This past weekend saw Holcombe collectively complete Phase 1 on the season.
Both sides have cemented their places in the Post-Season Playoffs at Lee Valley and both have done so currently occupying 2nd place; guaranteeing their spots in the second semi-final between the 2nd and 3rd placed finishers.
Phase 1 of securing a spot in the post-season is complete.
Our women had a great win up at the University of Birmingham. The Students’ have a side littered with Junior Internationals, Currently centralised players and even an Olympic Gold medallist of their own.
We were able to dominate proceedings throughout the game and the girls epitomised a professional performance to come away 3-1 winners. Against a side currently occupying the final playoff spot, the girls put in an accomplished performance without many issues to cause great deals of concern.
The Men decided to do it the hard way. A win guaranteed our Semi-Final fate and took the pressure off next weekend’s trip to Hampstead where it would have been ‘Winner Takes All’ had we not grabbed the three points yesterday.
Going behind twice and throwing away a lead late on is not a textbook win by any stretch of the imagination. However at this stage of the season, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s textbook or not; a win is a win.
We now have a month to prepare ourselves for Phase 2; Qualification for Europe.
Next weekend and the immediate off-season that follows provides us with a chance to go again.
We have some great opposition in Hampstead and Leicester respectively to prepare us and then some crucial weeks of training before the end of April.
In effect, we’ve now both returned to pre-season.
We both have crucial games next weekend to take momentum forward and hit our stride in preparation. We then have some hard running. We then have Phase 2 in the best part of any sport;
The Post-Season.
Picture supplied by www.groutphotography.co.uk