FIRSTS SINK ON OPENING NIGHT!

October 1, 2019

IT WAS BILLED AS A TITANIC BATTLE BUT TROJANS FIRST TEAM SANK  IN THEIR OPENING FIXTURE OF THE NEW SEASON AGAINST ARDEN GRIFFINS.

DEFENDING THEIR LEAGUE DIVISION ONE TITLE, TROJANS LOOKED OUT OF SORTS AFTER A FINE OPENING SPELL WHICH PUT THEM INTO A 16-9 LEAD. BUT ONCE GRIFFINS FOUND THEIR RANGE THEY SAILED INTO THE LEAD AND THE HOME SIDE STARTED TO SHIP WATER.

THEY RALLIED AFTER HALF TIME WITH MARK LARNER (10) IMPRESSING BUT TOO MANY FOULS WERE BEING CALLED AND THE OVER-FUSSY OFFICIALS WERE GETTING INTO THE HEADS OF BOTH SETS OF PLAYERS. TECHNICAL FOULS ENSUED AND AS TROJANS HAD ASH DICKSON (13) FOUL OUT AND BROTHER AUSTIN (NUMBER 4) GAMELY CARRYING ON WITH A NASTY ANKLE INJURY. BUT AFTER THEY HAD REDUCED THE DEFICIT FROM TEN TO THREE, GRIFFINS SAILED AWAY TO A 19 POINT ADVANTAGE AS TROJANS CAPSIZED.

A FINAL FLURRY BROUGHT THE MARGIN TO EIGHT BUT THEY COULD NOT IMPROVE ON THIS AND WERE IN THE DEEP END WITHOUT A LIFEBOAT AT 68-77.