It was another case of so near yet so far for our Newcastle Vikings’ men who narrowly lost 25-28 to Glasgow in Saturday’s Scottish league match at Oriam in Edinburgh.
Back-court players Marian Machel and Adam Batley dominated Newcastle’s scoring, firing in 10 and eight goals respectively. Batley found the back of Glasgow’s net 6 times and Machel struck five in a first half that saw the Vikings take a slender 15-14 lead into the half-time break, with other goals coming from right-half Shawn Anuptra Martin, left-winger Aaron Edmundson and a brace from line-player Adam Mobberley.
The two sides continued to match each other for much of the second half too, as Machel doubled his tally with another 5 goals, the third time the experienced Pole has hit double figures this season. Batley scored another two, Iacopo Benesperi added his name to the scoresheet, and Edmundson and Martin each netted their second goals of the game.
The scores were level going into the final five minutes, but a slight loss of focus and a two-minute suspension gave the Scots the player advantage and opportunity to open out an ultimately unassailable lead, meaning it was two matches in a row that Newcastle’s men have come agonisingly close but lost by three goals as they still seek a first Scottish league win.
Captain Mobberley’s two goals took him into third place in the Vikings’ men’s all-time league and cup goalscoring chart, while Batley’s opening goal of the game was Newcastle’s men’s 1,500th. Meanwhile, player-of-the-match Machel’s 10 goals in this match took him to 58 in the 2022/23 campaign, meaning he is now just five short of the club’s men’s record for goals scored in a single season and six short of the overall club record.
Newcastle Vikings: Daniel Walsh (GK), Adam Batley (8 goals), Iacopo Benesperi (1), Aaron Edmundson (2), Adam Mobberley (2), Shawn Anuptra Martin (2), Sam Downie, Marian Machel (10).
