A single strike from Ashley Cranston was enough for Women’s Hockey 1sts to defeat Lancaster 2nds 1-0 and progress to the second round of the BUCS Cup.

In truth, the final score line rather flattered the Lancaster second string as UCLan dominated the contest throughout against a team three divisions below them.

They could already have been comfortably ahead by the time Cranston scored in the ninth minute, but the anticipated opening of the floodgates never materialised.

Instead UCLan’s finishing left a lot to be desired as they, despite having a total of 20 attempts on the Lancaster net, could not find a second goal, an inspired performance from the visiting goalkeeper pulling off a number of cracking saves.

With such a slender lead, there was always the chance of Lancaster grabbing an equaliser.

But despite late pressure and a couple of penalty corner’s in the final few minutes, they held on comfortably enough, while an anxious captain Stacey Bell watching from the sidelines as she continues her recovery from injury.

“It was a bit nerve-racking, especially against Lancaster 2nds, but we held it together,” She said afterwards.

Cranston could have opening the scoring inside the first minute, but scuffed her shot when one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

Georgina Ivens had scored twice in the 2-1 league win over Manchester Met 1sts the previous week and saw a shot blocked.

Siobhan Docksey also had two chances and the second brought the decisive strike.  Her effort was cleared only as far as Ivens, with Cranston was on-hand to flick her pass into the net.

Ivens continued to use her pace and power to get through the defence, only to be denied another five times before the break alone; first by a great block on the goal line, and then by the keeper on four separate occasions.

UCLan keeper Katie Radford had almost been a spectator for the first half, with just a single save to make from a rare Lancaster break.

The pattern of play continued in the second period as Gabrielle Gaynor and Ivens forced an outstanding treble save from the visitors’ keeper and Gaynor also shot wide from a penalty corner.

As the match entered the last quarter, the visitors sensed a chance to take advantage of UCLan’s inability to extend the lead and grab a goal of their own that would have taken the tie into extra time.

They forced a couple of penalty corners, but the home defence held firm with Radford dealing comfortably with the two attempts she had to deal with.

A final chance came and went, with a shot blocked in the final seconds as UCLan secured their place in round two.

UCLan team: Katie Radford, Taya Milman, Gabrielle Gaynor, Natasha Hale, Natasha Hynes, Georgina Ivens, Anna Mcintosh, Ashley Cranston, Laura Bury, Kate Gregory.

By Ciaran Thomas

UCLan Men’s badminton 1sts have been relegated after a crushing 7 – 1 home defeat to local rivals Lancaster 1sts at Foster Sports Centre.

Lancaster were always in control, although UCLan’s Graham Hollingsworth did manage to pick up a point for the hosts after a 21 – 12, 21 – 12 win. However, that was merely a consolation as Lancaster sent UCLan crashing out of division 2A.

Captain Adam Spence had yet another late withdrawal, so second team player Dave Garnett stepped in as Spence’s doubles partner for the crucial encounter. Lancaster on the other hand, brought a stronger line-up than the reverse fixture.

It was a nightmare start for the home side as Lancaster took control from the off. Spence and Garnett were comfortably beaten 5 – 21, 15 – 21 in their first doubles and Allen and Rowan, who also made a slow start, were punished 12 – 21, 15 – 21.

Hollingsworth and Hubbard were the singles players for the day and both lost their first matches in straight games.

It was 4 – 0 in favour of Lancaster at the turn around and UCLan had it all to do if they were to save their season.

But it got worse for Spence’s men after both doubles partnerships were beaten again. There was a slight improvement though as both the matches went to the deciding game.

Spence and Garnett who were partnering each other for the first time lost 21 – 11 in the final game. Allen and Rowan started brightly winning 24 – 22 in a close first game, but then crumbled, losing 18 – 21, 11 – 21 in the next two.

Hubbard put up a valiant display in his final singles match, but fitness was his downfall as he lost 14 – 21, 19 – 21.

There was one positive as Hollingsworth gave UCLan their solitary point of the match winning his final singles encounter in straight games.

It was too little too late though as rivals Lancaster took the three points which ultimately relegated UCLan into BUCS North West division 2B.

It was a disappointing end to what would have been a respectable season and captain Spence admitted:

“Lancaster knew they had to win today like ourselves and they brought a strong team.

“They proved too strong for us on the day.”

By Jamie Allen

A weakened Men’s Badminton 1sts slipped to yet another crushing defeat, 7-1 to relegation contenders Lancaster University last Wednesday.

It was a crucial tie for both teams who were fighting it out at the bottom of the league, with the winner likely to evade the dreaded drop.

It was Lancaster who dominated the match, winning all the doubles encounters and all but one of the singles matches to win their first match of the season in emphatic style.

Prior to the away trip to Lancaster, captain Adam Spence was dealt a double blow as Adam Rowan and singles player James Pickard both withdrew at the last minute.

 Lancaster took advantage of UCLan’s misfortune and stormed into an early 3 – 0 lead, winning both sets of doubles and the first singles encounter. Adam Spence and Mike Hubbard started strongly for UCLan winning 18 – 21, but failed to push on and lost the next two games 21 – 14, 21 – 16.

The other doubles match was a different kettle of fish as the visitors patched up team of Matt Thomas and Nicolay Dimitrov were comfortably despatched 21 – 4, 21 – 4. UCLan’s singles player for the day Jamie Allen also lost his match, 21 – 10 in the first game, but put up a fighting effort in the second narrowly losing 21 – 18 after making three consecutive unforced errors.

The matches swapped round but there was no change in the outcomes of both matches as Spence and Hubbard lost in straight games 21 – 14, 21 – 12 as did Thomas and Dimitrov, 21 – 10, 21 – 6.

Jamie Allen gave UCLan some hope winning his singles in straight games 19 – 21, 15 – 21, but by now the match had been decided and the overall match score read 5 – 1 in Lancaster’s favour.

Late arrival Graham Hollingsworth rushed on court to try and salvage some sort of consolation for the UCLan team. He was unfortunate in his first match losing in three topsy-turvy games, 21 – 16, 9 – 21, 21 – 15. Tiredness set in and Hollingsworth was beaten in straight games in his final singles.

After the game, Captain Spence showed his frustration:

“It’s another disappointing defeat. It doesn’t help when only one first team player turns up to training and I have to deal with two late withdrawals from the team.”

“Once again, there is too much inconsistency in the team which needs to be looked at.”

Lancaster were victorious, a 7 – 1 win, and it’s now only one win all season for the UCLan team who lie rock bottom of the Northern Division 2A.

By Jamie Allen

Women’s Hockey 1sts came away with a well deserved victory in tough conditions, finishing 1-0 against Lancaster 1sts at UCLan Sports Arena.

The first half did not get going from start to finish, with wet and windy conditions taking over the quality of possession throughout.

It was Lancaster who made the early attack from a short corner, which was defended well by UClan.

The home side began to amass possession in the middle of the pitch, with coach Emma Noakes driving her team forward from the sidelines, but UClan failed to make any attack pay dividends.

A few minutes later, a Lancaster attack was broken down by Sarah Leyshon who passed the ball forward to win a penalty corner, which was converted by to put the home side into the lead.

Lancaster were looking to equalise straight away but it was the final ball for the away side that was lacking in the attacking third. UClan’s Sarah Leyshon had a fine opening to the match creating space for team mates with clever play.

As the end of the first half approached, UClan defended extremely well which had proved costly in previous matches this season.

The second half began very much like the first, with neither side taking a foothold in the early stages with the conditions playing a part.

 UClan once again showed their improvements in defence with some great interceptions and effective goalkeeping from Katie Radford.

A controversial decision regarding a Lancaster equaliser followed, after the attacker smashed the ball into the goal from a short corner, but it was ruled out as it failed to hit the back board.

As full time approached, a break in play for an injury saw time for a team talk and a substitute, midfielder Gabs Gaynor, who threatened throughout the remainder of the half.

UClan began to pressure with the introduction of Gaynor, who passed the ball into Kerry Madock-Jones to shoot wide.

Having lost the last two games heavily to tougher opposition, coach Emma Noakes was happy with the performance, especially defensively;

 “This was a must win game for us. Lancaster are a lower team in this league so it was important that we worked well and communicated on the pitch. We did that today.”

 By Laura Howard

Men’s Tennis 1^st team carried on their good form against Lancaster 1sts on Wednesday.

The team romped to a 10-2 victory to maintain their promotion push.

In the opening doubles match, Mike Austin and James West outclassed their opponents to win in straight sets.

Andy Jones and Jake Grinsill then paired up to take on their Lancaster counterparts. Jones and Grinsill wrapped up the first set 6-2. A fight back from the Lancaster pairing saw them take the second set and win the match on a tie-break.

In the singles, captain Austin led by example winning his match in straight sets. Austin’s triumph put the team in a commanding position leading the match 4-2. The home side’s captain carried on his good form to maintain his impressive 100% record in singles so far this season.

West put in a man of the match performance at number two. What could have been a potentially difficult match for the UCLan player turned out to be anything but as West took control from the off and cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 victory.

At number three, things were a lot more difficult for Grinsill. Grinsill found it hard to get to grips with his opponent’s serve in a very tight first set. Eventually, Grinsill managed to break serve and take the first set 7-5.

The second set didn’t go as planned for the UCLan man. Grinsill fell behind early on in the second set and never managed to pull it back losing it 6-2. The third set was also a tight affair which Grinsill managed to claim 6-4 to take the match.

In the final match for the team, Jones wrapped up the points in style to secure the 10-2 victory. The fourth seed completely dominated his opponent in a match which saw a big gulf in class between the two players. Jones started strongly and didn’t let up never giving his opponent a chance to win the match 6-1, 6-0.

By Jake Grinsill

Women’s Netball 1sts got off to a flyer in their first game of the new season beating Lancaster 1sts 54-21 at Foster Sports Centre.

The first quarter saw UCLAN dominate, and after just a few minutes opened the scoring with Goal Attack Danielle Parkinson.  The home side doubled their lead soon after with another Parkinson shot. Goal Shooter Hollie Dixon later made it 14-3 before Dickinson ended a particular one-sided quarter.

The second quarter saw Lancaster step up the pace, although it didn’t faze UCLAN as they went on to score nine times, the majority scored by Parkinson who was outstanding all game. She later made it 23-7 before the break after a great passage of play from the home side.

The atmosphere was plain to hear as team mates of both teams cheered their side on, but again it was UCLAN who showed determination. Centre Harriet Dunn broke down Lancaster’s attacks and commanded the home side brilliantly in her first game as captain, showing her influential qualities.

With both shooters playing extremely well and the game going easily in UCLAN’s favour, the away side began to look fatigued consequently giving away needless penalty throws, which were converted easily by Parkinson. Dixon later made it 35-12 before Dickinson ended the quarter 38-13.

The final quarter saw a better display from Lancaster as they went on to score eight times, with the home side appearing to sit back on a comfortable lead. Never the less, after shouts of further encouragement from the home support, it was another great passage of play from defence to attack that saw Dixon convert to make it 51-18. Lancaster enjoyed the final few minutes of possession, however it was UCLAN who finished winners on 54-21.

After a disappointing season last season, and crashing out of the final of the BUCS cup, chairperson Lindsay Murphy has high hopes this year with captain Harriet Dunn also confident the team can progress onto promotion.

 “We have a number of new players who have been promoted from the 2nds, and also fresher’s so it will be vital that we work on improving the stats. The girls played really well today but we must look to continue improving next week”

Netball women 1sts will now play Chester 1sts away in their next game.

By Laura Howard

After an action-packed season, UCLan’s Hockey teams can reflect upon a season of relative success.

The Men’s 2^nd team won their league after a superb final day performance away at Lancaster, winning 3-2. 

The team only lost twice on their way to the title and next season they will play in the BUCS Northern Conference 3A. They were also the best defensively in the league, conceding only 14 in 10 games.

Team Captain Andy Bruce commended his team for a great season. He said: “I am extremely proud of my team this season.  The dedication everyone showed was the reason for our success. Each member of the team improved so much throughout the year.”

He singled out Sean Barrett as the player that most impressed him and applauded his ability to take what he learnt in training into games.

Bruce added: “The league above will be tough but I believe if the team carry on progressing how they did this year, then they will give any team a good challenge.”

The Men’s 1^st team finished 4^th in BUCS Northern Conference 2A with an inconsistent season of four wins, four losses and two draws.

Captain Rob Taylor and keeper Nick Richards were rewarded for their good performances with British Universities trials.

The Women’s 1^st team also had a great season after finishing runners-up in BUCS North West division 2A. They also made it to the Northern Conference semi final, narrowly losing out 5-3 to Manchester Women’s 2nds, who were undefeated league champions.

Hockey chair, Tom Dunkley praised the club’s members for their commitment this season.

 “Personally I think we have had a successful season.  At the end of last season I was concerned about the amount of players we were losing due to graduation.  However we managed to recruit a large amount of first years, which made up the numbers for the club.

“I believe that next season with the current strength of the club we can improve match results and league positioning and develop a greater strength in performance and greater depth in the squads.     We will be sad to see some of the outstanding players this season leave, Emma Nokes and Nick Richards in particular.”

Sam Goudie takes over from Dunkley as hockey chair next season and Goudie will hope that UCLan’s success will carry on into next year.

By Chris Mayer

UCLan 6-2 Lancaster

UCLan Women’s Badminton team recorded their first win as league champions after beating Lancaster 1sts 6-2 at Foster Sports Centre.

The result leaves UCLan with a 100% record in the league this season, the equivalent of ten games, as they prepare for next week’s BUCS Cup final.

UCLan took an early advantage in the tie when Claire Reynolds and Becky White cruised past their opponents 21-3, 21-10 and 21-4, 21-5, respectively.

Doubles pairing Makayla Holmes and Marina Tsujino then overcame stern opposition 21-13, 21-11 to leave the home side 3-0 up.

Before the seconds doubles team of Hannah Pedley and Christina Montgomery were unfortunate to lose 18 -21, 21-16, 21-18, to spirited opponents in their opening match.

Lancaster forced a potential comeback when Reynolds was beaten by White’s opponent from the first game: 20-22, 18-21, to make the score 3-2.

The latter then steadied the ship though with a dominant performance to win 21-5, 21-3 before Pedley and Montgomery recorded a solid 21-17, 21-15 victory in the doubles.

Holmes and Tsujino then made a strong comeback in the final game to win 19-21, 21-14, 21-11 to ensure the team maintained their perfect record in the league this season.

After the match, Captain Makayla Holmes said: “I’m glad we still have our 100% record. We could have let it drop but we didn’t, and we kept up the same effort that we have put in all year.”

By Ed Bretherton

UCLan 32-14 Lancaster

A Tom Hughes inspired UCLan Rugby Union Men’s 1sts toppled first place Lancaster 1sts by 32-14 at UCLan Sports Arena.

Hughes ran in three tries to complete a “fantastic” hat-trick and a rousing comeback after trailing at the break.

UCLan took just 15 minutes to break the deadlock after an even start.

Good work from full back Sean Taylor saw him break through the away side’s defence, skipping past multiple challenges.

Taylor then laid the ball off to Hughes, who just managed to escape the clutches of the defence to power over, although the conversion was missed.

It all began to go wrong for the home side on 25 minutes as an injury and a missed penalty seemed to rock them, allowing Lancaster a way back in to the game.

They took just three minutes to capitalise as the number eight thundered through UCLan’s left flank with ease, giving Lancaster a two point advantage after the conversion.

The deficit became nine shortly before half-time when poor passing from UCLan let Lancaster break away and score from well within their own half.

The fight back began with a penalty just a minute into the second half and UCLan didn’t look back as they scored 27 unanswered points in the second period.

Two converted tries for Hughes after good pressure put UCLan well in the ascendancy as did two penalties.

The win was clinched three minutes from time by the try of the game as Taylor ran virtually the length of the field to score and give UCLan a surprise victory.

By Liam Geraghty

One win now stands in the way of a league title for UCLan Men’s Basketball team after a terrific 87-60 win over Lancaster University 1sts.

Coming off the back of a defeat to league leaders Chester, UCLan started out in a professional manner in the must win game.

They were immediately on the attack with Chris Smith proving clinical in front of the hoop.

Despite this the first period ended 18-13 in UCLan’s favour after a tense opening to the game and stern opposition from a Lancaster side who lie third in the league.

Going into the second period UCLan stepped the pace up and raced ahead thanks to more points from Smith and Chris Pangan.

The pair of them proved too much for a withering Lancaster side, ensuring a 47-16 score line at half time and command of the game.

Going into the second half and third period Lancaster began to rally together as UCLan looked to sustain their lead.

Captain David Collister proved a rock at the back for UCLan as well as adding himself to the score sheet, amassing a total of 21 points for the game.

The score was now 67-42 at the end of the third period with Smith now on the bench after amassing a total of 26 points for the game.

UCLan saw the final period out in comfortable fashion and finished the game off easy winners.

Coach Craig White said afterwards: “It was a great team performance and everyone contributed to the result. We could have won it by 40 points in the end.

“We’re very confident about winning the league. It will be tough but we’re playing well”.

UCLan now face MMU Cheshire on the 17^th March to decide the league title.

By Stefan Mackley