English boys finish fourth at 2015 Baltic Amadeus Trophy

The English U17 boys’ water polo team finished fourth at the 2015 Baltic Amadeus Trophy in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Competing up an age group against U18 teams, the English qualified second from their qualification group to earn a semi-final match against hosts Lithuania on Saturday.

The home side edged the semi-final after four fiercely fought quarters, securing a 5-3 lead at half-time before pulling clear for an 11-6 (3-1, 2-2, 4-2, 2-1) win.

England’s last game of the 2015 Baltic Amadeus Trophy was a re-match of their final group stage encounter as they took on Moldova in the bronze medal match, hoping to avenge an 8-6 defeat.

An end-to-end goal-fest ensued as both teams scored freely and while England won the second and fourth quarters, putting six goals past Moldova in the last, they fell an agonising one goal short in a 13-12 (3-1, 2-4, 4-1, 4-6) defeat.

Invicta’s Freddie Pearson finished top goalscorer for the English boys, taking his overall tally to 10 for the tournament with four in the final game, while the English major conversion rate was 89% in their last match, converting eight times from nine man-ups.

2015 Baltic Amadeus Trophy

Semi-final: Lithuania 11 – 6 England

English goalscorers: John Pratt (2), Freddie Pearson, Nick Armitage-Bond, Aaron Mason, Alex Waller

Bronze medal match: Moldova 13 – 12 England

English goalscorers: Freddie Pearson (4), John Pratt (3), Ben Ray (2), Aaron Mason, Alex Waller, Nick Armitage-Bond, Tom Hutchens

England U17 Team for 2015 Baltic Amadeus Trophy

  1. Bill Moores (gk) – City of Manchester
  2. Nick Armitage-Bond – Cheltenham
  3. Ben Ray (cpt) – City of Manchester
  4. John Pratt – Sedgefield
  5. Bradley Watts – Exeter
  6. Freddie Pearson – Invicta
  7. George Davies – Solihull
  8. Aaron Mason – Sedgefield
  9. Alex Waller – Exeter
  10. Tom Hutchens – Exeter
  11. Jack Cutting – Exeter
  12. Joe Jenkins-Delf – Welsh Wanderers
  13. Toby Eve (gk) – Exeter

Head Coach: Ant McGuinness
Assistant Coach: Norman Leighton

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