National win is latest feather in cap for Worthing’s water polo stars

After beating Caledonia from Scotland 11-7 in the semi final, they got the better of Cheltenham in the final.

Henry Broadhurst was named the tournament MVP and Felix Monaghan was named best goalkeeper.

Worthing also won bronze in the under 17 event and head coach Alastair Roberts said: “To win the U19 event and bronze in the U17s was a huge achievement for the club.”

The final saw Worthing hold off a late Cheltenham comeback to win. The club have won two national age group titles in as many years after their U17 boys success in 2022.

In a tense and tight first quarter, Worthing got the early lead thanks to two Broadhurst strikes to put them into a 2-0 lead. Cheltenham fought back to reduce the gap to 4-3 by half time.

Worthing extended their lead to three in the third period before Cheltenham began to claw it back and they were on the brink of taking the game to penalties.But Worthing’s keeper Monaghan pulled off some excellent saves that helped see the tram over the line.

Broadhurst end the game with four goals and Ethan Lecuyer (2), Tumay Evcimen Junior and Joey Taylor also scored.

Roberts said: “I’m absolutely delighted. We won the U17 event last year and we didn’t think we’d quite be ready to win this one this year.

“So the boys have been unbelievable, they did absolutely brilliantly to qualify and the way they played the two games here has been fantastic.

“Every credit goes to them and they deserve it, they really do. It was a nervy game - I knew it would be a really tight match.”

U19s: Felix Monaghan, Luke Heaton, Joe Boot, Sammy Smith, Archie Moon, Henry Broadhurst, Ethan Lecuyer, Olly Phillips, Nickolas Karamanlis, Tumay Evcimen, Indy Nash, Maty Skoda, Joey Taylor. U17s: William Makepeace, Aiden McArragher, Sammy Smith, Cass Humphrey, Sam Collier, Dom Bullen, Caleb Slingo, Olly Phillips, Tumay Evcimen, Jamie Miles, Henry Priest, Joey Taylor.