(05/10/2001)
Riga Men made it two wins on the trot as they defeated local rivals Stoke by three sets to one in National League Division One on Saturday. The trip home down the M6 was made all the sweeter in the knowledge that the Stoke bogey now appears well and truly laid. "Until earlier this year, we'd never beaten Stoke in the League. Now we've made it two in a row," said a happy captain Tom Young. The only blot on this joyful landscape was the injury to new boy Colin Patterson during the third set that will rule him out for at least a month. Riga got off to a storming start in the first set and soon had Stoke on the ropes at 8 - 3. Captain Young was in devastating form and the all-round pressure from their visitors had the home side gifting points like it was Christmas. However, Riga slackness gave Stoke hope until Young, John Gilling and David Nason eclipsed any revival at 25 - 14.
Set two looked to be a repeat of Riga's winning formula as they opened up a 10 - 3 lead with Tom Spijkers now making his presence felt. Again Riga took their foot off the gas and Stoke seized the opportunity to make up ground. At 18 - 15, the set still looked Riga's but a spate of errors allowed the home side to take the lead and once there, they closed out 25 - 22. Nip followed tuck as the third set got underway. Then with Phil Wyles on service, Gilling and Colin Patterson opened up the Stoke defence and a 12 - 7 lead for Riga. Spijkers and Richard Meade continued the good work, and despite losing Patterson with a twisted ankle, his replacement Kees de Hoogh, together with Young and Meade, saw off any Stoke threat at 25 - 18. The fourth set showed both Riga's character and where improvement is required. Despite opening up a 7 - 4 lead, Stoke were allowed back into the match and the lead as Riga concentration drifted. With the home side 19 - 17 ahead, a fifth set beckoned. Young, de Hoogh and Gilling all had other ideas and as soon as Stoke had the lead, their responses had Riga back level. De Hoogh's attack gave Riga set point but this time Stoke found the ideal response. Four more set points came Riga's way until a Gilling-Wyles block settled the match at 29 - 27.
"Great victory in the end but we should never have allowed Stoke back into the match," said skipper Young afterwards. "We need that killer touch. That said, it's two on the bounce - and another win over Stoke." Riga's next match takes them up to Leeds on Saturday. The home side were promoted from Division Two last season and are yet to win a game. The young side contains many future England hopefuls and Riga will not be treating the game lightly. "We had a run of six games without defeat last season in the League and that's what helped us into fourth place," notes Young. "We want to make it three in a row on Saturday but Leeds on their home court will be tough. Just the sort of challenge that we need." Riga's Women's National League sides take to the court in earnest over the weekend with both teams in action at the St. Nicholas Park Leisure Centre, Warwick. Saturday sees the Division Three side playing a double-header against Norwich and Chiltern Aces. Horns are locked at 11.00am and, following their opening defeat against the much-fancied Guildford, the girls will be looking to get their campaign rolling. The Division Two side begins their campaign on Sunday (11.00am) with a match against local rivals Cleobury. Having beaten their visitors in a recent tournament, hopes will be high. "The aim is a place in the top six," says captain Rachel McCarthy, "and Cleobury will be the first test of that."