Warwick University 3-17 Cardiff Harlequins
Zenith West Division 1
31st October 2009
If Cardiff are to achieve their long-held ambition of promotion to the South of England Premiership this season, it will be built on performances like this. Travelling with the minimum of 10 men, only two recognised long-stick defenders and despite missing skipper Adam Grey, Quins produced a mature and disciplined display which got better and better as the match wore on.
Aware of the need to preserve energy, Harlequins settled quickly and looked to control the ball with long possessions. A few early chances went begging due to a combination of poor finishing and great goalkeeping, but stand-in skipper Alan Croft got the visitors off the mark with first of his 8 goals. Excellent riding by Cardiff gifted Rhodri Stanford another before Warwick pulled one back. A further score from Croft gave Harlequins a satisfying 3-1 lead at the end of the opening period, having rarely been troubled at the back. However, the number of opportunities that went begging was of concern and the focus of the team talk at the break was on capitalising on the chances that were being created. The second quarter saw some improvement, as the visitors grabbed four more goals with the hosts replying with a brace. However, outstanding work from the Warwick keeper continued to frustrate Cardiff’s efforts in front of the six by six, again stemming the flow of goals to keep his side in the game, leaving the score at 7-3 by the half.
The lack of substitutes forced Cardiff to rotate players between midfield and attack, and required them to slow the pace whenever possible. An increase in intensity and pace was demanded in the third quarter, to ensure that the final period could be played without serious pressure and the 10 men duly responded. Quins’ defence exerted excellent pressure on the Warwick attack, restricting them to outside shots which were easily dealt with by keeper Phill Pexton. That effort was compounded by tenacious and unrelenting work on ground balls, particularly from Rory Peters who earned Man of the Match honours for his tireless graft. At the sharp end, Cardiff finally began to consistently find a way past the Warwick keeper, scoring five goals including some brilliantly executed team moves. With the win all but certain, Harlequins relaxed in the last quarter and produced their best lacrosse of the day. Aggressive defensive work launched wave after wave of attack, and increasing pressure was put on the host’s backline as Harlequins repeatedly recycled possession. Their reward was a further five goals from the offense, a second half shutout at the back, and thoroughly deserved 17-3 win.
Cardiff’s continued improvement was again evident in the statistics, with 13 of the 17 goals created by someone other than the goalscorer. Next week they entertain Exeter University at the Diamond Ground, and they will look to build once again.
Cheltenham Cougars 2nds 0-29 Cardiff Harlequins A
Zenith West Division 2
31st October 2009
Harlequins A may be struggling for players this season, but it hasn’t stopped them racing to the top of the division and it’s perhaps not surprising when they can produce scorelines like this. Cardiff travelled across the Severn with just 8 men, but their sporting hosts agreed to play 8-a-side. They may now be regretting that decision, as Harlequins broke several records including the club’s largest ever win. James Gibson top scored with a club record of 12 goals, combined with 5 assists to also break the points record for a single game. Jonathan Aspinall, making his debut for Cardiff, notched up 9 goals and 7 assists – which would have been enough to break the previous points record had it not been for Gibsons monumental effort. Quins are by no means a two-man team though, and played with an excellent spirit and workrate throughout. Ably captained by Dave Elmes, himself weighing in with 4 goals and 5 assists, the visitors simply bombarded the Cheltenham goal to finish with a 29-0 win and confirm their position as favourites for promotion to Division 1.
