Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
York went out aggressively from the start, with a stunning interception from man of the match Amy Smith breaking Durham’s first centre and seeming to unsettle the 1st division side. However, Durham quickly settled into a fast paced, flowing game, which York were unprepared for.
In the second quarter York adjusted to the new style of play and successfully narrowed the score margin. Having made tactical decisions based on the reading of Durham’s attack, Tess Olsen and Katie Cowper-Johnson in defence were able to effectively pick off passes in the defensive circle, limiting Durham's scoring opportunities.
Disaster struck in the third quarter when Katie Cowper-Johnson was viciously tripped by the Durham shooter. Without a defensive player on the bench, captain Smith demonstrated her versatility by stepping up to the challenge of circle defence. Despite the impressive performance by Smith, Cowper-Johnson’s commanding presence both in the circle and down the court was sorely missed.
By the fourth quarter Durham had established a secure lead using the height of their shooters in the circle to feed balls untouchable by the York defence. For the remainder of the game Laura Longworth put in an incredible performance as Goal Defence, despite having never played the position before. Her added height and remarkable ability to adapt and listen to the directions of Olsen put pressure on the Durham attack which undoubtedly saved further scoring.
The loss of Cowper-Johnson for an estimated three weeks and disruption of their defensive partnership is a massive blow for the side. With crucial BUSA matches in the next two weeks, the team will be looking to natural Wing Defence Hannah Martin to step in and fill Cowper-Johnson’s shoes. With much work needed to build up this new defensive partnership and so little time, the team needs to remain confident and use the experience gained by this defeat to their advantage in forthcoming BUSA matches.
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