Victory for Vikings is doubly satisfying
NEWCASTLE Vikings’ women completed a first-season double victory over Manchester with a 21-14 win in their Regional League North fixture.
The victory, at Temple Park Leisure Centre in South Shields, took the girls level on points with Liverpool at the top of the table.
However, it was the visitors who sealed the double with a 27-13 success in the men’s National League North match before Newcastle’s men picked up a welcome first win of the season - defeating York Hunters 24-20 in the North East League.
The men were first on court against a strong Manchester first team.
Newcastle fought well with solid defensive play backed up by great first-half saves from goalkeeper Daniel Walsh and by half-time were still in with a chance at 13-8 down.
However, they struggled to find the net in the second half as Manchester pulled away for a convincing victory.
Julien Eng top-scored for the Vikings with five goals, fellow backcourt players Cedric Le Lay, Etienne Lisse and captain David Topacho also on the scoresheet together with line-player Adam Mobberley and a hat-trick from winger Matthew Lamb.
In a low-scoring first half of the women’s game, dominated by tight defence lines and great saves from both goalkeepers, Manchester took an early lead before right-winger Katerina Gibson equalised with her first senior Vikings goal.
The away side then opened up a two-goal advantage.
Half-backs Alina Inta with two and one each from Marlen Slinning Goulty and Emily Bjerk kept Newcastle in touching distance before the Vikings took advantage of a Manchester two-minute suspension to draw level 7-7 at half-time through winger Marie Brevet and centre Maren Liane.
Blessing Ogbee fired Newcastle ahead from the right wing at the start of the second half before the Vikings’ back-court players took control to stretch their advantage with pin-point shooting from distance.
Inta’s treble saw her pass 100 league and cup goals for the club, while Liane also added three more to her tally and Bjerk another, with goalkeeper Andrea King pulling off a series of double saves at the other end.
Captain Sandra Christke got in on the act with a hat-trick from the line position and Brevet added her second before another double from Liane clicnhed the victory.
Newcastle then gave a run-out to several less-regular players in their opening friendly North East League fixture of the season, coming away with a morale-boosting victory,
York Hunters had raced into an early lead before the Vikings pulled back to go into the break 12-10 in front, a scoreline matched in the second half as the Vikings eventually ran out 24-20 winners. VIKINGS MEN v MANCHESTER: Daniel Walsh (GK), Pål Jakobsen (GK), Andrei Bogdan Ciurea, David Topacho (1 goal), Matthew Lamb (2), Cedric Le Lay (2), Adam Mobberley (1), Mohamed Fedi Boussema, Jonathan Bastit, Etienne Lisse (1), Pablo Docampo, Julien Eng (5). VIKINGS WOMEN v MANCHESTER: Andrea King (GK), Marie Brevet (2 goals), Marlen Slinning Goulty (1), Katerina Gibson (1), Maren Liane (6), Blessing Ogbee (1), Emily Bjerk (2), Alina Inta (5), Sandra Christke (3), Maria Jose Gonzalez Alvarez.