Photo: England Lacrosse
Downe House staged a dramatic comeback to defeat last year’s champions Berkhamsted and claim the Under 15A National Schools Championship title.
The Berkshire school had reached the final of the Under 14 competition last year but finished as runners-up. The same cohort returned this year determined to go one step further and successfully captured the Under 15 title.
Downe House impressed throughout the pool stages, recording three wins and a draw to finish top of Group 2. They began with a 5–1 victory over Cheltenham Ladies’ College, followed by a convincing 5–0 win against Westonbirt. A high-scoring 3–3 draw with North London Collegiate was their only dropped points of the group stage before they closed the pool campaign with a 4–0 victory over Benenden.
Defending champions Berkhamsted produced an equally strong performance in their group matches to top Group 5. They opened with a 4–1 win against St George’s Harpenden before defeating St Paul’s 6–0. A closely contested 3–2 victory over Marlborough College followed, and they recorded their biggest result of the tournament with a 9–0 win against Haileybury. Their only draw came against Birkenhead in a 3–3 encounter.
In the knockout stages, Downe House continued their impressive run. They first overcame St Mary’s Calne 2–1 in the round of 16 before defeating Queen Anne’s 3–2 in the quarter-finals. A confident 3–1 victory over Lady Eleanor Holles in the semi-final secured their place in the championship match.
Berkhamsted also progressed strongly through the knockouts as they looked to defend their title. They defeated Putney High 4–2 in the round of 16, beat Wycombe Abbey 4–1 in the quarter-finals and then edged past Guildford High 2–1 in the semi-final to set up a repeat appearance in the final.
The final proved to be a tense and dramatic contest. Berkhamsted took the lead early in the match, but Downe House quickly responded to bring the scores level. Berkhamsted regained the advantage soon after and when Downe House were shown a yellow card, leaving them temporarily a player down, the challenge of mounting a comeback appeared even greater.
However, Downe House responded strongly in the second half. A well-taken free position shot brought them level once again, and with momentum firmly on their side they soon moved ahead for the first time through another successful free position effort.
Dominance on the draw proved decisive in the closing stages as Downe House controlled possession and ran valuable time off the clock. Berkhamsted pushed forward in the final seconds searching for an equaliser, but a tight-angled shot struck the side netting and the final whistle confirmed Downe House as the new Under 15A National Schools champions.
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