Cargo delivers on double for Reading

ULSTER man Chris Cargo made his mark on European club hockey’s biggest stage with a stunning two-goal salvo to help Reading into the last eight of the Euro Hockey League in Bloemendaal, Holland on Saturday.

The Irish international, a native of Bangor, helped his side win a thrilling all-English derby against East Grinstead on a 5-3 scoreline by netting their third and fourth goals.

He first drilled home a sublime reverse-stick shot from a tight angle before skilfully chipping Grinstead keeper Richard Potton.

Cargo will lock horns with his Irish team-mate Eugene Magee and former international Stephen Butler in today’s quarter-final, after the duo helped Belgian outfit KHC Dragons to a shock 3-2 victory over German powerhouse Rot-Weiss Koln.

Irish captain Ronan Gormley’s Club de Campo side will play the winners of that Reading/Dragons tie, having secured their place in the semi-finals via a dramatic penalty shuttles victory over fellow Spaniards Atletic Terrassa.

The shuttles format is an alternative to the more common penalty strokes, and sees players given eight seconds to score in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

For the first time in EHL history, a video referral was called during a penalty competition, Campo successfully getting a Terrassa goal chalked off due to contact with the goalkeeper.

In yesterday’s other quarter-final, there was heartbreak for Cookstown native David Ames, as his Beeston side were ousted 4-3 by Glenanne’s conquerors HGC.

A quirk of the EHL rules dictates that sides from the same country must play each other in the semi-finals irrespective of the draw, so HGC will now play the winner of the today’s all-Dutch tie between Bloemendaal and Oranje Zwart.

Meanwhile, Railway Union can claim a bronze medal at the EuroHockey Club Champion’s Trophy — which they’re hosting at their Park Avenue base in Dublin — with victory over Scotland’s Grove today (1pm).

Mick McKinnon’s side are already guaranteed to better Loreto’s sixth-place finish in this competition last term, having drawn 2-2 with MSC Sumchanka, lost 4-2 to Belgium’s Royal Wellington and beaten Libertas San Saba 3-0 in the pool stages. Royal Wellington will meet Belarus side Victorya Smolevchi in the final.

Elsewhere, Cork natives Audrey O’Flynn and Miriam Crowley guided Ireland to a 2-0 win over France at Belfield yesterday in the second of a three-test series. Domestically, Fionn O’Leary and Roger Gray both claimed a pair of goals as UCC finished off their season with a 4-0 defeat of Cork C of I B at Garryduff.