Newcastle Vikings’ men were unable keep pace with a fast and furious attacking display from East Kilbride’s EK82 in Saturday’s Scottish league match.
In a rare home league fixture this season and with a stronger line-up available to take to the court, the Vikings were hoping the home support at the Benfield Centre for Sporting Excellence would help lift them to a first league win of the season. However, it was the Scottish side who took the early advantage and held off Newcastle’s first-half fightback, before stretching their lead in the second half for a convincing 28-49 win.
Centre Marian Machel led Newcastle’s scoring with four early goals, including two penalties, while line player Christos Iliadis claimed a first-half hattrick on his return from illness, as the Vikings clawed their way back from seven behind to narrow the gap to four, only for the Scots to take advantage of a few missed chances from the home side to open out a 12-18 half-time lead.
The Vikings kept up the fight in the second half as Machel took his personal tally to nine, and half-player Adam Batley netted five. But EK82 ultimately ran away with it, taking advantage of Newcastle’s missed opportunities with numerous clinical breakaway goals, led by 12 strikes from Roan Perrie, nine from Jack Lees and seven apiece from Benjamin Muir and Ryan Kealy.
Newcastle’s lads will nevertheless look to the positive of their 28 goals in this game being their highest match tally of the season, and will look to build further while tightening up in defence for their next match away to Edinburgh in a couple of weeks time.
Newcastle Vikings: Daniel Walsh (GK), Charlie Emmet (GK2, 1 goal), Adam Batley (5), Iacopo Benesperi (1), Aaron Edmundson (3), Adam Mobberley (3), Shawn Anuptra Martin (1), Sam Downie (2), Marian Machel (9), Christos Iliadis (3).