Wave goodbye to that four-in-a-row

As has been well-documented, before proceedings had even begun York found themselves 12 points down by virtue of a heroically bureaucratic negotiation over how to rejig the arrangements for rowing. But by Friday morning, a third of those points had already been pulled back by Sean Martin’s cricketers, fuelling hopes of the legendary four-in-a-row that York is so desperate for.

Sadly, these flights of fancy were brought crashing back down to Earth as York proceeded to lose the first four events in the main sports hall, as all the indoor football teams save the Men’s 1sts lost to the hosts, widening the deficit by three points. The York teams clearly felt the full effect of the 6am bus journey across the Pennines, especially the Men’s 3rds who had to double as the 2nds due to player shortages. The 1sts were in fact York’s Futsal team, and their excellent organisation and teamwork confounded a Lancaster side hopeful of an early whitewash.

Controversy then thrived in indoor hockey, as both the Men’s 2nds and Women’s 1sts drew with their Lancastrian counterparts, but had goals contentiously disallowed for shooting from outside the D. York’s supporters were fuming – especially as the club Secretary claimed to have caught the crucial moments on camera and found evidence that the goals were in fact legal. With YSTV and LUtube both covering events, the Roses video technology debate rages on. The Men’s 1sts brought in another two points for York though, bouncing back from a 3 – 1 deficit to win 5 – 3 with two late scores.

Mixed Frisbee saw another four points go to the Red Rose, as York started strongly, before crumbling in defence and conceding too many to take the lead back with their late surge. Judo saw a fairly even split, as York won two categories to Lancaster’s one, only to have to forfeit the remaining two points on offer because of missing competitors, serving as a reminder of York’s grievances over scheduling Roses during an exam week. Needless to say, such complaints from Lancaster last year were derided as wimpy excuses and thought to be entirely unconnected to York’s record-breaking victory.

Meanwhile in the swimming, York’s ladies were comprehensively beaten by 76 points to 34, a defeat which was further embittered when one of their number suffered an asthma attack during a race. Fortunately her recovery was swift. Once racing recommenced, York’s men came closer to snatching some points – only losing by 14 overall – but neither visiting team could make up for Lancaster’s advantage of actually owning a pool.

The highlight of the day came in the unlikely form of badminton, a sport no more closely associated with climactic tension than snail-racing is. As York leapt ahead in both the Mixed and Men’s 2nds doubles, the White Rose looked set to claw back six more valuable points, but it was not to be. Though the Mixed pairs went on to win 8 – 1, bringing in a much-needed 4 points, the Men’s 2nds’ 3 – 1 lead vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Lancaster subverted the stereotype of lightweight, fleetfooted badminton players by fielding Ghanaian giant Papa “Boom” Oppong-Frempong, who with Chinese partner Sunny Wong demolished York’s 2nd and 3rd pair with ease, before coming unstuck against York’s clinical 1st pairing of Tom Gatenby and Adam Hirst. By contrast, York’s own 3rd pair of captain James Somerside and President Andrew Robert could not quite find the winning formula, succumbing twice before meeting Lancaster’s Jonathan Holland and Paul Heaney in the final deciding match.

A true thriller ensued, every point ratchetting up the tension another notch with applause, cheers and jeers in equal measure. Ultimately, Lancaster’s calm efficiency rattled York, whose frustration at seeing victory slip away from them only accelerated the process. Painstakingly, Lancaster edged ever closer to victory, until at last captain Jonathan Holland dealt the fatal blow to take the two points and catalyse the tension into Lancashire jubilation and Yorkshire misery.

As overwhelming defeats in the darts and pool followed in the evening, York will be glad to have put the opening day to rest. Hopefully, it was all part of a ridiculously elaborate ploy to lull the opposition into a false sense of security, and the key part of the plan is being enacted even now within the walls of The Sugarhouse, as hundreds of Lancastrian students are... well, perhaps best not to speculate too far.

Whatever the cause of York’s lacklustre Friday performance, things must change tomorrow. York can confidently expect wins in the rugby, as well as a fair few points from squash, fencing, lacrosse and football. The haul from hockey will depend on how well York can capitalise on the differences between the indoor and outdoor versions of the game, while not much can be expected from snooker given today’s performance on the pool tables. Woe betide the journalist who dares predict such unknown quantities as archery, trampolining and sailing, but rest assured that tomorrow York will need a fair wind indeed if they are to reach that four-in-a-row horizon.

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