WHILST Ashmoor men’s team were competing in the Super Sixes Division One, Ashmoor’s Under 18 boys team were holding their own against the very best eight teams in their age group in the country.

Ashmoor have a rich history in the exciting Indoor version of the game having three times reached the final in the Under 16 Clubs competition, but have always fallen at the final hurdle. In the Under 18 age group Ashmoor’s best showing was as losing semi-finalists in 2013.

However, this year’s Under 18 team travelled to the Derby Arena with high hopes but no great expectations in the absence of coach Jack Dinnie, himself engaged as player-coach at the Super Sixes.

They opened proceedings against North-West Champions Doncaster – every team at the Finals having won their respective regional competition.

Nerves were settled early when Ashmoor were awarded a penalty stroke which Captain Sol Bloomfield cooly converted. After Doncaster equalised, Ashmoor stuck to their game plan with Ben Barnett restoring the lead. Charles Walker made sure of the win just before the buzzer to give his side the perfect start.

Next came Brooklands, who had also won their opening game.

Once again, cheered on by a host of friends and family supporters, the Ashmoor team were on fire from the start. Walker scored in the opening two minutes, and Ashmoor led 1-0 at the interval. Two sin-bins for Brooklands and two goals for Ashmoor, courtesy of Barnett and Will Harvey, put the game to bed.

The final pool match was against Repton, semi-finalists from the previous year’s Super Sixes competition. Repton led at the break but the Ashmoor lads’ maturity told as they stayed calm and let their hockey do the talking.

Harvey equalised from a penalty corner midway through the second half before Olly Hartwell got in on the act and Walker struck too, securing Ashmoor’s semi-final status.

In their semi, Ashmoor were up against London winners Teddington.

Walker continued his goal a game record to give Ashmoor the lead at the mid-game break, and then a Ben Barnett penalty corner - his third of the competition – ensured Ashmoor were in the National Final!

It was always going to be a tough ask against the holders from 2024 Epsom, who had also won the U16 final the year before that!

Early on it looked like Epsom’s final experience might tell, going two ahead after six minutes. Remarkably though, the Ashmoor players had nerves of steel, even if their supporters’ nerves were shredded.

In an amazing three-minute period Harvey pulled one back, Bloomfield fired home a leveller and then Barnett completed the first-half turnaround.

The second half was a fine display of mature indoor hockey with everyone contributing to the result. Tom Croughan kept a clean sheet in the second half, defender Luke Stapleton didn’t put a foot wrong, whilst Seth Turner, who has been playing Ashmoor indoor hockey since he was five, showed great control.

Meanwhile, at the other end Walker achieved the feat of scoring in every match before Barnett capped it off for the delirious supporters.

To be crowned National Champions against some much bigger and more illustrious clubs was testament to the hard work put in by the players and coaching staff over a long period of time.

Back row, left to right: Reuben Stanley (Coach), Charles Walker, Luke Stapleton, Sol Bloomfield (Captain), Olly Hartwell, Tom Croughan, Aaron Martin (Manager).

From row, l-r: Will Harvey, Tom Faulkner, Seth Turner, Ben Barnett.