IN A dramatic finish to Saturday’s Scottish Indoor Hockey League Division Two programme, Alpha Data Carnegie Hockey Club reached the Division One promotion play-offs.

Carnegie had to take something from Falkirk to ensure their progress from the Division 2B play-off group and got involved in a 15-goal thriller with captain and top scorer, Andy Doyle, going between the sticks after regular keeper Willie Dunster was forced to pull out.

The game started with Carnegie pressing high and getting two quick goals. However, Falkirk came flying back with four goals of their own to lead 4-2. Carnegie pulled one back before half-time and then scored three more themselves.

With goals at either end and the time ticking down it was 7-7 with three minutes to go but with seconds remaining, Gary Clark picked up the ball and drove at goal before scoring to give Carnegie an 8-7 win.

It meant they then had to play the winners of the the 2A group Menzieshill seconds next but as no second-strings can gain promotion to the top league the result of this match, which ended 8-3 in favour of the Dundee side, meant nothing and the West Fifers went into a penalty shoot-out with the second team in the 2A group, Watsonians, to decide who would play-off with the second-bottom side in Division One to see who will be in the top division next season. It was the new running penalty style of shoot-out, which was used in the summer’s Commonwealth Games outdoor competition, to separate the clubs.

With Doyle still in goal, he chose Robert Gillespie, Sam Goldie and Jamie Stewart to take the three running penalties and Watsonians won the toss and chose to go first.

It was Doyle who came out to make a good save to deny the Watsonians player in the opener, then up stepped Gillespie to do a swift shimmy to the right and slot the ball home between the keeper’s legs to put Carnegie one-up. Doyle again came out on top in the next penalty but Goldie missed the target with his meaning Watsonians’ final penalty had to be scored or Carnegie would win the shootout.

Captain Doyle was up to the task again and saved the final penalty which meant Stewart did not even have to take his with Carnegie winning 1-0 to clinch the chance to take on either Hillhead or Clydesdale at the Bells Sports Centre in Perth on 7th February.

A delighted Doyle told Press Sport, “It has been a good season so far for us. We started with the main aim to retain our status in National Two but have now found ourselves with the opportunity of playing in National One next year. Regardless of what happens, it is an improvement on last season but we would love to win the play-off to further boost the club’s profile.”