Newcastle Vikings’ ladies were knocked out of the Scottish League Cup in a 30-25 semi-final loss to Tryst 77 on Saturday.
With Tryst having narrowly got the better of Newcastle in both of their league meetings this season, it was always going to be a closely-fought contest between the two sides at Edinburgh’s Oriam Sports Performance Centre. And so it proved once again.
Sofia Solli quickly cancelled out Tryst’s opener, before the Scots ran into an early 5-1 lead. But the Vikings fought back well through goals from line player Nadine Waehning, back-court trebles from Solli and Marlen Slinning Goulty and one from Andrea King at right-half to level it at 9-9.
Fresh from representing Great Britain in last week’s Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification Tournament in Hungary, Vikings goalkeeper Sophie O’Sullivan saved an early Tryst penalty along with several other good stops.
Further strikes from Waehning, Solli and Goulty gave Newcastle a 10-12 half-time advantage. The same three players struck again at the start of the second half, but Tryst quickly clawed it back to level the game again at 15-15 before edging ahead.
Captain Sandra Christke-Lamb picked up two from the line, player-of-the-match Goulty took her tally to seven and Waehning netted her fourth. But the Vikings were unable to keep up with Tryst’s scoring rate as the Cumbernauld-based team broke away, converting a number of fast-break attacks. King fired in late on from the left-wing and centre Solli took her personal haul into double figures, but it was too little too late. 30-25 the final score to Tryst, who go through to take on undefeated league champions Edinburgh in next weekend’s league cup final.
Player-coach Goulty was philosophical afterwards, saying “Well done to everyone today. It didn’t go our way in the end, but we enjoyed playing”. Newcastle will now look to round off their season by securing the bronze medals in next Saturday’s third-fourth place play-off match against East Kilbride club EK82.
Newcastle Vikings: Sophie O’Sullivan (GK), Sofia Solli (10 goals), Nadine Waehning (4), Ingrid Melboe Taget, Caroline Bergum, Marlen Slinning Goulty (7), Sandra Christke-Lamb (2), Andrea King (2).
