HOSTS Kelso High School claimed a double triumph in Saturday’s Borders S2 Hockey Championships, but only after nerve-jangling finales.
The tournament featured all nine Borders secondary schools in an A tournament and three schools – Kelso, Selkirk and Earlston – in the ‘B’ tournament, so involved more than 150 hockey talents in matches played with tremendous sportsmanship.
Selkirk and Peebles topped Pool A and Kelso and Earlston emerged from the second pool in the A tournament at Shedden Park, with 79 goals being shared across the teams in terrific games. After very competitive semi-finals, Selkirk edged out Earlston 1-0 to meet Kelso, 1-0 victors over Peebles, in the final.
Imogen Johnstone-Jones scored first for Kelso with an excellent finish, but Selkirk took the final into extra-time with a fine goal by striker Iona Kellett, who had bravely returned to the fray after receiving treatment for a facial cut that later required a stitch. However, in a tense denouement, Johnstone-Jones was back on target to grab the winner after superb play by Lara Patterson created the opportunity.
In the B tournament at Woodside Park, there was a similarly high standard of hockey on show from Kelso, Selkirk and Earlston, and the home side just edged the title, after beating the young Selkirk team 2-0 – Catherine Pettie and Kim Wilson the scorers – and drawing with Earlston, who just pipped Selkirk 1-0 in an exciting end-to-end final match.
Kelso HS B: Eilidh Hunter (capt), Charlotte Stratford, Megan Purves, Jessica Crombie, Leah Cassie, Lucy Anderson, Casey Finlay, Kate Ferguson, Baillie Steele, Catherine Pettie, Gemma Bootman, Erin Lathangie, Kim Wilson and Rowan Henderson.