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June 14, 2009
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Apes Hill's tenacity edges out Sumaya for over time win in Queen´s Cup - by Iain Forbes-Cockell ("The Major")

Ahmad Aboughazale’s Sumaya, last year’s beaten finalists, faced the Sir Charles Williams’ sponsored Apes Hill in the final of the Harcourt Developments Queen’s Cup at Guards Polo Club. On a beautiful summer’s day, with the ground looking in great condition considering the hailstorm the previous Sunday, these two teams battled for six chukkas and it was only a golden goal in overtime that gave the Apes Hill team their very popular victory. Fate must have had a part to play in the result, as 30 years ago in 1979, Simon and Claire Tomlinson’s Los Locos team had lifted the trophy and in 2009, it was their two sons, Luke and Mark, both England International team players with Argentinean Juan Gris Zavaleta and potentially a future England prospect, Charlie Hanbury who won The Queen’s Cup.

Very early on a pick up from a throw in gave Mark Tomlinson the chance to run the ball and score the first goal with a nearside shot (1-0). Shortly afterwards Apes Hill were awarded a Penalty 5A spot hit near the centre taken by Luke Tomlinson but met by a backhander by Ahmad Aboughazale who passed to Nachi Du Plessis who was well marked but then Hilario Ulloa picked up the ball and quickly scored the equaliser (1-1). A slight injury to Milo Fernandez Araujo resulted in a line out but a Sumaya player fouled and from the resulting Penalty 3, Luke Tomlinson scored to put Apes Hill back into the lead (2-1). Just before the first chukka ended a pass to Ahmad saw him on one of his familiar runs to goal but he was hooked by Luke, however Nachi was backing up well and scored the equaliser (2-2).

At the start of the second chukka Milo passed the ball to Hilario but then Luke intercepted and passed to Mark who had a run at goal but his nearside shot was just wide. In the next play, a Penalty 2 was given to Apes Hill and Luke duly scored to regain the lead (3-2). Good teamwork by Hilario and Milo pushed the ball towards the Apes Hill goal but Juan Gris Zavaleta intercepted a pass, galloped towards the Sumaya goal and only a bad bounce of the ball prevented another score. A combined attack by Nachi and Hilario ended with a long shot from Nachi just going wide of goal. After the hit in, a Penalty 4 was awarded to Sumaya and Hilario converted that for the equaliser (3-3). From the line out Charlie Hanbury took the ball, passed to Juan Gris who took the ball past the goal but then hit a great nearside backhander to score and put Apes Hill 4-3 in the lead at the end of the chukka.

Sumaya attacked from the throw in and Hilario passed to Ahmad, again tightly marked by Luke but then Nachi slipped away from his marker and drilled a fantastic under the neck shot from at least 60 yards out to even up the score at 4 goals apiece. A spot hit for a Sumaya foul in the lineout was taken by Luke and passed to Mark but he was ridden off, then Luke rode down the line and a Penalty 2 was awarded, from which he scored (5-4). The game picked up pace at this stage and a great intercept by Juan Gris, with Charlie Hanbury riding off his marker, allowed Juan Gris to run to goal and score, giving Apes Hill a two goal advantage for the first time in the match (6-4). Charlie Hanbury then got the ball from the lineout and had a run to score Apes Hill’s seventh goal (7-4). Sumaya came back immediately and a run by Nachi, in which at least three attempts were made to hook him, resulted in a Penalty 3 being given to Sumaya and Nachi duly scored to close the gap (7-5). Milo then had a run to goal but was caught and Hilario then followed up by scoring to bring Sumaya back to within one goal (7-6) at half time. Six goals were scored in the third chukka and some spectacular runs from both teams were witnessed by the spectators.

The half time discussions with coaches Will Lucas for Apes Hill and Tono Itturate for Sumaya having taken place, the teams emerged for the second half. Sumaya were straight into the attack to try and even the score. A spot hit taken by Hilario went towards the goal but was pushed away, however, Apes Hill had fouled and a spot hit by Hilario was turned but a foul hook allowed a Sumaya Penalty 2, hit by Hilario to even the score at 7-7. This was developing into a really tough close match and was nip and tuck all the way to the end of the sixth chukka. Nachi had a run to goal but in backing the ball to the side, Apes Hill had fouled and Hilario scored from the Penalty 4 to put Sumaya in the lead for the first time in the match (7-8). A further Apes Hill attack ended with a Penalty 6 (60 safety) in their favour, from which Luke scored to make it 8-8 at the end of the fourth chukka.

Sumaya went back into the lead again after Hilario scored from a Penalty 3 which had been awarded right at the end of the previous chukka (8-9). Apes Hill then attacked and a Penalty 6 to them was just hit wide by Luke. There then followed a very muddled series of plays, with both sides marking closely and bunching. A Penalty 5B was awarded to Apes Hill and Luke’s pass to Charlie resulted in Charlie’s shot just going wide. A Sumaya attack, started by Milo and continued by Nachi was picked up by Luke, who passed to Mark and he passed to Charlie who scored a very popular goal to even the scores just before the end of the chukka (9-9) in which each team had one more attack without score.

From Sumaya’s back line, Milo took the ball up field, passed to Hilario who then hit a fabulous shot from about 60 yards out to put them back into the lead (9-10). From the line out Charlie ran to goal and was just hooked but Luke followed up and scored to even things up again this time with double figures for both teams (10-10). Nachi then had a brilliant run to score, having hit the ball in the air three times in succession to regain the lead for Sumaya (10-11). With only a minute or so left in the chukka, the intensity could be felt by the spectators and there was some tough and close marking on the field. Apes Hill were desperately trying to even the score and time was running out. Their next attack by Nachi led to a Penalty 4, which Luke struck but it hit Hilario’s pony, however Luke then had a run to goal and scored the equaliser only seconds before the bell went but as the teams were tied, the extra 30 seconds were played, during which Milo took the ball down to within 50 yards of the Apes Hill goal when the hooter went with the score at 11-11.

Into overtime they went and shortly after the throw in Hilario was unseated after a tangle with Mark and the whistle stopped play. After a quick check to see if Hilario was fit to continue, the ball was thrown in and Nachi took the ball but then he lost it to Juan Gris who took a long range shot towards goal and Charlie Hanbury just gave the ball the extra hit it needed to go through the goal to win the match for Apes Hill. A delighted Sir Charles Williams accompanied Luke Tomlinson to receive the Queen’s Cup from Her Majesty The Queen and a very popular win for the three Englishmen it was too. Commiserations to Sumaya, who were unlucky to be runners up for the second consecutive year and maybe they will follow the third time lucky syndrome that seems to be prevalent.