Outstanding start to Cup campaign for London clubs
London teams made an excellent start to the national cup competitions, the only sides beaten being Wapping Wildcats men who lost to London opposition and Dartford Women, who play competitively in Kent, losers in five tense sets
Inter Orcas, a Premier Division side made harder work than they would have hoped in the Women’s Cup first round against first division Leicester Athena who clearly relished their opportunity to test themselves against classier opponents and only looked out of the game late in the third set. In contrast, SideOut Polonia cruised through two sets away to London League Wimbledon Wildkats before utilising their bench in the third. Dartford lost at home to Worthing and Waterloo Thunder made it to the next round after the tightest of finishes having has a walk-over first set.
Richmond did well to keep on top of a determined display from Cambridge who play in the division below and whose challenge only eventually faded in the third set. Inter Crocs made it a double for their club when they took a three set win over second division Ashford Dorking while Maloty Eagles beat first division Milton Keynes City by a very similar score.
Readers of the Men’s Cup match report will know IBB Polonia beat Coventry in three fairly easy sets. Malory Eagles were not much more stretched as they eliminated Rhinos. Wapping Wildcats took a close first set against SideOut London before moving to the draw for the Shield and Richmond Docklands, the only side that had to travel out of the capital, were too strong for Worthing. London Bears had to work to beat Guildford in three sets, having won the first fairly comfortably
Weekend’s results
National Cups, First Round
Men’s Cup
IBB Polonia beat Coventry and Warwick Riga, 25:9 25:10 25:14
Malory Eagles beat Rhinos, 25:14 25:12 25:15
SideOut London beat Wapping Wildcats, 22:25 26:24 25:9 25:20
Worthing lost to Richmond Docklands, 13:25 9:25 17:25
London Bears beat Guildford, 25:10 25:19 25:19
Women’s Cup
Inter Orcas beat Leicester Athena, 25:23 25:21 25:16
Wimbledon Wildkats lost to SideOut Polonia, 8:25 9:25 16:25
Dartford Warriors lost to Worthing, 25:20 25:19 9:25 18:25 10:15
Waterloo Thunder beat Bristol, 25:0 25:22 17:25 20:25 15:9
Richmond beat Cambridge, 25:18 25:17 25:9
Inter Crocs beat Ashcombe Dorking, 15:16 25:19 25:9
Malory Eagles beat MK City, 25:16 25:14 25:13
Contributor, Douglas Barr-Hamilton