Newcastle Vikings’ youth boys team came up trumps to win all three of their matches and take top spot in Trafford Handball Club’s under-16 tournament on Sunday.
Coach Adam Batley said “The boys had a fantastic day in Manchester at Trafford’s tournament! They got the opportunity to play three matches against some good players, their first game being against Tryst. A very physical match, Tryst took an early lead by taking advantage of some poor defence. However, the lads stayed in the game and started to match Tryst physically. Thanks to this they then even pulled away towards the end through some really nice individual and team play, particularly from George Archer and Brendan Fisher. The lads won it by two in the end, 13-11, a good start!
“The second game against Trafford started poorly, with Trafford taking a 7-2 lead after about 6 minutes. The momentum changed when Cillian Sears scored a goal from his own half! Was it intentional, who knows, but a goal is a goal! Some brilliant back court play allowed the Vikings to slowly chip away at Trafford’s lead, including a standing shot from Charlie Pickett which rocketed into the top corner. With the Vikings drawing level, they continued their momentum and overtook Trafford, seeing them off in the final few minutes, helped along by a triple save from player of the tournament Joseph Meachery! The game ended 15-11, a 9 goal turnaround!
“The final game against Shropshire continued the trend of Vikings players starting poorly, with both teams conceding goals early on. However, as the Vikings found their rhythm, the back court players, particularly Oli Cass, were able to find space through some well sorted set plays. Some great inter-play between Cass and Zavi Racey also allowed the Vikings to pull further away from Shropshire, finishing 14-11.
“Special mention goes to Ted Faulds for his first competitive matches! He did really well, showing some good skills to help keep the ball moving and some good vision with a great assist for Charlie! Overall a fantastic day, the boys showed how much they’ve improved in the last few years by beating teams who have beaten them in the past! Thanks to Trafford for hosting it! It’s been really friendly, a fun atmosphere to play in, all the teams have played in good spirits!”
Captain George Archer added “It’s been a great experience, and I’m happy that we’ve won all our games. We got through some struggles, especially in the second game, but we ended up on top and that’s all that matters in the end! We’ve definitely developed since the last time we had a tournament. All of us boys we’ve played together for 3 or 4 years, so after those last struggles we did well in almost every aspect.”
Newcastle Vikings: Joseph Meachery (GK), Brendan Fisher, Ted Faulds, Zavi Racey, Cillian Sears, Oli Cass, Charlie Pickett, George Archer.
