Newcastle Vikings’ men’s team played their second Scottish Development League match of the season on Sunday, but lost out 43-8 to Kelvinside.
With Newcastle fielding a somewhat makeshift team, with four of the seven available players making their Vikings league debuts and not having had an opportunity to train all together, Kelvinside took the opportunity to race into a big first half lead as the Newcastle lads struggled to gel and find their shooting accuracy. Shawn Anuptra Martin, playing at centre, and half players Kimi Karjalainen and Aaron Edmundson did find the net, but by half-time, Kelvinside had built an unassailable 18-3 advantage.
The Vikings team nevertheless continued to give it their all and never gave up, despite various injury niggles, and made a better showing in a slightly closer second half. Martin, Edmundson and right winger Adam Keeney added to the Newcastle scoreline, while goalkeeper Charlie Emmett toughed it out facing up to Kelvinside’s attacking barrage at the other end. By the final whistle Kelvinside had run out dominant 43-8 winners.
Newcastle Vikings: Charlie Emmett (GK), Aaron Edmundson (2 goals), Adam Keeney (2), Shawn Anuptra Martin (3), Kimmo Karjalainen (1), Ross Comrie, Leo Thanh Sankey.