UK Student Archery Association

Red Rose clean sweeps [20/Apr/17]

This is a catch up article reviewing the end of the NEUAL season - match N3 (for which results were delayed), the last batch of league matches (E7, W7, N4) plus the Indoor Champs. Results from the remaining individual league matches brought everyone in the league table up to three fixtures completed.

Match N3 (11th Feb) results emerged with Durham taking maximum points on 2064. Match N4 however saw Teesside score 1997 to narrowly beat Durham. E7 and W7 saw routine wins for York and Liverpool on 2100 and 2058 respectively. York and Liverpool also won their equivalent novice matches, whilst Durham won both N3 and N4. The top seniors across these four matches only just exceded 550, whilst top novice was Eric Poprawa (Durham) who got 541 in N3.

NEUAL's points structure means that a club's performance at NEUAL Indoors can be absolutely crucial to final league position. Lancaster and Bradford had 60 points at that stage, with three wins out of three. Liverpool, York and Teesside were a point further back. In the novice table, Lancaster, Durham and York had maximum points with Bradford and Liverpool one behind.

NEUAL Indoors took place the week after BUTC, on 12th March at Teesside. Seven days after hosting BUTC, Lancaster won the NEUAL Indoors and overall league title completing the first senior NEUAL clean sweep since 2012. Bradford scored 2175 to run Lancaster's 2193 close but ultimately secure second, matching their best ever NEUAL finish. Behind the leading two, Central Lancashire and Teesside finished third and fourth at the Indoors, totalling in the lower 21s, UCL bagged medals with 2138 whilst Teesside thrashed their Northern Conference rivals on 2112. York were in fifth, 5 short of 2100, but 20 ahead of Liverpool. There was also a guest team from Chester.

Lancaster ended the season on a perfect 100 points, with Bradford second on 98 - unbeaten apart from their meetings with Lancaster. Factoring in the result from the BUCS qualifier, Liverpool and York actually finished level on 92 league points, with Liverpool taking third spot narrowly on aggregate. In only their second NEUAL campaign, Central Lancashire (aka UCL) bagged an extremely creditable fifth spot on 89 points, courtesy of their strong Indoor Champs showing.

Lancaster's 1511 at NEUAL Indoors secured a clean sweep in the novice league as well. Bradford (1464) and Huddersfield (1446) were second and third at NEUAL Indoors, but it was Durham (who were fourth) who placed second overall on 115 points. Durham and Lancaster were well out in front in terms of overall aggregate - with Durham actually having the higher total over the 6 fixtures. Bradford were third overall on 109.

At the Indoor Champs, only Tom Wilson (Lancaster) broke 560, scoring 568. Anca Tutuianu (Bradford) scored 554 to pip league organiser Bethany Woodcock (Central Lancashire) to the ladies title by two points. Novices Eric Poprawa (Durham) and Paul Fairclough (Central Lancashire) and Ben Bellekom (Hull) were in the 530s.

See the NEUAL 16/17 page for the standings.

Lancaster's 2017 vintage means that they have now won the NEUAL Senior and Novice league titles three times each, however this is the first time they have done the double. The other Red Rose victories came in 2004 (novice), 2009 (seniors), 2011 (novices) and 2015 (seniors). With 4 titles each, York's seniors (2003-2006) and Sheffield's novices (2008-2010, 2012) lead outright - for now. Bradford finished runners-up to match their best ever placing.