Group Stages

Cannock 6-1 Sutton Coldfield

Cannock opened up their quest to retain their Midlands title with an indifferent display versus Sutton. Early exchanges were vey sloppy but eventually the Nockers turned the screw & put their opposition under constant pressure. There was a regular barrage on the Sutton goal & by half time a four goal advantage had been achieved. This allowed the Nockers to rotate their squad & ensure that everyone had some pitch time to get up to match pace, however, Sutton did pull a goal back from a penalty corner, so in the final two minutes of the game Cannock returned to their starting line up & sealed the victory with two more classy goals. The scoreline outlined a dominant display by the Nockers & sent out a signal to the rest of the competitors that Cannock were determined to defend their title.

Cannock 7-1 Bromsgrovians

Cannock second group game saw them play a strong Bromsgrovians side, but Nockers started the game very strongly & soon opened up a two goal lead in the first five minutes with some fluid skillful hockey. As the half neared an end the screw was tightened more as a third goal went in. However, in first half over time the Bromsgrovians pulled back a goal from a penalty corner to leave the game poised at halftime at 3-1. Knowing the next goal could be so vital to the final result the half time briefing detailed that we must stay strong & keep playing our game against a physical opposition. It didn't take long for the Nock to extend their lead & within minutes a 5-1 advantage was opened up. The early double deflated the opposition & Cannock cruised to the final whistle scoring two more goals & to see a 7-1 victory.

Cannock 9-0 Bridgnorth

The third group game saw Cannock start with great confidence after their very strong opening to the days competition & with goals at regular intervals the Nock eased to a 9-0 victory, allowing some major players a well deserved rest & the rest of the squad to gain very vital pitch time.

Cannock 6-1 Leek

With both sides already through to semi-finals, this final group clash was to decide who would go through as the group winner. Cannock opened up the scoring & soon extended their lead before Leek pulled back a goal, leading up to half time a third Nock goal saw the half time score at 3-1. The second half started with a frantic opening couple of minutes as Cannock scored two more quick fire goals. With the result now seeming decided both sides made full use of their benches & saved energy for the semi-finals. @One more goal saw the final score a 6-1 victory to Cannock & the group winners. Cannock now knew they would play the runner-up from the other group - Belper in the semi-finals.

Semi-Final Cannock 2-0 Belper

Knowing that the winner would automatically qualify for the National Finals this game was massive & the Cannock players were pumped up. The opening exchanges were very tight with both sides winning penalty corners but neither side really taking full advantage of their opportunities. However as the half progressed the Nock grabbed more of a stranglehold on the game & eventually opened up a goal lead, which saw them through to half time. The second half saw a similar pattern as Cannock saw more ball & exerted pressure on the Belper goal. Eventually another goal saw the Nock with a two goal cushion. For the final two minutes of the game Belper withdrew their goalkeeper & played with six outfield players, but this man advantage didn't worry the Cannock boys as they continued to press & should of extended their lead. However, the final whistle saw Cannock definitely through to the National Finals with a 2-0 victory.

Final Cannock 5-4 Beeston

With only a ten minute break between winning the semi-final & the start of the final, a tired Cannock side took to the pitch, leaving their two England Internationals on the bench to start with for a necessary rest. This highlighter the strength in depth of the Cannock squad. A laboured start saw Beeston open up a two goal lead but Cannock fought back & pull a goal back, after some even exchanges Beeston grabbed a third goal. With 31 seconds to go in the first half Cannock were reduced to five players as Ed Fleet picked up a yellow card. This called for urgent changes & Cannock introduced the now rested internationals to steady the ship whilst a a man down. Hale time was reached with Beeston leading 3-1 but Cannock knew it had been an even first half & we need to continue playing our hockey second half & we could claw this game back. The second half started with the five men Cannock determined not to concede another goal, which very duly did & the penalty was seen out & the Nock were back to their full six players. The extra man had instant effect & Cannock scored to make it 3-2. However, almost immediately Beeston pulled a sucker punch & scored again to reclaim their two goal advantage at 4-2. As the clock counted down Cannock dominated play more & more & with two minutes left on the clock pulled another goal back, the from the restart scored another to leave the game poised at 4-4. However, the Nock were not satisfied with a draw & continued to press the Beeston goal & with thirty seconds left on the clock, a fifth goal was scored to send the Cannock crowd into raptures of joy. The final thirty seconds counted down without incident & Cannock were crowned as Midland Champions - again!

Squad: Jack Hitchens, Jordan Bosi, Jack Childs, Chris Darnely, Arjan Drayton-Chana, Ed Fleet, Matt Jarocki, Jack Middleton, Tom Morris, James Pratt, Matt Sanders, George Southall.