Cardiff Harlequins 26-3 Exeter University
Zenith West Division 1
17th January 2009
If this had been a boxing match rather than lacrosse, it would have been stopped in the first round. A valiant Exeter side made the journey with a squad of 13, 9 of whom had only started playing the game in late 2008. They lined up against the 12 men from Cardiff which included 10 who have full or u19 international experience. This was truly heavyweights versus lightweights, but credit to Exeter who recovered from a first quarter whirlwind to produce some good lacrosse and show moments of real promise.
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Wales and Harlequins midfielder Alan Croft pushes on against Exeter University |
The match marked Harlequins’ first game on their true home ground at Cardiff High School Old Boys rugby club, and the pre-match talk focussed on making it a memorable occasion. The message was certainly taken on board, and it took seconds for Gareth Bolderson to open the scoring off an assist by skipper Andy Morgan – the first of 9 goals for the returning attacker, equalling the club record. Cardiff’s leading scorer Alan Croft opened his account soon after, and a flurry of goals followed with Adam Grey, Chris Lee and Morgan all getting on the scoresheet. Despite spending much of the quarter attempting to repel the onslaught, the visitors got themselves off the mark with a classic counter-attack. Winning the ball after a midfield scrap, Exeter capitalised on their numbers advantage with quick ball movement leaving a one-on-one with Cardiff keeper, Matt Grindle. In an attempt to rush the last attacker, Grindle charged out only to be exposed when the ball was passed to another attackman who placed the ball in the now-vacant net. Normal service resumed from the restart however, and Cardiff went into the quarter time break leading 9-1.
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Will Barrett sets up attackman Mike Peters with a draw-and-dump |
Harlequins slowed the pace in the second period, placing more emphasis on moving the ball around the goal and enjoying possession. At the other end, Grindle instructed his defence to play a zone system which allowed Exeter more of the ball but restricted their opportunities to outside shots. The hosts continued to dominate, as long stick defender Casey Hughes and attackman Will Barrett got their names on the scoresheet, whilst Grey, Croft and Bolderson continued to add to their tallies. The halftime score of 16-1 was about as one-sided as the contest.
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The teams shake hands after the game |
The second half followed much the same script, with the hosts dominating in all areas as Exeter refused to give in. Five more goals followed without reply in the third period, although the last quarter saw a mini-fightback from the visitors. Cardiff were now in cruise control and were guilty of wasting some glorious chances, whereas Exeter dug in and grabbed a couple of goals –a fair return for their industry and refusal to roll over. The final score of 26-3 demonstrated the gulf in experience between the sides, but the visitors can take pride in being outplayed but not outfought.
Bristol Sharks 7 – 22 Cardiff Harlequins A
Zenith West Division 2
17th January 2009
Until this fixture, Harlequins A had not managed to play a fixture since the tail end of November as opposition teams conceded games for various reasons. As a consequence, they could have been forgiven for producing a stuttering performance but instead gave yet another demonstration of why they are still in contention for promotion to West division 1. Nick Mahoney added to his first team credentials with a season-high tally of 8 goals, whilst James Gibson marked his card with another 7. However, the most pleasing aspect of the result was not simply the number of goals Harlequins racked up, but how many of them were assisted – confirmation that this side is very much a team, rather than a collection of individuals. The win keeps Cardiff hot on the heels of local rivals Penarth in the race for the top spot.
