from the big man. The rest of the forward line has yet to show signs of a method to unlock the Polish defence.

24 mins

Brilliant tackle from Robert Grzesczek denies Gary Shaw's run, the second wave falls to Butler who pummels in a crash-ball and Shane O'Donoghue just misses it. Very much a quarter-chance but the closest the Glens have come to date.

23 mins

Poznan defend their circle well with Kluczynski keeping first Graham Shaw and then Shane O'Donoghue out of the danger zone.

20 mins

Glenanne holding more possession as Poznan fall back but the ball is flicked away.

18 mins

Louder singing now as the brilliant Glens crowd try to lift their team. Poznan back on the attack but two big tackles block the first wave and Butler can clear.

End of quarter - Glenanne 0 Poznan 2

First bout of song to my left as the first quarter ends. Chastening experience. Poznan took their two chances while the Tallaght club did not have a single penetration in the first 17 and a half minutes. Graham Shaw still talking to the umpires who gesture to him to go away. Lots of work for Arul Anthoni in this two minute break.

Glenanne 0 Poznan 2

15 mins

First semblance of control and attacking endeavour. Glenanne, though, again called for an infringement at five-metre free which ends their attack. Plenty of extra tv cameras about today as the Dutch prepare for Rotterdam's entry into the competition in the next game.

13 mins

Stephen Butler gets a talking to. Really hasn't stated for the Glens yet who need to get their mind in the game. Plenty of back-chat could see more cards being dished out.

13 mins

Artur Mikula sin-binned (green) for a foul on the 25.

11 mins GOAL Poznan 2 Glenanne 0

After all that the corner is mistrapped and goes out to the 25. But the ball is smashed back in and the ball goes in by either Bren Parsons or Szymon Hutek. Replays suggest it was Hutek and Parsons is spared the ignominy of being the first ever own-goal scorer in hockey's history.

10 mns

A dummy push-out means Poznan must swap their pusher out and the corner is reset. It happens again, this time its Brennan breaking the line and Graham Shaw replaces him.

8 mins

A couple of nervy/tired looking errors leads to another Poznan intercept and counter but David Shaw clears. The next attack sees Petrykowski find Joe Brennan's foot and its the first corner of the day for the Poles.

6 mins

Glens back to 11 and not unduly bothered by the reduction in men.

5 mins

Mick McGuinness enjoys a  tete-a-tete with Duktiewicz, drawing big cheers from a slightly more sedate Glens crowd today.

4 mins

Johnny Goulding sin-binned for a bite at the Polsih right-back after the whistle - second in two days and this was a poor idea.

3 mins - GOAL Poznan 1 Glenanne 0

Disastre start, a mistake leads to Artur Mikula in all sorts of space on the edge of the circle and he easily plays in Patryk Petrykowski. Mountain to climb already.

Poznan 1 Glenanne 0

Team presentation


0 mins

So here we are, Glenanne aiming to upset the odds and possible go some way to nicking two EHL KO16 places for Ireland.

Glenanne sporting new kit

Glenanne are currently warming up in a snazzy new white get-up with a green, diagonal band across their chests - pretty nice gear, reminiscent of Dutch club Pinoke - sponsored by friend of the Hook, Lewis Motors. They are reverting to their customary green now as the tip off nears with Poznan in white and one black shoulder.

The absolutely huge Pawel Bratkowski concludes his short corner warm-up and we're ready for the team presentation.

Starting line-ups

With approximately 15 minutes to game time, the sides have been named. The game is likely to be delayed a few minutes, though, as CA Montrouge's 4-2 loss to Atletic Terrassa has only just finished. Mathieu Durchon was brilliant again but did not have the support and Terrassa bounce back from last year's elimination by Three Rock Rovers to advance along with Reading.

Glenanne: Stephen Doran, Mick McGuinness, Graham Shaw, David Shaw, Brendan Parsons, John Goulding, Eddie O'Malley, Joe Brennan (capt), Stephen Butler, Richard Shaw, Shane O'Donoghue
Subs: Alan Lewis, Mark Lambe, Paul Fitzpatrick, Jonathon Kane, Gary Shaw, David Keogh, Gareth Carragher (GK)

WKS Grunwald Poznan: Mariusz Chyla, Pawel Bratkowski, Szymon Hutek, Tomasz Choczaj, Mateusz Poltaszewski, Tomasz Duktiewicz (capt), Marcin Strykowski, Jacek Jurek, Artur Mikula, Slawomir Choczaj, Patryk Pertykowski
Subs: Jaroslaw Stasiak, Leszek Hain, Tomasz Hensler, Robert Grzeszczak, Jacek Kurek, Tomasz Marcinlowski, Radomir Minch

Mood positive in Glens camp

Glenanne assistant coach Coen van Putten has said the side had "mixed feelings" after their game last night, feeling that they could have nicked a second goal and a bonus point given the amount of chances they had.

However, he also admitted that were it not for Stephen Doran's heroics it could have been more. But a good video analysis session last night and the aim of eradicating the individual errors which blighted the first half have the side well focussed.

"We just need to play well."

Fatigue an issue?

While Glenanne may be fatigued by their exertions yesterday, in light of changes to the financing structures of the competition Grunwald Poznan decided to cut costs by taking a 29-hour bus trip across Europe rather than fly to the event. A tiring journey no doubt - will it have any bearing?

Welcome to the Glenanne vs Grunwald Poznan live match-tracker

So, it's make or break time for Glenanne this afternoon at an overcast Polo de Barcelona. It's just as well as the first three quarters of yesterday's game against UHC were played out in scorching conditions. With the proximity of the two games, how much it has taken out of the Glens remains to be seen.

As for Poznan, they bring a strong line-up with Poland's ace drag-flicker Tomasz Duktiewicz - 51 goals in 123 international games - and Olympian Tomasz Choczaj who will be lively down the flanks. The 33 year old was top scorer in the forerunner to this competition way back in 1999 when Grunwald played in Terrassa and also has an impressive international strike rate - 67 in 211 games.

All those are merely stats, though. The real story begins in an hour's time...