Tendring make it to their first national final (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Tendring make it to their first national final

4:14pm Thursday 1st March 2012 in Clacton sport

TENDRING Volleyball Club’s men’s team have made history by sealing a place in their first-ever national cup final.

Their National Shield semi-final showdown against London Docklands ended at the Tendring Technology College Frinton campus with the hosts taking a thrilling 3-2 victory.

It means they will now contest the Shield final against Boathouse on April 28 at the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering and no-one is under-estimating what a big achievement it is for a small club.

Tendring will have a chance to shine in the national finals after semi-final disappointments in the last two years.

They reached the last four in the National Cup last year and were Shield semi-finalists in 2010, so it is pleasing for them to have gone all the way this time.

Coach and former England international Neil Masters said: “It’s the first time that the club has got to a national final and that’s so exciting.

“We got to the semi-finals of the cup last year and that was a huge achievement because we were only in the third tier of the national leagues then and we beat two top-flight Super Eight teams on the way to the last four.

“But to actually make it to national finals day is a really important step for us.

“Our profile is rising and this can only help.

“However, the job isn’t finished yet and we know Boathouse will be a tough proposition in the final.

“They are from near Leeds and have two or three ex-England international players and former Super Eight winners in their ranks.

“We did beat them two weeks ago and they beat us earlier in the season so it’s one-all at the moment and we know the final is going to be a juicy tie.

“But we will fancy our chances.”