Newcastle Vikings Handball Club’s ladies took the opportunity to quickly avenge their home defeat of a fortnight ago with a much-improved 14-17 away victory over Manchester in Sunday’s Regional League North fixture at the Trafford Sportsdome.
The two sides level-pegged each other throughout a low-scoring first half dominated by solid defensive performances after half-back Alina Inta’s opener, but the Vikings never let Manchester edge ahead. Centre Maren Liane scored Newcastle’s second, goalkeeper Andrea King saved a penalty shot and Inta fired in a hat-trick, before left-winger Marie Thompson edged the Vikings ahead once again on the stroke of half-time to take a 5-6 advantage into the break.
Thompson struck again at the start of the second half, soon followed by one each for back court players Rosa Larcy and Inta as Newcastle stretched their lead. King, Inta and Larcy teamed up for a couple of duplicate fast-break goals, before Inta and Liane converted opportunities to add to their tallies from the penalty line and right-winger Blessing Ogbee also added her name to the scoresheet.
Appropriately it was Newcastle’s on-fire Kafeneon player-of-the-match Inta whose eighth and ninth goals of the game rounded off the 14-17 victory, as the Vikings’ return to winning ways moved them back up to second in the league behind leaders Liverpool. Newcastle’s next home match against third-placed University of Leeds in a month’s time looks set to be a crucial encounter.
Newcastle Vikings: Andrea King (GK), Marie Thompson (2 goals), Katerina Gibson, Rosa Larcy (3), Maren Liane (2), Blessing Ogbee (1), Alina Inta (9), Sandra Christke-Lamb, María José González.