The U18 boys tournament, organised by Hackney Council, was part of a wider event, with tournaments for U15 boys and girls, and saw over 130 players on Saturday at the Copperbox Arena on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London.

Ealing won all four games to win the U18 tournament ahead of regular rivals Carshalton. In the opening game against London Lions A, the Ealing side made a slow start and a string of mistakes and missed opportunities saw them hold only a narrow lead at the mid-way point, before pulling away for an 8-2 win. Hosts Hackney Hornets took a 2-0 lead against Ealing in the second match before Ealing picked-up the pace to edge ahead and eventually run-out 10-7 winners. Ealing were more settled in the third game and got into their rhythm quickly to win 10-2 against London Lions B.

The final game against unbeaten Carshalton was the decider and with the teams knowing each other well, it was a game dominated by defence and excellent goalkeeping on both sides. The score remained 2-2 at the midway point when Ealing scored a couple of quick goals to edge ahead; two late fast breaks sealed the win and the tournament for the West London side.

“Our thanks go to Lynn Humphrey and all her team at Hackney for organising a great event, and to the other teams for making this a very special day“, said Ealing Head Coach Paul Bray, “it is so important for young players to get lots of court time, so tournaments like this one, against tough opposition, are ideal for our players’ development”.

Ealing team: Bhargav Bogadala, Diogo Lourenco, Oliver Bray, Matt Lacour, Dan Rogers, Simon Urbutis, Manvir Aulakh, Pedro Lourenco, Diogo Simeos, Noah Bridges

Results:
Ealing-London Lions A - 8-2
Ealing-Hackney Hornets - 10-7
Ealing-London Lions B - 10-2
Ealing-Carshalton Titans - 6-2

Table:
1. Ealing (12pts)
2. Carshalton Titans (10pts)
3. London Lions A (8pts)
4. London Lions B (6pts)
5. Hackney Hornets (4pts)