Wednesday saw a huge day for Newcastle University Squash Club as the Ladies 1st team took in Nottingham in the BUCS trophy semi final, while the mens 2nd team travelled to Manchester to play in the final of the BUCS conference cup.
Unfortunately Nottingham proved to be too strong for the ladies, however the travelling team (with some much appreciated travelling support) were able to prove that their league position is no accident! First on court was Martin Jolley, at the same time as Ryan Doran. Jolley played some clinical squash to win a comfortable 3-0, while Doran quickly found himself 2-0 down.
Determined not to let the team down, Doran battled through to scrape the 3rd, before taking the 4th and 5th in a gritty match. Newcastle were now 2-0 up in matches, and only needed one victory to secure the cup.
Rising to the occasion, Barton won his match 3-0, securing the cup for Newcastle.
Next up was no1 seed, Rob Finch. Finchy played arguably the game of his life, and a thrilling squash match developed. Despite this, the Manchester Metropolitan 1st seed proved to be too strong, and Rob eventually lost 3-1.
The fourth match of the day was to be Matt Barton at no2. Any nerves that the travelling fans might have had were instantly dispelled, as Barton played the best match of his season, devastating his opponent with his accurate shots and brilliant recovery. Rising to the occasion, Barton won his match 3-0, securing the cup for Newcastle.
Matthew Setterfield delivered the final blow to Manchester Met, beating his opponent in a decisive way to ensure cup glory for Newcastle. A huge thanks to all who made the journey to Manchester, particularly James Lees for his support, and the head of racket sports Liam Gutcher for his efforts this year. Congratulations to all of the squash club for what has been an amazing season so far
