matchdate=27/1/07
EVAREF= m1-58
home=
away=
division=M1
Malory hold
on in thriller!
Newcastle (Staffs) 1 – 3 London Malory (14-25, 25-21, 17-25,
25-27)
Since the start of the season London Malory have been very active in the
domestic transfer market and at Keele University on
Saturday were able
to play two of England’s leading players in Danny Weemes
and youngster
Dammy Bakare. Both players
are powerful hitters who can destroy any
defence,
indeed the hitting warm-up became a display of which Malory
players could hit the ball hardest and from the highest contact point.
The first set started very evenly with both sides siding out well and
‘Castle fighting hard to maintain the intensity of concentration
required to keep in the set. As the teams reached double figures the
scores were still level, when Malory visibly appeared to step on the
accelerator and attack more potently with Weemes, Bakare and Fee all
hitting off, through, around and even over the ‘Castle block and serve
with power and accuracy. Having been in the set and ready to fight it
out to the end, ‘Castle suddenly found themselves
changing ends having
gone down to a 25-14 defeat.
After the 3 minute break, the hosts could have been excused for being
punch-drunk on their return to court, but instead came out fighting and
quickly took the lead in the 2nd set. At times it looked as though the
unfashionable Staffordshire side was the team full of international
players as the cut through Malory’s defense, causing great problems for
the visitors’ serve receive unit by focusing the vast majority of serves
on libero Andy Carr who struggled to handle the
pressure and lapsed into
errors. Although ‘Castle were attacking well with Guest, Viggars
and
Lovell all potent through the wings, they also had some luck for example
17 year old Adam Brewer waywardly hitting a Malory overpass off court
only for the ball to strike Weemes who was loitering
in no-man’s land
and score a point for the hosts. ‘Castle ended the set to the loud
cheers of the 70+ crowd with a kill on a middle attack from Will Roberts
to finish it 25-21.
In the third set Malory introduced the experienced Aaron Stolberg, and
the consistency that he provided pushed the game in the visitors’
direction.
Keele having lost in previous seasons with Malory,
London Docklands and
London Aquila Lynx, but this time he made the difference for his team.
The 25-17 scoreline of the 3rd set does not
accurately reflect how close
the teams were, and the crowd were willing ‘Castle to
take the match
into a fifth.
The fourth set produced some fantastic side-out Volleyball, indeed if
the old side-out scoring system was still used the set would have found
the teams at loggerheads at about 5-5 rather than the match ending when
it did! The set was always in Malory’s advantage as they had the most
slender of leads, but ‘Castle’s cover and defence was
inspired, and
Bragg varied his attack enough to out-fox Malory’s blockers and
neutralise their height advantage at the net. With
the supporters
engaging fully with the tension on-court the teams traded powerful
attacks until finally the Malory block told and they finished the match
with a 27-25 win. Although they would not claim to have deserved to win
the match, ‘Castle could rightfully reflect that their performance
certainly merited a fifth set and the chance to play out for the match.
Next Saturday sees one of the clashes of the season as NSVC travel to
Squad: Will Roberts (c), Dave Lovell, Richard Guest, Sam Bragg, Ant
Viggars (player coach), James Cooper, Sam Allen, Adam
Brewer, Falko
Drijfhout, Mark Speake (libero).
Will Roberts