NATIONAL WINTER GAMES AUSTRIA 2008
Innsbruck - Tirol
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EURO STARS
The Isle of Man Special
Olympics group sent a floor hockey team to Innsbruck, Austria last weekend
to gain some valuable experience in the European Championships. It was quite
evident after the first few games on the morning of the first day that the
Isle of Man had moved forward a considerable amount since competing in the
Olympic World games of 2005, they hammered a representative Austrian team
Salzburg 19 goals to 5 and then after 15 minutes rest beat Gibraltar 9 goals
to 3. Gibraltar had beaten the Isle of Man 12 goals to 4 back in 2005. Team
Captain Lawrence Dyer from Ramsey scored an incredible 14 goals during these
two games. It was also evident to the Austrian organisers that they needed
to field the full Austrian team so after lunch in the Olympian world Stadium
they did and were still beaten 12 goals to 2. After 15 mins rest the
Gibraltar team tried again this time with far more success with 3 minutes to
go Gibraltar had a two goal advantage but Chelsea Scott scored and seconds
later Andrew Richardson equalised, with the clock running down John Stephens
picked up the puck in his own area dribbled through the forest of Gibraltan
players to score a brilliant individual goal to win the game. The Next day
started the same way only this time the Gibraltar coach was to pull off a
stroke of tactical genius and teach the Manx and its coaches a very good
tactical lesson, all the teams were now very tired and the Manx teams all
out attacking style was taking its toll on its players and again in the very
last match of the competition we had to play the Gibraltar team but in the
first quarter the Manx team were 2 goals down and then lost midfield player
Andrew Richardson to injury. Daniel Kelly scored to make it 2 goals to 1
down then Gibraltar scored 2 more pulled the whole team back round the goal
area making it impossible for the Manx team to score. With the Isle of Man
team trying everything they knew to break this defence wall down they left
gaps at the back and every chance Gibraltar had they broke away and scored
with Gibraltar coach constantly shouting out orders from the sidelines. The
final score was 8 – 1 to Gibraltar but the Isle of Man team had already won
the Tournament winning 5 out of the 6 games. Chelsea Scott was picked out by
the Manx Coaches as the player of the tournament running herself into the
ground for the Manx teams cause and will no doubt have very sore wrists for
quite a few days to come. The Manx team wore a blue football strip donated
by the Mitre Hotel in Kirk Michael on day one, and a strip donated by the
Isle of Man Football Association on day two, our thanks to them and the many
local residents that donated funds in support of the team it was all greatly
appreciated as the experience gained will help the team considerably in next
years Winter Olympics in America.
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