Week 4 Game of The Week: Warwick Squash lose pivotal clash with Oxford
Warwick 1-4 Oxford
Squash top seed Rob Clayden gives us the lowdown on his team’s defeat to Oxford in Week four’s Game of the Week.
Location -Squash Courts, Warwick Sports Centre
Star performer – Matthew Eggington -He stepped up to the first team for the most important game of the season and provided the only victory in a tough loss. He’s been in a rich vein of form since the beginning of the season, having lost only once in his last ten games.
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ednesday 28 October saw the unbeaten Warwick Squash first team take on an in-form Oxford side in the Warwick Sport game of the week. With both sides challenging for promotion to the BUCS Premier League, the need for a strong performance could not have been greater. Unfortunately a hamstring injury ensured the absence of number five seed Liam Stafford, while fourth string stalwart Mark Godfrey-Evans was out with an illness; limiting the depth of an otherwise fit and healthy squad.
Despite this setback, second-team regular Matthew Egginton stepped on court first and filled in admirably for Stafford. The Oxford number five, perplexed by the variation and touch of Egginton, struggled to find his range, and Warwick swiftly took a two games to love lead. The third game proved to be more of a contest, but Eggington’s superior mental strength won through in a tight battle – our fifth seed completing a 3-0 victory in convincing fashion.
At the same time on the adjacent court, fourth seed Raghul Venkatesh found the going much tougher against a solid opponent. Having played only a handful of matches this year, consistency was perhaps the key difference between Venkatesh and his opponent, as Oxford swept to a 3-0 victory to level the match up at 1-1.
With the tie delicately poised, Alex Li warmed up knowing that a win at number three would provide Warwick with a crucial momentum boost heading into the penultimate match of the evening.
With the tie delicately poised, Alex Li warmed up knowing that a win at number three would provide Warwick with a crucial momentum boost heading into the penultimate match of the evening. His six-foot-five Oxford adversary offered up a strong threat on the volley, and after a gritty opening game went the way of his opponent, Li focused on keeping the pace high and working his opponent around the court.
Putting some extra work into the legs of the Oxford third seed seemed to pay dividends as Li ran away with the second game 11-6. Unfortunately, he struggled to maintain the required intensity in the third and came second best by the same margin. After some motivational words from team coach and Warwick alumni Steve Townsend, Li again managed to wrestle back the momentum, converting his second game ball and levelling the match at 2-2.
Ultimately, the weight of shot from the Oxford player proved too much to handle. Li could do little to prevent his opponent pulling ahead and the first match ball opportunity earned was subsequently converted.
Declan O’Callaghan stepped up at number two in an effort to keep the tie alive. His opponent had much his own way early on however, hunting the ball at speed and ruthlessly finishing any loose squash from the Warwick captain. Given the strength of the Oxford one-two punch at the top of the seedings, it was no surprise to see their quality shining through here. After losing out in the first two games, O’Callaghan rallied in the third game and pushed his opponent to 10-10. Following a fine display of defensive squash to save three match balls his efforts were ultimately in vain, falling 3-0 after a determined display.
The team will look for revenge when they travel to Oxford next term with playoff implications still very firmly on the line.
With Oxford taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the tie, number one seed Rob Clayden stepped onto court in an effort to salvage some points for the Warwick outfit. Buoyed by a fantastic set of supporters on the balcony, Clayden won a tight first game 11-9, managing to control the vast majority of the rallies. Yet as the game progressed he ran into trouble, as his exceptionally fit opponent had the energy reserves to consistently attack at pace – a blowout 11-4 loss in the second game was the result.
Digging deep, Clayden managed to force a tiebreak in the third game as the score reached 10-10. Needing to win by two clear points to secure the game, the Warwick first seed had two chances at 13-12 and 14-13 to take a crucial 2-1 lead but these opportunities were missed and his opponent won a marathon game 16-14. This momentum noticeably encouraged the visiting top seed and he completed a 3-1 victory in an attritional forty-five minute slog.
So a 4-1 victory for a strong Oxford side on this particular occasion. Congratulations to Matt Egginton for being the bright spark in a tough loss and a massive thank you to everyone who came along to support. The team will look for revenge when they travel to Oxford next term with playoff implications still very firmly on the line.
Warwick Team Sheet:
1. Rob Clayden
2. Declan O’Callaghan (captain)
3. Alex Li
4. Raghul Venkatesh
5. Matt Egginton
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