Coleraine girls cheer on Jen

For former Bannsider, Jen Wilson, is currently playing in Delhi for the South African national team.

Indeed, over the weekend, she pulled off a spectacular save in their match against India when she stopped an oncoming hockey ball...with her mouth!

Already in the tournament the former Coleraine player has scored two goals against Trinidad and Tobago in this, her third Commonwealth Games.

Former team mate and player at Coleraine, Alice McGill told the Times: “Jen came over to Coleraine around September 1999. She was recommended by Caryn Bentley who wasn’t playing for us at the time as she was training for the forthcoming Olympics.

“Jen and a coach Nicky du Toit came over from South Africa and, at that stage, she was just on the fringes of the national team.

“She played for Coleraine for that season and also played for Ulster while she was here.”

With over 100 caps, Jen, who lived in the Pine Trees area of Coleraine during her stay, stands out in Alice’s mind as a player.

“She was very hard working, that’s what I remember about her and she was a good team player,” said Alice.

“I have been following her progress with updates from Delhi. They got a draw against Australia which was a very good result.

“Then they played India over the weekend which was a game that, on paper, they should have won but they went 3-0 down.

“They needed a two goal difference to get through and then Jen save one off the line with her mouth. So I think she is missing a tooth now!”

As well as playing together in Coleraine, Alice also travelled to South Africa to meet Jen.

“Jen hosted myself, Carol Anne Lockhart and Jane McCandless when we went over to South Africa in the summer of 2000 and, along with her flatmates, she was the absolute perfect hostess.

“She gave up her bedroom for two months, took us to Cape Town, Johannesburg, took us along the wine route and her parents put us up in Port Elizabeth for a few days too,” recalled Alice.

At the time of going to Press, South Africa had just been beaten by New Zealand in a semi-final at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi.

“New Zealand are the favourites in the tournament so that was always going to be a tough one for Jen and the team,” said Alice.

Jen and the South Africans will now play England on Wednesday (tomorrow) morning for the bronze medal while Australia and New Zealand face each other in the final for the gold and silver positions.