(29/01/2000)
If Riga thought that they were on the way up in National League Division One Liverpool taught them a lesson in humility with a 3 - 1 drubbing on Saturday at the St. Nicholas Park Leisure Centre, Warwick. Far from moving up towards a penthouse view, on this showing the local side are fortunate not to be in the basement, staring at the exit door.
Having put in a creditable performance against second placed Wessex the week before, Warwick should have started the contest with confidence. However the closeness of the two sides in the League was reflected in the early bartering of points as neither side could assume the upper hand. When the break did come it was from Riga, via the combined skills of David Nason, Phil Wyles and Nigel Malone. They secured a 16 - 11 advantage for the home side and set victory looked certain. However Warwick were still to find a consistent rhythm and Liverpool, quick to seize any opportunity levelled the scores at 16 each. The final break came Riga's way, again through Nason and Wyles, as they ended Liverpool's hopes 25 - 21.
The second set again started tightly and at a pace that suited Liverpool more than Warwick. However it was not until the later stages of the set that the winning break was made. From 18 each, two unforced Riga errors helped give the Scousers the impetus they needed. With a series of blistering attacks they blew away the home side's interest in the set, 25 - 18.
Warwick now recognised they had a battle on their hands, but sets three and four found them wanting. Liverpool amassed great runs of points that ended Riga's interest in each set from an early stage. Whereas Liverpool had shown resilience in the first set, Warwick now failed to lift themselves in response to the challenge. The final two set scores of 25 - 13 and 25 - 8 were as emphatic as they were comprehensive.
"Give them their due, Liverpool played very well tonight," said captain Tom Young after the game. "We couldn't seem to beat their defence and they kept rattling us all the time. They also had the sort of luck that follows up when you're playing well. We've got to lift ourselves up now. We're down for sure but not out."