THERE was heartbreak for Old Loughtonians as they lost out to Southgate on sudden death penalty strokes in the final of the English Hockey Association indoor championships at Crystal Palace on Friday night.>

Old Loughtonians 5

Southgate 5

(Southgate won on

penalties)

(EHA Indoor

Championships)

THERE was heartbreak for Old Loughtonians as they lost out to Southgate on sudden death penalty strokes in the final of the English Hockey Association indoor championships at Crystal Palace on Friday night.

Ian Jennings hit the post meaning Southgate claimed the title after an enthralling match.

Old Loughts got off to the perfect start with Paul Dover scoring a spectacular reverse stick goal but they were pegged back to 3-3 by half-time.

Loughts saw a Jennings penalty saved in normal time and with less than a minute left went behind 5-4. But with just seven seconds remaining, skipper Colin Hector equalised to set up the shootout.

The format was best of three, and then sudden death using the same three players. After the first set of penalties the scores were level at 1-1 and although Nicky Thompson was successful with his second effort, Jennings was not and Loughts finished runners-up for the third time in their history.

A disappointed Thompson said: "We played well overall and if we'd taken our chances we would have won it.

"But once you get to penalties it's anyone's game and although it's great to win like that, it's never nice to lose."

On Sunday, Loughts visited Cannock in the EHA premier division and went down 6-2. Thompson continued his good goalscoring form with two goals in the 28th and 34th minutes to level the score before half-time.

In the second half Old Loughts lost Hector when he fell heavily and broke his left thumb, an injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season.

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