(27/11/2000)
After two games on the road, Riga return to Warwick's St. Nicholas Park Leisure Centre on Saturday when they entertain bottom-of-the-table Egham (6pm) in National League Division One. Having chalked up successive victories, the local side will be hoping their encouraging form carries over to their home court.
Wins over Aquila and Liverpool during the last couple of weeks have lifted Warwick from a series of disappointments that seemed destined to frustrate their pre-season ambitions. Despite playing well, the side failed to clinch results in games that were there for the taking. Disruptions to the playing staff, followed closely on by the injury to Graham Duckett, now diagnosed as having a hairline fracture of the ankle, only served to support the view that pre-season promise was a mere pipe-dream. However, the recent wins plus the signings of Frenchman Vincent Joubert and Dutchman Tom Spijkers have had the desired sea-change in Riga's fortunes.
Against Egham, Warwick must be looking for a convincing victory as much to confirm their progress as to give their long-suffering home fans something to cheer about. The visitors have yet to win a match this season and languish at the foot of the table. The team has struggled on the playing side this year, with last season's squad decimated by injury, retirement and transfer. Ironically Riga have benefited from this with the addition of Spijkers. His recent move to Banbury has made it impossible for him to continue to train and play with Egham. As the season moves to its half-way point, Egham will be hoping to kick-start their season, whilst Warwick will be seeking to establish themselves in the top half of the table.
"No doubt about it, this is an important game for us," says skipper Tom Young. "After a fine performance against Aquila, we lost the plot a bit against Liverpool. We allowed them to play well and they pushed us all the way. We've been at the bottom, so we know Egham will come here fighting. We've got to prove we're a top-half side by giving them no quarter."
On Sunday Riga's women's Division Two side entertain Sale at the St. Nicholas Park Leisure Centre (2pm) in the Second Round of the Knock-out Cup. In November, the women's Third Division side bowed out of the competition to a powerful Loughborough team, leaving the "seniors" to carry the Warwick flag onwards. In Sale, the team face a side from the Third Division and so should be favourites to progress to the next round.
"The win over Cleobury the other week shows how well we can play," notes captain Rachel McCarthy. "A repeat of that and there'll be no giant-killing on Sunday."