Biba Mills became the youngest ever scorer in Euro Hockey League history as East Grinstead beat Gantoise in their ranking match on Sunday.
Mills, 15, scored the winner with a tip in as East Grinstead held off Gantoise 2-1 as the West Sussex side also recorded a first ever win in the competition.
The teen, who also stood out in East Grinstead’s Super6s win in January, guided in Lily Walker’s bouncing ball at the right post with nine minutes left to boost England’s chances of getting a second place next season.
Laura Roper, who revealed that this would be her last season with the club, said: “These are the matches we want to play in. For a club like East Grinstead, eight seasons ago we were playing and now we are standing here. It’s great for the club.
“We had a 15-year-old scoring the winning goal which is unbelievable really to play at this level.
“We want to compete at this level. We’ve got a taste for it and we have the hunger to have more.”
The win was also down to huge performances from 18-year-old goalkeeper Isabel Field and Roper in midfield. Field brilliantly tipped an Alix Gerniers shot onto the post before Walker calmly put the English club in front from a corner second phase.
Field then saved an Ambre Ballenghien stroke before half-time but did get Gantoise back level in the third quarter with a low penalty corner.
They had further corner chances but EG were the ones to capitalise from their set piece, again on the second phase, with Walker picking the ball up on the left and Mills did the rest.
