Walcountian Blues 2nds 5 – 12 Cardiff Harlequins

SEMLA Intermediate Flags 1st Round

29th November 2008

Slowly, quietly, Cardiff’s big gears are starting to turn, their momentum beginning to build and their season gathering apace. In their only defeat so far this season, too many key players were missing – both literally and metaphorically – and the display was characterised by a lack of fight. It is hard to believe that this was the same team – Quins’ latest win was a victory borne of heart, belief and doggedness and finished with flair and selflessness.

This was a tough test in defence of the SEMLA Flags title which they won in such handsome fashion 8 months ago. Blues 2nds sit atop the SEMLA East Division 1 and provided a well-organised and obstinate opposition. Indeed, the hosts started better as Cardiff struggled to shake off the 3 hour journey to south London, and Blues took the lead after a period of sustained pressure. Harlequins’ offence was not quite as fluent as previous weeks, and the lack of a third long stick defender meant possession was hard to come by. Cardiff’s midfield dug in, and were rewarded for their graft when they broke down a Blues clear, gifting Cardiff attackman Will Barrett a straightforward one-on-one finish to level the scores a second before the quarter time break. A change of tactics was required, and Cardiff skipper Andy Morgan stepped back into defence, allowing the visitors to play with more aggression. The decision played a large part in the victory, as the Quins defence forced turnover after turnover, and Morgan himself contributed with countless knockdowns and interceptions to disrupt Blues’ attacks. Cardiff still needed more movement in attack, and it was duly provided by Barrett who slipped the attentions of his marker and added his second. Blues hit back with an equaliser, but by now Harlequins’ midfield were beginning to control the game and it was no more than they deserved when Canadian import, Scott Belland, muscled his way past a defender to give his side a 3-2 halftime lead.

So often in lacrosse, are games won and lost in the 3rd quarter. After a tight and scrappy first half, Quins exploded into life and battered their opponents with assault after assault. Chris Lee began to get the measure of Blues’ stalwart Amit Biswas at the face, and possession swung towards the visitors. The direction and pace of Cardiff’s attacks changed constantly, denying the Blues defence any opportunity to regroup as first Alan Croft, then Belland, then Ben Fey added to the lead. A brief pause as the referees performed a stick check did little to slow the onslaught, and Belland completed his hat-trick shortly after with a brilliant individual goal. It took a full ten minutes before the hosts were able to win any decent possession of their own, but found the Cardiff defence in domineering mood. Even when playing short-handed, the speed and control of Harlequins backline was such that Blues fashioned very little by way of chances and their only goal of the quarter came from a superb solo effort to match Belland’s earlier score. The 3rd period scoreline of 5-1 gave Quins a solid 8-3 lead going into the last period, but this was a win built on sound fundamentals, and Cardiff did not let up for a second. Barrett completed his hat-trick, as did Croft, before Belland notched up two more whilst Blues continued to struggle to make inroads at the other end. Long stick defender Rory Dewhurst, making his first team debut for Quins, looked as comfortable as any of the team’s veterans and made countless checks to force yet more errors from the host’s attackmen. It took a pinpoint finish from Biswas to keep his team interested, followed by a daisycutter which left Quins keeper Matt Grindle unsighted. But those were infrequent threats which failed to disturb Cardiff’s momentum, and they progressed to the next round with a 12-5 final score.

Defeat to league rivals Cheltenham earlier this season may yet turn out to be the spark which sets Cardiff’s season alight – the evidence so far is certainly positive. The acid test comes in two weeks though, with a crunch match against reigning champions and fellow title hopefuls Bath. Defeat in that match, and the Flags may well be the only competition left for Cardiff to fight for.