Bristol City Bombers 3 - 13 Cardiff Harlequins
Zenith West Division 1
14th February 2009
Bristol are always formidable opponents, and as the only team to have ever beaten Cardiff at home, this away trip posed a tough obstacle as Harlequins fought to keep themselves in the race for promotion. The match was just as tough as predicted, and Cardiff were made to work much harder for the win than they have for most of the season. That they succeeded is achievement enough, but the manner of the victory and the ten goal difference serves to underline the feeling that Quins have turned a corner recently, when they might have been on the wrong end of a similar score a few weeks ago.
Valentine’s Day had taken its toll on the squad, as for the second time in three weeks, Cardiff could only muster ten men. Bristol, by contrast, lined up with 14 and began the game with the marked intention of running Quins into the ground. Bombers won the first face off and enjoyed a few minutes of possession before an unforced error gifted Cardiff the ball. As the Quins offense gained its first touch, the Bombers backline stepped out to play a high pressure defence putting the ball carrier under intense pressure. This had the desired effect as Cardiff struggled to string passes together and soon turned over possession. The see-saw of control continued for much of the quarter, before Wales midfielder Adam Grey exposed the space caused by Bristol’s high pressure defence and beat the keeper with a low shot to open the scoring. Bristol retaliated quickly, levelling the score before the quarter time break.
Whilst the home side were content with their opening efforts, strong words were exchanged between the Cardiff players at the break with the clear, unambiguous message that the work rate must improve. The Harlequins of 2008 could easily have capitulated under the admonishments of teammates but this is a revived unit, and the collective effort was duly lifted and rewarded. The vulnerabilities of Bristol’s defensive tactics were laid bare as the attack increased its off-ball movement and the visitors found the seams with some snappy passing. Matt Wills, Alan Croft and Grey all found the net thanks to some outstanding vision from teammates coupled with the coolest of cool finishing under pressure. At the back, Wales u19 captain Phill Pexton was in insatiable mood as he repeatedly stripped attackers of the ball and launched counter after counter. The remaining defensive line of Morgan, Panayidis and keeper Grindle put up stout resistance under a much closer examination than has been the case of late. The extra effort yielded fine rewards and Harlequins went into the halftime break with a much-deserved 7-1 lead.
With the backline struggling to cope, Bristol stepped off a little in the third to play a more unit-focussed defence and give their offense higher quality possession. However, the visitors were well in their stride by now and continued to move the ball and cause confusion mixing their attack with cuts, picks and isolation plays. Will Barrett got his name on the scoresheet with a typical man-up goal off a Croft assist, and followed it almost immediately after stealing an errant pass from the Bristol goalkeeper and finishing into an empty net. Harlequins were now firmly in the driving seat, still playing the game at a high intensity but with the control afforded by a healthy lead. Bristol hit back with a goal, but it was little more than a diversion as Cardiff marched towards the final whistle. Phill Pexton provided the moment of the match as he won his umpteenth ground ball in front of Grindle’s goal and sprinted downfield. Expecting a pass to one of the attacking trio, Bristol’s defence backed off the marauding long-stick, inviting Pexton to shoot and score with a sublime ‘coast-to-coast’ – prize for an outstanding performance which also earned him Man of the Match.
Content with a 12-2 lead going into the final period, Harlequins could afford to relax a little and enjoy themselves. Another goal for the hosts was matched by a further score for Quins, this time from skipper Andy Morgan and the ten goal lead was preserved as the game reached its conclusion. This was a thorough and timely test for Harlequins, coming just a week before their crucial Flags semi-final against highly-fancied Croydon. They will be well aware however, of the need to play with drive and intensity from the first whistle and not wait until the 2nd quarter before finding their feet.
Cardiff Harlequins A 5 - 11 Penarth
SEMLA Minor Flags, Semi-final
14th February 2009
These two teams have been slugging it out all season in the race for promotion to West Division 1, and this fixture provided a break from league action to decide which Welsh side would advance to Flags Finals day in mid-March. Penarth had the better of Quins in their earlier league meeting, but the hosts were confident they could reverse that 8-3 defeat after steady improvement over recent weeks.
The story of this match can be gleaned simply from a look at the quarter-time scores. Harlequins started slowly and ran into a lively and driven Penarth outfit, who racked up a 6-0 lead by the end of the first period. Although Cardiff sprang into life from then on, it was too little too late and the Vale of Glamorgan side maintained that six goal margin through to the final whistle. Wales u19 midfielder James Gibson lead the charge for Quins with a hat-trick, with further scores from Nick Mahoney and Laith Hahn but their efforts were not enough to bring the visitors within range.
This was a tough lesson for Cardiff, but they have a chance to redeem themselves in just 7 days time when the sides meet again, in what will likely decide who wins the Division 2 title.
