Lancaster’s Ladies Canoe Water Polo team came up short at Roses, with York edging to victory with a final score of 7-5.
York started the game as they meant to go on, winning possession and immediately scoring their first goal with less than a minute played. However, Lancaster responded well as captain Jenny Clapham led from the front to register her team’s first points with some high quality dribbling.
York responded to Lancaster’s counter attack quickly, regaining their lead before Lancaster fired back again to make the score 2-2. It was York, however, who asserted the first signs of dominance, scoring two goals in quick succession courtesy of a hat trick by their number four.
For the remaining few minutes of the first half, the game became more defence forcing both teams’ goalkeepers to make crucial saves. With a minute left of the half Lancaster sought to close the gap but some clinical counter attacking work from York extended their lead to 5-2, before Clapham had a goal disallowed for a Lancaster foul on York’s goalkeeper.
With just a ten-minute half to go, Lancaster had a three-goal deficit to negate as York headed into half time on top.
Lancaster began the second half positively, with Clapham gaining possession, allowing SCAN’s own Rebecca Newman to score her second goal, taking the score to 3-5. However, some clever play from York ensured that Lancaster couldn’t build any momentum. York turned over possession by binning – the legal act of pushing another player out of their boat – a Lancaster player. A goal soon followed, amounting York’s lead to 6-3.
In a final push, Lancaster piled on the pressure, resulting in Clapham finishing with a fine hat trick off the back of a clever corner play. With Lancaster having fought hard to get themselves back into the game, their goalkeeper resisted some York offence allowing Clapham to score yet another goal. With six minutes left and a raucous crowd egging on the home side, the pressure was entirely on York; a great deal of composure was needed to resist a Lancaster comeback.
To their credit, this was achieved. Having blocked numerous threats to their goal, York counter attacked from a fumbled Lancaster corner. Having absorbed three minutes of pressure, York scored their coveted goal to restore a two-goal cushion.
A chaotic finish to the game was ensued, with possession changing left, right and centre. York did well to block several attempts by Lancaster at goal.
Fittingly, the final buzzer blew with York defending and Lancaster attacking stoically. Despite winning the second half 3-2, Lancaster succumbed to a 5-7 loss in a tiring and fast-paced 20-minute match.
