News

Colliers baskets vital to City run

13/01/09

CAMBRIDGE City are delicately positioned at the midway point of South East England Regional Korfball League, and will be looking to the likes of top-scorer Nick Collier to propel them further up the standings.

After six games in their inaugural season as a stand-alone team, City sits in fifth place in the eight-team competition on four points.

Cambridge Tigers are two places further back in seventh on the same points as City, but having played an extra match.

City convincingly dismissed Bearsted (Kent) 16-9, and north London club Highbury 12-9.

And narrow losses to Wildcats (13-11), and Kent's Invicta (14-13) could have swung City's way, but for defensive lapses which gifted their opposition penalties.

At the forefront of City's progress, Collier, pictured right at a training session, has stormed into third place in league's men's goalscoring charts with 23 goals from six matches, and sits one goal behind Nomads' (Kent) Joe Olds and Steve Jones from Wildcats (London).

Team-mate Antony Proietti also makes an appearance on the top 10 at No 8, with 11 goals from five games, while in the women's charts, England international Carla Bennett is fourth with 11 baskets.

Head coach Janine Collier will be looking for City to eliminate defensive errors in the second half of the season and capitalise on the team's ability to put the ball in the basket.

"To lose matches, having dominated the early stages of each of these games, is without a doubt disappointing," Collier said.

"But the dramatic technical improvements seen in the athletes, the excellent perform-ance of the team at certain times in each game, and the culture of excellence within the team and the club are extremely encouraging. It all bodes well for the future.

"The challenge now is to build on the excellent achievements of the first half of the season, and begin to convert the infinite potential to reality."

After slumping to a 16-12 defeat to leaders Tornadoes (London) last Sunday, City will resume their quest for improvement with a much-anticipated showdown against county rivals Tigers tomorrow - a second battle between the teams in the regional league, after Tigers gained the upper hand with a 12-9 victory in the first contest in November.

In Cambridgeshire League action, reigning champion City I sits at the top of the Division One table on 12 points, with Tigers I in second place on 10.

Tigers II (8) occupy third spot ahead of City II (6), while University I (5), Phoenix (4), Lions I (3) and newcomers Lions II (0) round out the positions.

Featured in the Cambridge News, Saturday January 12, 2009

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