Newcastle Vikings men were knocked out of the England Handball League Cup at the first round stage in Saturday’s encounter against Fulham Hawks at Temple Park Leisure Centre in South Shields.
Goals from centre Stephan Stricker and debutant half-player Johannes Bellm initially kept Newcastle on a par with their London opponents before the away team began to open out a lead. Right winger Wiktor Laczny scored a hat-trick and half Athbi Almarzouq added to the Vikings scoreline, but by the time Bellm and Stricker struck again just before half-time, the Hawks had scored double the Vikings’ tally to go in 8-16 up at the interval.
Stricker quickly added his third just after the break, but despite further strikes from winger Kole Viejo, Bellm and Gracjan Joppek, and another Laczny hat-trick, the Vikings were unable to contain the Hawks’ attacking plays and much better shooting accuracy. By the time the final whistle sounded Fulham had rounded off a convincing 15-35 victory to progress to the quarter-finals.
Newcastle Vikings: Daniel Walsh (GK), Florencio ‘Kole’ Viejo-Cabeliero (1 goal), Athbi Almarzouq (1), Gracjan Joppek (1), Adam Mobberley, Wiktor Laczny (6), Robert Thompson, Kamran Saeed, Jonathan Bastit, Craig Swanson, Stephan Stricker (3), Holger Schulz, Johannes Bellm (3)