Newcastle Vikings Handball Club’s men’s and women’s teams extended their winning runs with two high-scoring away victories against Merseyside-based Peninsula on Saturday in the England Handball North Regional Development League.
The Vikings women had an early start to travel to the Glyndwr University venue in Wrexham, North Wales, but early hat-tricks from left half Judyta Turulska and line player Sandra Christke soon got them off to a flying start. Hitting a rich vein of scoring form, Turulska was to go on to add a further six first-half goals on the trot in her personal 13-goal tally.
The tight Newcastle defence line restricted the home team to just a single goal before the break, with goalkeeper Andrea King making several good saves too.
Winger Blessing Ogbee and centre Kathryn Powell also added their names to the first half scoresheet, before winger Meghan Acres claimed her first Vikings goal. And right half Gesa Junge soon ensured all six of Newcastle’s outfield players were on target. All four players went on to add further strikes, before Turulska and captain Christke rounded off a well-deserved 33-7 victory that made it three wins in a row for the Vikings ladies to push them up to second in the league table.
The Vikings men subsequently took to the court to fight out a highly competitive battle against an experienced Peninsula team who were last season playing in the second-tier Championship league. New centre Nichlas Foldager opened the Newcastle scoring as he fired in seven first-half goals, with Athbi Almarzouq also striking four from the left-half position. With Daniel Walsh making some crucial saves between the posts, and a first Vikings goal for line player Holger Schulz, the away team’s confidence was building stronger as they went into the half-time break with a 15-9 advantage.
Almarzouq and winger Wiktor Laczny each claimed a further four second-half goals as Newcastle sought to maintain their lead and fend off a Peninsula fightback. As the game opened up, winger Kole Viejo exploited space in behind the Peninsula defence to add a quick-fire hat-trick of his own. A late Gracjan Joppek brace, Schulz and Laczny rounded off the Vikings’ scoring for a hard-fought 32-25 win.
Newcastle Vikings women: Andrea King (GK), Meghan Acres (3 goals), Judyta Turulska (13), Gesa Junge (2), Blessing Ogbee (4), Kathryn Powell (3), Sandra Christke (7).
Newcastle Vikings men: Daniel Walsh (GK), Wiktor Laczny (7 goals), Athbi Almarzoug (8), Gracjan Joppek (3), Kasper Ottosen, Florenco ‘Kole’ Viejo-Caballero (4), Nichlas Foldager (7), Jonathan Bastit, Holger Schulz (3).