UK Student Archery Association

NEUAL - the story continues [14/Apr/22]

This article reviews NEUAL match 2 (held across Jan, Feb and some Mar) and NEUAL Indoor Champs (held 5th/6th March). Leeds and Sheffield won the two fixtures, with Durham top overall by 2 points.

Match 2 was eventually spread across late January, February and a couple in March. Leeds scored 2121 to win, but their margin of victory - 115 points - was surprisingly comprehensive. Sheffield were second despite a score of 2006. Durham (1950) and York (1934) were third and fourth respectively. This match was also the worst attended NEUAL fixture of the season with only 10 sides competing. Tom Braxton and Changsheng Wang (both Leeds) powered their team's win with 572 and 570 respectively, with Matthew Likely (Durham) also hitting 570.

Huddersfield were fifth in the senior match, but won the novice fixture easily with 1262. Keele and Newcastle were second and third, with Leeds fourth, with Michael Vickers (Newcastle) top novice scorer on 458.

In the NEUAL Indoor Championships, Sheffield beat Durham by only 4 points with Leeds in third. Sheffield scored 2183 to take the title, with a 570 from Jack Wells. Durham were second on 2179, despite a 580 and 579 from Charlotte Llewellyn-Smith and Matthew Likely. Leeds were third, around 30 further back on 2148. Tom Braxton (Leeds) was the top scorer in the match on 582 and kept his side ahead of Huddersfield who were fourth on 2135. Central Lancashire completed the leading group of 5 clubs with 2112, Georgia Green adding 569. York and Lancaster were next, but were nearly 100 points further back. Elsewhere in the match, Lauren Rawlings (Chester) scored 578 as her club made their first NEUAL appearance of the season.

The margin between first and second was also one point per person for NEUAL Indoors novice title. Bradford won the novice tournament - by 3 points - 1379-1376 from Sheffield - with Afrae Negra (Bradford) top individual on 491. Durham were third, whilst league leaders Huddersfield were the fourth and final team over 1300.

These results have left 3 clubs in with a realistic chance of winning the NEUAL title. Durham sit top on 76 points. Their atpyical score in league match 2 (1950 vs 2187, 2188 & 2179) wasn't punished as badly as it might have been in terms of league points. Leeds now have 74 and Sheffield 73, with Huddersfield probably too far back on 67. A top two finish in the final NEUAL match will see Durham home. Were Leeds to finish two places ahead of Durham then match aggregate would come in to play - and Leeds have reduced their deficit here from 149 to 9. For Sheffield, the arithmatic gets more complicated as they need to overhaul both other teams. Durham's only previous senior NEUAL title was in 2020, Leeds have never finished in NEUAL's top 3 before, whilst Sheffield have won three times but not since 2012.

Huddersfield have been the most consistent novice side in a volatile NEUAL table. They have now built a 9 point lead with one match to go. Sheffield sit second. Barring a collapse at the finish line, this will be Huddersfield's first NEUAL title - senior or novice. Huddersfield's seniors are poised to equal their best ever senior NEUAL finish (4th in 2010/11) and will beat their best E-League finish and have beaten their best finish at a BUCS Indoors. Little wonder that they recently picked up their SU's Sports Club of the year.

See NEUAL 2021/22 page for the latest standings. Results from NEUAL match 3 will follow when the results become available.