Wednesday’s cup clash between Leeds Men’s Lacrosse 1st and Manchester Metropolitan 1st Lacrosse was maimed by controversy, ruining what should have been a highly fought encounter between evenly matched teams. Man Met chose to play under protest on the basis that the two Level 1 qualified referees provided by Leeds were affiliated with the club. BUCS regulations indicate that in the absence of neutral officials the two registered club officials should referee, but despite this Man Met refused to accept the game as a legitimate one. The referrees had more than proven their impartiality. Leeds refused to play a meaningless friendly and began a training session, only for staff from both universities to insist a game was played, despite time getting on.

With the light deteriorating, several Leeds players already leaving and the team unenthused, the match was played without the usual Leeds panache. The match began with a sloppy, goalless first quarter and was only burst into life with huge hits by Iain Findlay, leaving two players to hobble off at their own pace. This gave Leeds the impetus to push forward and a well worked attack saw Gary Wood beat the keeper from close range with a precise finish. A great first half performance from Joseph Dickinson kept Leeds ahead until the last minutes of the half, where poor communication in the defence saw Man Met level.

The half time break gave much needed respite to a stretched Leeds team, but tiring legs let Man Met take the lead as the midfield failed to track back quick enough, despite great pace from Mark Swindell. The fourth quarter descended into farce as Man Met players failed to show respect for officials, prompting penalties on both teams. Leeds pushed hard for an equaliser but good possession from their league rivals and displayed poor sportsmanship as their third goal went in. The controversial affair ended 3-1 but in truth the match was a poor reflection of the spirit in which lacrosse is usually played. The official result is yet to be confirmed.

Author: Gary Wood