Grammarians faced defeat against Turkish hosts in Challenge I tournament
Not the first time that Grammarians had met with Gaziantep, it was however a very different time with both now meeting in the Eurohockey Club Challenge I division, a step higher than their last confrontation in 2017 when they were in the second tier.
Grammarians came away with a win in that match with a narrow 3-2 victory.
Playing in Turkey against the host team was probably not the type of start Grammarians would have hoped for. However, it was quite a coincidence as the tables had been turned with their last encounter having been played in Gibraltar. With Grammarians having been the hosts.
Grammarians also have to face Italian, and Hungarian opposition too, Grammarians had a tough campaign ahead of them.
The first quarter was to see both head into the first break scoreless. Grammarians with the solitary penalty corner.
The second quarter saw the host earn a penalty corner. The first goal was to come from the subsequent play with Gaziantep Polisgucu SK scoring with 21 minutes of the match having been played.
The hosts were to find the net three more times before arriving at the first half hour of the match with Grammarians going 4-0 down into the break. Goals on the 26th and 28th minute putting the dampeners on Grammarians.
They were to concede again on the 32nd minute as the host now led with a 5-0 margin.
The fourth quarter was to see Grammarians concede for a sixth time as they faced defeat. The match also having seen four green cards, one for Shane Ramagge and the other three for Gazientep players. The final green and a yellow card coming at the final seconds of the match.
Grammarians conceded a final goal in the final seconds of the match as they went 7-0 down in their first encounter in Pool B of the Challenge I men’s. Their opponents having dominated the match with nine penalty corners to their name against Grammarians solitary one.