Hockey: Tough outings for IoM U18 sides in EH Championships

Both suffer defeat in respective competitions

The weekend proved a challenging one for two of the Isle of Man's junior national hockey sides who both suffered defeats in their latest England Hockey (EH) Championships matches.

The Isle of Man Under-18 Boys - contesting the U18 Tier 2 KO tournament - suffered a 7-1 loss at the hands of Timperley Boys Under-18's at Altrincham Grammar School.

Alfie Swales scored the only goal for the travelling Island side and also scooped the Isle of Man's player of the match award.

Meanwhile, the IoM Under-18 girls were on the wrong end of a narrow 2-1 defeat to Lichfield Girls Under-18's at University of Cumbria in Lancaster in the U18 Girls Tier 2 Plate.

Evie Watterson was on target for the Manx squad - Watterson and Ela Blakemore received a joint-player of the match award.

Elsewhere, the Island's Under-14 Boys team had also been due to be in action on Sunday (4 February), however their match was called off due to their opponents City of York forfeiting the tie.