Hoylake Red Rocks 20 v 12 West Kirby Marine Lakers

Report by Rob Marland (West Wirral Snakehips – @WWSnakehips)

Red Rocks – R. Marland, P. Marland, Birss

Marine Lakers – Utley, Doyle, Walker

Phil Marland piled on the pressure early doors with a volfsball and the Marine Lakers were running scared. Captain Utley was unable to strike, but his teammates combined for four points and the end of the quarter saw the squad from West Kirby trailing the Hoylake Red Rocks 6-4.

In the second quarter, the Red Rocks failed to capitalise on their early lead. Despite Birss making some vital blocks and Phil Marland diving valiantly to the turf to retrieve a rebound, the team in red fell prey to the superior shooting of Marine Lakers’ stalwarts, Doyle and Walker. At the end of the half, the Marine Lakers were leading 8-7.

Rising to the challenge, Phil Marland launched a second volfsball shot that may well have spooned off the prism if not for Si Walker, whose ill-fated attempt at a block sent one of Sondico’s finest whistling through the hoop: five points ahoy! The Red Rocks cemented their lead with a three-point rebound play from Rob Marland. “Yuz are gettin’ pumped!” yelled the Marine Lakers’ lone fan. Truer words were never spoken.

Pete Doyle, finally finding his form, battled back to amass a total of five points by the end of the third and performed a thundering slide to retain possession for the Marine Lakers. Could he save his team from elimination?

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Red Rocks were passing well and Birss came into his own with a flying block followed by a spin shot to claim his first point of the contest. Doyle unleashed the fake of the century, sending Phil Marland tumbling to the mud before nonchalantly rattling one home, as cool as the proverbial. But after Rob Marland hit two one-pointers in quick succession, the Marine Lakers needed a big score to stay in the tournament. Walker and Doyle tickled the rim, and were close to converting doppel punts, but the Red Rocks outgunned the team in blue and at the final whistle were only one win away from claiming the third greatest prize in volfsball.