Wins for Apes Hill and Zacara in Opening Games
Apes Hill, winners of The Queen’s Cup in 2009, defeated Jean-François Decaux’s La Bamba de Areco 9-6 at Manor Farm in Sussex on Tuesday 17 May.
Apes Hill dominated the first half of the game leaving La Bamba de Areco 5-1 after the third chukka.
La Bamba de Areco picked up the pace in the second half with Rodrigo Rueda, Christian Laprida and Diego Cavanagh improving their side’s score. However, Apes Hill’s Tomlinson continued on form too, producing three good goals in the next two chukkas. A couple of goals from Laprida made a comeback look likely, but Tomlinson found the flags just before the bell to confirm Apes Hill’s first win of The Cartier Queen’s Cup with a score of 9-6.
The second game of the day was played at Coworth Park between Zacara and RH Polo and was a tense affair with moments of flowing play that were broken up with whistles and penalties. It was very much a game of Nico Pieres vs Pablo MacDonough and Ali Paterson and Jack Hyde slotting in to make trouble for the big guns for their respective teams. RH Polo just managed to keep pace as the first half ended 6-5 to Zacara.
The second half told a different story as Zacara began to pull away. Ben Soleimani’s RH Polo kept them in their sights in the fourth, thanks to a fantastic goal from Rodrigo Andrade and Pieres converting a penalty. MacDonough, the only 10 goaler on the field, turned up the pressure, scoring two goals in quick succession to give Zacara a 9-7 lead. Three goals from Lyndon Lea’s team in the fifth, including one from the Lea himself, enabled Zacara to pull further away and they went into the sixth and final chukka leading 12-8. RH Polo converted a penalty to close the gap slightly, but MacDonough confirmed his side’s dominance with a final goal to finish 13-9.
For a full schedule of games and scores please click here.
Photograph: Apes Hill and La Bamba de Areco in action at Manor Farm. By ©www.imagesofpolo.com
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