Suffolk hockey stars George Pinner and Harry Martin grabbed a bronze medal in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at the Commonwealth Games yesterday – and immediately pledged that even better is to come.

Former Ipswich School pupil Pinner was the hero as he kept out two New Zealand penalties before Ashley Jackson fired home the key stroke for a 4-2 England win after the match finished 3-3 in normal time.

And fellow former Ipswich School student Martin, who scored in the semi-final defeat to eventual winners Australia, said the medal made up for the heartbreak of finishing fourth at the 2012 Olympics (with GB) and at the last Commonwealth Games.

The team will now look towards next year’s European Championships in London and the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

“I’ve been fourth at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games and it’s a horrible position. You are down after losing the semi-final and then you feel even worse,” said Martin.

“This is a totally different feeling and it’s just great to be able to get a medal and have something to show for all our efforts.

“This team has been getting better and better since the Olympics. Every tournament we’ve improved and the new players have come in and made a really positive impact.

“Hopefully this is just the start for this group now, we’ve got a couple of really big years coming up and winning a medal is going to be great for our self-belief and confidence.”

Read much more with George Pinner in tomorrow’s Ipswich Star and EADT.