GBR juniors lose out to a strong Romanian side in game 1 in Slovenia - June 24, 2021

Great Britain went down 18-6 against a ruthless Romanian side that featured two outstanding performances from Andrei Neamtu and Patrick Dumitru. Whilst their first game in European Qualifiers did not go the way Great Britain wanted, it is important that Claudio Palumbo’s side pick themselves up before their must-win against Austria tomorrow.

Great Britain got off to a swift start. Just twelve seconds into the game, they scored a goal with their first attack. City of Manchester’s Harry Bentham settled the nerves for the team in blue caps, scoring the first goal of the game. However, Romania scored four unanswered goals throughout the quarter, with the fourth coming merely two seconds before the buzzer, much to the delight of a large partisan crowd of travelling Romanian supporters.

It was important for GB to grab the next goal, and they did. Captain George Clover did well to win a penalty that Penguins Charles Kingsmill executed well. His low shot beat the outstretched arms of Romanian keeper, Alexandru Buliga. But Romania were successful in limiting what GB could do in attack, before their number eleven, Patrick-Mihai Dumitru scored two goals in two minutes to take the score to 6-2.

Then a rocket of a shot from Romanian’s Andrei Neamtu from 8m gave GB’s keeper, Ben Urquhart, no chance, as it slammed in off the right-hand post before bouncing in. Neamtu then added his third of the game from the pit, before Dumitru added his fourth of the game from the perimeter, to take the score to 9-2 at half-time.

Great Britain Head Coach, Claudio Palumbo, had his work cut out at half-time, with his side trailing by seven goals. As he had throughout the first half in the game, GB’s keeper from Sheffield, Benjamin Urquhart, made a vital save in the first moments of the second half to prevent another Romanian goal.

GB needed to gain some momentum in the match, and they found inspiration from distance via Corran Bradley’s well placed shot into the bottom left corner. But Andrei Neamtu of Romania was proving too much to handle for Great Britain, as he scored his fourth goal immediately after, taking the score to 10-3.

Richard-Sandor Orsos then made it eleven for the Romanians with an excellently placed backshot from the pit. A long ball over the top from substitute Romanian keeper, Horatiu Muresan found who else but Andrei Neamtu to convert his fifth in the game. Neamtu, who plays professionally for ASC Corona Brasov in Romania, was in ruthless form all afternoon, and Great Britain really struggled to deal with him.

Great Britain were quick to get a goal back in the final quarter courtesy of Corran Bradley – who had his second of the match on the top from a man-up. Harry Bentham then scored his second of the game to take the score to 13-5. But Romania found it easy to penetrate the British defense, with Ferhat Baglamis and Horia-Petru Nazarie both scoring in quick succession past GB’s substitute keeper, Aarav Ganguli. Harry Bentham then had the ball in the Romanian net, but nearside referee, Aleksandar Nestorov judged the young City of Manchester & Bolton School player to have been inside 6m before his shot. Two minutes from time, Richard Orsos grabbed his hat-trick before Horia Nazarie made it 17-5 to the Romanians.

Thirty seconds from time saw Charlie Kingsmill score his second of the game but Romania would have the final say – with Vlad Nicolae Gherghe scoring the last goal of the game on a three on two, meaning the full-time score was 18-6.

Great Britain play Austria tomorrow morning before taking on Russia in the evening, whilst Romania also play two games tomorrow – also against Russia and then hosts, Slovenia.

18-6 (4-1, 5-1, 3-1, 6-3)

Match report: James Spencer Boyce

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