WHILE Avoca laboured in Reading, it was a weekend to savour for their apprentices, Newpark, in the International Youth Hockey Festival in The Hague. Newpark won their final two pool matches to claim a place in the semi final, in which they beat Hudito of Holland, and then the Irish boys lost only by 1-0 to hosts HDM in the final.

Victories over King Edward College, South Africa, 5-1 (with goals by Stephen Butler 3, Karl Breaden and Cliff Bailey) and Wellington College, England 4-1 (Bailey 2, Butler and Stephen Thompson) earned second place in their pool.

In an epic clash with Hudito, Stephen Barry scored the winning goal in the final seconds of a 2-1 victory. Earlier Butler had gained the lead with a strongly pushed short corner. Colm Brady and Stuart Moffett were outstanding in defence and the entire team showed great character in the pulsating closing stages.

In the final, HDM gained the honours with a hard fought win. Newpark took the game to their hosts with inventive, aggressive hockey, but the Dutch side defended stoutly and defied the best efforts of Bailey, Butler and Barry.

The player of the tournament award to went to Cliff Bailey.