(11/03/2001)
Holders Warwick Riga ensured their place in this season’s Shield Final with an edgy three-one triumph over Fourth Division Tonbridge on Sunday at the Castle Farm Leisure Centre, Kenilworth. Only in the first and fourth sets did the Division One side show their superiority but it was enough to book them a rematch against Liverpool at the beginning of April in Sheffield. Riga started the match strongly with John Gilling and Kees de Hoogh accepting the chances created by some great serving by Dan Showler and Tim Bugg. After Bugg’s second service round and the score at 22 - 13, the contest looked over but slack play and Tonbridge persistence allowed a closer 25 - 19 conclusion.
The pendulum of fortune swung with a vengeance in set two. Tonbridge took an opening 6 - 2 lead before de Hoogh and Bugg re-established Warwick advantage. Then a series of lapses from the home side allowed Tonbridge back in at 19 - 16. As the visitors progressed to set point, Riga’s back was against the wall. More Showler serving coupled with the finishing power of de Hoogh and Tom Spijkers staved off immediate defeat, only for a Spijkers error to hand Tonbridge back set point. With the pressure on both sides telling, each threw away chances to seal the set. Eventually a contested handling error called against Warwick’s Richard Meade gave Tonbridge an epic victory 36 - 34. The third set was equally tense. With Riga unable to hit a consistent form, Tonbridge held a slim advantage for most of the set. When that lead expanded to three points at 17 - 14, the warning bells started ringing in the Warwick camp. Again de Hoogh and Gilling were the men to regain the lost ground but equally, simple errors frustrated both sides when they seemed poised to take command. Riga set point was thrown away, only for Tonbridge to return the compliment. Eventually it was de Hoogh and captain Tom Young who rescued their side at 26 - 24.
The fourth set began as if someone had turned on the Warwick lights. In a suddenly fluid display, Tonbridge were hardly allowed a look in. Spijkers and Young, aided and abetted by Meade, joined de Hoogh and Gilling in blitzing the visitors’ defence at the will and command of setter Phil Wyles. The 25 - 11 victory was as clear cut and decisive as the score line portrays. "Tonbridge did what we expected they would, tried to get in amongst us," said captain Tom Young after the game. "It worked in the middle of the game and we can’t be happy about that. But we showed our class in the last set and that’s what we’ll be taking to Sheffield in April."
St. Nicholas Park Leisure Centre in Warwick hosts all the National League action next weekend. The Men striving to achieve their highest finish in Division One meet Aquila at 6pm on Saturday while the Women’s Division Two side play Salford on Sunday at 2pm. For the Men, the Aquila match rekindles the glories of the team’s best run of results in Division One. It was a tightly contested but impressive three-nil victory over Saturday’s visitors that spring boarded Riga’s rise up the table. Aquila will be keen to extract revenge, so the match will be a real test of Warwick’s ambitions. "We know we’ve got to win our last three matches to stand a chance of finishing fourth," says captain Tom Young. "None of the games will be easy and Aquila is a toughie to start but I’m sure we’ll do ourselves justice."
The Women host Salford coming off the back of two impressive wins against promotion hopefuls Cambridge and Dulwich. With Riga seeking revenge for an earlier three-two defeat, the match has plenty for the spectators. "We shouldn’t have lost the first match and on our current form, I don’t expect us to lose this one," notes captain Rachel McCarthy.