Newmarket Volleyball Club

Mens National Cup
Sunday 26th Sept 2009

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Brentwood Partners

AFTER A POOR SEASON 2008 / 2009 NEWMARKET TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE SUMMER TOURNAMENT CIRCUIT AND FARED WELL IN ALL COMPETITIONS, FINISHING FIRST IN THE WALTON SHEILD AND GETTING TO THE FINALS IN BOTH THE SUFFOLK OUTDOOR AND LOWESTOFT BEACH TOURNAMENTS.
STRUGGLING FOR PLAYERS NEWMARKET HAVE PULLED OUT OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE THIS YEAR BUT INTENDED TO KEEP IN TOUCH BY TAKING PART IN THE NATIONAL CUP, AND FOUND THEMSELVES FACING DIV 2 BRENTWOOD IN THE FIRST ROUND AND ALSO THEIR VERY FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON.
LATE INJURY SAW KEY PLAY MAKER BEN CHILD PULL OUT OF THE GAME ON THE MORNING OF THE OPENING GAME, LEAVING NEWMARKET TO TRAVEL WITH JUST THE MINIMUM 6 PLAYERS.
THE HOME TEAM STARTED WELL IN FRONT OF A SMALL BAND OF SUPPORTERS AND QUICKLY WENT 7-0 AHEAD BEFORE NEWMARKET GOT INTO THEIR STRIDE AND STARTED TO COMPETE FOR POINTS, STEADY PLAY FROM COACH PETE SAUNDERS AND A FEW WELL PLACED ATTACKS FROM NIK MEZANOV WERE UNFORTUNATELY NOT ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE FIRST SET SLIDING AWAY 25-11.
THE SECOND SET FOLLOWED IN A SIMILAR VEIN AND ALTHOUGH CAPTAIN PAUL FREEMAN EXCELLED IN DEFENCE OF THE BACK COURT THE SCORE 25-13 WAS UNAVOIDABLE.
NEWMARKET CAME GOOD IN THE THIRD WHEN PETE GALE STARTED TO FIND HIS RANGE AND WITH BETTER BALLS BEING FED INTO SETTERS ROB DOVASTON AND CHARLES REID MORE PRESSURE WAS HEAPED ONTO BRENTWOOD WHO FELL BEHIND AND ALLOWED NEWMARKET TO CLOSE OUT WITHOUT CRUMBLING UNDER PRESSURE 25-17.
NEWMARKET STARTED WELL AGAIN IN THE FOURTH SET, BUT THE SCORELINE NEVER STRETCHED MORE THAN A ONE OR TWO POINT LEAD, BRENTWOOD MADE A COUPLE OF SUBSTITUTIONS TO VARY THEIR GAME AND SOON STARTED TO EASE SLOWLY AHEAD AND ALTHOUGH NEWMARKET PLAYED WITHOUT TOO MANY OF THE UNFORCED ERRORS THAT FILLED THEIR GAME LAST SEASON THEY COULD NOT CONTAIN THE HOME TEAM AND LOST THE SET 25-14.

MVP - Peter Gale