Hockey: Edinburgh University men clinch British Universities title with narrow victory

Edinburgh University’s men have won the British Universities and Colleges Sport hockey title – defeating Birmingham University 1-0 in the final.
Edinburgh University player-coach Hamish Imrie is proud of team, who had to hold on in the final. Picture: Nigel DuncanEdinburgh University player-coach Hamish Imrie is proud of team, who had to hold on in the final. Picture: Nigel Duncan
Edinburgh University player-coach Hamish Imrie is proud of team, who had to hold on in the final. Picture: Nigel Duncan

Scotland international Robbie Croll scored the only goal in a thrilling final at Nottingham University, where the Scots were at one point down to nine men.

Croll, a 21-year-old who captains the side, struck the winner from a penalty corner in the second quarter of a tense tussle. Birmingham even withdrew their goalkeeper in the dying minutes to give them 11 outfield players.

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Edinburgh player/coach Hamish Imrie, also a Scottish international, admitted: "We held on."

Martin Rose, the students’ goalkeeper, made some telling stops and Kier Robb was a constant menace up-front to Birmingham, who were the favourites to lift the silverware.

It's been a tough journey to the final for the Capital combine as they played the semi-final and quarter-final on the road, edging Birmingham Seconds 2-0 and Cardiff Met 2-1 in the Principality. Edinburgh beat Cambridge 3-1 in the last 16.

Imrie added: πThis was a massive team effort against a team who were fancied to take the title. We were under the cosh for he first five or ten minutes, but in the second and third we re-grouped and could have scored but did not take our chances.

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“We were again really up against it in the final stages, particularly when they took off their goalkeeper to make it nine against 11, but we came through and this is one of the best games we have played this season.”