Tryst fail in their quest for Mersey silverware

TRYST'S women's and men's handball teams travelled to Greenbank Sports Centre on Merseyside for the Liverpool International Open.

This annual tournament features teams from France, Norway, Denmark, Spain and Germany as well as British sides.

Since the inaugural tournament in 2001, Tryst have competed each year with the best performances coming in 2005 when the women reached the semi-finals and 2006 when the men won the competition.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The women were in a tough group with Catalan side Gava, up-and-coming local side Deva and Londoners Olympia.

First game for the women was against Gava who would ultimately go on and win the tournament and unfortunately, in what would be their toughest game, Tryst got off to a slow start.

After falling several goals behind Tryst steadied things and started to look far more comfortable. However, as it was a shortened game time they were unlikely to close the gap.

Tryst raised their game in their next two matches and narrowly lost out to Deva and Olympia with much improved performances before finishing with their best performance in their play-off match – an 8-8 draw with Manchester.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The men's team started with a tough fixture against Manchester University who were previous winners of the tournament. There was almost nothing to separate the teams with neither team having any more than a one-goal lead. As the match entered the final minute Tryst found themselves behind, but one final strong defensive effort and a goal at the other end tied the game.

In their next match against London side Ruislip it was yet another tight game. This time the scores were tied going in to the final minute but a similar ending to the previous game saw Tryst hold out defensively and edge a goal at the other end to win by one.

A disappointing defeat followed in the next match against a team who had travelled all the way from the Reunion Islands which left Tryst with a final group match against Manchester to decide which of these two teams would qualify for the quarter finals.

Tryst were playing well with a good tempo and opened up a four-goal lead. Although Tryst could never quite relax they did maintain their advantage throughout to win by four goals and make the quarter-finals.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Tryst were delighted to have made the quarters, but then frustration and disappointment followed as the team had a poor game against a good, but not unbeatable, Spanish team Corlada.

Corlada went on to make the final where they lost out to German outfit Magdeburg with Tryst pondering what seemed to be a missed opportunity for their best showing since 2006.

Overall the tournament was a success for the club with both the men's and women's teams playing some excellent handball and gelling well over the weekend but with the feeling that there is the potential to take their game up another couple of levels.

WOMEN: S. Gunnyon, P. Rytterrhaus, J. Girvan, A. Hawthorne, S. Thomson, T. Hoven, S. Carrick, R. McArthur.

MEN: K. McManus, A. Walker, S. McLaughlan, D. Fisher, C. Clark, G. McCafferty, M. McGuinness, A. Govan, S. Ardrey, C. McFadden, A. Stokes, C. McManus, J. McAleer, M. McLaughlan.

Related topics: