Olympic joy for heroes (From Gazette Series)

Olympic joy for heroes

HOCKEY stars Simon Mason and Mark Pearn were among the heroes this week as Great Britain booked their place at this summer's Olympics in Athens.

Veteran goalkeeper Mason, from Berkeley, and the dynamic Pearn, from Charfield, were both in the thick of the action as an Olympic appearance was ensured with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Belgium.

This result guaranteed a top six group finish in the men's qualifying tournament held in Madrid. Qualification became official when the team beat New Zealand 3-2 at the weekend to secure fifth place overall in their final group match.

Unfortunately, celebrations were somewhat overshadowed by the terrorist bomb attacks in the Spanish city which killed scores of people on the day of the Belgium triumph.

Former Katherine Lady Berkeley's School pupils Mason and Pearn are now set to grace their third Olympic tournament together following the success of the qualifying campaign. The duo, who both play for World Club Champions Reading, are two of the most senior players in the current Great Britain squad, with Pearn having won 187 caps and Mason 175, totals only bettered by legendary three-time Olympian and 1988 gold medal winner Russell Garcia.

The Great Britain side had begun the qualifying competition badly but had steadily improved, with the all-important top six finish in doubt right up until the vital match against Belgium.

Great Britain had not lost a game against their European rivals since an Olympic Games qualifier in Amsterdam 28 years ago, and the team were indebted to Mason after a fine save in the opening minutes.

The Reading goalkeeper, who was voted as UK Hockey's Player of the Year for 2003, was playing despite suffering from a twisted left knee that had troubled him for two games. His third minute save provided the springboard for his side to take the lead.

The goal came after seven minutes, with Barry Middleton, scoring his first goal of the tournament, unleashing a reverse stick shot from the edge of the circle that flew into the top corner of Cedric Degreve's goal.

Less than two minutes later, Great Britain were 2-0 up as Reading defender Tom Bertram drilled home the team's first penalty corner of the game, beating Degreve inside his left hand post.

Belgium fought back but it appeared that their opponents had successfully dealt with all threats until Charles Vandeweghe won a fourth penalty corner two minutes from the interval.

A variation to the right of the D from the set-piece saw Marc Coudron deflect in a pass to put the Belgians into the ascendancy heading into the second half.

They forced the issue after the break, seeing one shot rebound off a post and keeping Mason very busy, but Great Britain held on to maintain their record of not missing an Olympics since Moscow in 1980, when the team boycotted the Games as part of a political protest.