Cup battles provide thrilling entertainment

THE first round of the EHA Cup provided some thrilling handball across the country last weekend, as clubs battled for a place in the last eight of the annual competition.

The match between Manchester University and Liverpool Speke Garston proved a real cracker, with Sugden Sports Centre in Manchester witnessing a high-octane and fast-paced game.

Liverpool Speke Garston continuing their recent improvement and pushed Manchester University all way. A series of missed open goal shots enabled the Manchester team to go in six goals ahead at half time.

The second half was fiercely contested and goals came fast and furiously as both teams raised the tempo, fast breaking by both teams pushed the score up as the teams clinically scored goal for goal throughout the half.

Liverpool Speke Garston hauled back the score in the last ten minutes, going for a man to man press that buckled the Manchester team. Liverpool Speke closed the gap to three goals but the damage done in the first half was to prove their downfall.

Having outscored Manchester in the second half it was not enough and Speke lost out 38-35. The game played was a credit to both teams and English handball.

Elsewhere, National League play-off leaders Salford cruised to a 26-7 victory over Manchester, while at Leyton SCORE Centre in London Cambridge just edged out Olympia 31-29.

Bath University came out 36-27 winners from their match against Warwickshire University, while the final round one match between Deva and Liverpool Wolves will be played on March 17.

Frontrunners all win in Play-Offs

AFTER just one week of the English National League play-offs, the frontrunners are already starting to pull away following matches at Leyton SCORE Centre on Sunday.

Salford are top of the table after beating Cambridge 25-19 but had a tough job in battling past their southern rivals, who were holding them 9-11 at half time. Ryan Goodwin scored five goals for Salford, while Chris Bentz also netted five for Cambridge.

Elsewhere, third-placed Ruislip Eagles beat Manchester 32-19.

Last year defeat against Manchester at the exact same stage of the competition cost the Eagles the National title.

But on Sunday the Eagles did not make the same mistake. Although the start of the game was slow and marred by several offensive mistakes and technical faults, the Eagles regrouped and started taking control of the game a few minutes before the half time break when the score was 16-12.

Without complacency, they started the second half dominantly and used the depth of their bench to increase the gap. The defence appeared focused and solid around the goalkeeper Andrius Rinkevicius who conceded only seven goals in the second half.

Christin Nguelo with seven goals finished top scorer for the Eagles, but at the end it is a good collective performance that allowed the Eagles to take a clear victory 32-19.

In other matches, London GD maintained second spot with a 36-20 victory over Leeds Hornets.

The play-offs continue on March 11 at Greenbank Sports Academy in Liverpool with Salford v Ruislip, Manchester v London GD and Leeds Hornets v Cambridge.

Ruislip Eagles go Top of the Table

RUISLIP Eagles flew to the top of the English National League Play-Off table with an emphatic 42-17 victory over Nottingham University at Greenbank Sports Academy in Liverpool on Sunday.

Bottom of the table and with just the bare seven players available for the match, Nottingham University proved no match for a Ruislip team who brought 11 players North, and dominated the match from start to finish.

Leading 16-5 by half time, the Eagles had Azzedine Messis to thank having scored six goals while Xavier Burrin netter three.

After the break the onslaught continued, but it was Burrin who largely took over the scoring responsibilities with another seven goals, while Messis added four so that both players finished the match on ten goals.

Guillaume Bodet played well for Nottingham and also scored ten goals, but it was never going to be enough to challenge for victory.

Great Dane overtook former leaders Salford when they secured a narrow 29-30 victory over their rivals, ensuring they move up to second spot in the table - level on points with Ruislip - while Salford slip to third.

Salford were 17-16 ahead at half time with Aden Woodall scoring six goals, but Great Dane edged ahead when it mattered, thanks largely to the goal-scoring efforts of Krisz Olschleger who scored 11 times.

Finally, nothing could separate Manchester and Olympia, who drew 21-21 in their play-off match.

With Salford losing Olympia could’ve moved up to third spot if they had won by four goals, but a strong defence from Manchester - led by goalkeeper Zsolt Deak - ensured the spoils were shared.

Minas Georgiou scored ten goals for Manchester and finished as top-scorer, while Schied scored six for Olympia.

The next round of play-off matches is this Sunday, April 3, at Moulton, Northampton.

Salford take on Olympia in the day’s first match, while Great Dane play Nottingham University and Ruislip Eagles play Manchester.