Lancaster’s brute strength in the men’s handball meant that they remain unbeaten in Roses after last year’s inaugural win. As expected during such a close-combat sport, there was plenty of pushing and shoving, all of which is within the laws of handball. It seemed that Lancaster were much more tactical with this aggression, as York struggled to counter this.
York never seemed like they were going to escape from this without a loss, as Lancaster streaked into a 9-3 lead. Although Loveridge in the York goal pulled off some impressive saves, it was all in vain as the Lancaster barrage continued to reign supreme. Further goals cemented the home side’s dominance, courtesy of cheeky lobs, and displays of outright power and execution.
Despite occasional lapses of concentration by the Lancaster defence, they held strong and made sure York never had the momentum to stage an unlikely comeback. Lancaster led into the final quarter 17-6, but seemed content with this and the intensity died down. The whistle blew at 20-9 to the home side, to ensure that their handball dominance continued in the right strides.
