As one of the earliest events in Roses, the three indoor Frisbee games in the Sport’s Centre main hall Friday morning were key for potentially setting the tempo early on in the tournament.
Ultimately York were unable to deliver a majority of the points losing both the men’s and women’s contest’s by narrow margins. However in a dramatic finale York were able to snatch victory in the Mixed game to post some points on the board.
The two teams tersely eyed each other from either side of the hall during the intensive 40 minute warm up’s between matches. Lancaster’s warm up had the air of a military regime, drilled and authoritarian. York by contrast cut a figure of quiet dignity, like a band of Victorian pick pockets.
The women’s game started slow, with tight defending early on keeping the match scoreless for a long time, but eventually it was Lancaster who put the first point on the board. Lancaster soon stretched there early success out into a 3-1 advantage over the ladies in white.
However York quickly struck back with quick points and open, flowing play bringing it back first to 4-4 and then tying it up at 5 apiece.
In the end, despite York’s best efforts, it was all ultimately to little avail with Lancaster getting a late point and holding on to win 6-5.
In the men’s match it was a similar story, York got off to a flying start mounting considerable pressure in the Lancaster final third taking an early lead, however Lancaster soon equalized for 1 all.
York quickly poked their noses back in front, a searching Lancaster throw again leveled the scoreboard.
Once more there was an immediate response from York taking the score to 3-2 and a general game of cat and mouse ensued from then on, with Lancaster playing catch up all the way to five a piece.
Again though as in the Women’s match, a late point with just over 30 seconds left on the clock won it for Lancaster, taking the second set of points with another 6-5 victory.
Next up was the mixed match, where an embattled York now looked to make amends for the two previous games and post some well-deserved points on the Roses scoreboard.
On the balcony overlooking the main hall the Lancaster supporters repeatedly shouted for Fish, although I still don’t quite know who the ruddy hell that was.
The game started disastrously for York, going 2-0 down early on, it seemed at that point that the home team would have to resign themselves to three indoor defeats, but York battled back with a sneaking throw down the sideline to make it 2-1. However, Lancaster retaliated almost instantly to maintain their two point cushion.
This second wake up call seemed to give York a new lease of life and took complete control of the game for the next ten minutes, score 4 times in quick succession and leading 5-3, it seemed at this point that the match would be won as they tried to play out the clock.
Lancaster would not lie down though, invigorated by a wakeup call of their own they were able to draw level in the dying seconds to once again snatch a result away from York.
As the clock counted down York couldn’t seem to break through, but a last ditch Hail Mary throw the length of the hall somehow found the hand of a York savior in the Lancaster end zone. Winning the game 6-5 and ending Lancaster’s hopes of a white wash.