As with all committed sports teams on campus, Roses means much, much more than any usual match to the men’s squash first team. And this year, with their cup final defeat still fresh in the minds of players and supporters alike, the squashers really did have more to play for than ever.
First to perform for the baying crowds overlooking the University of York Sports Centre squash courts were Dave Potter of York and Joe Reeds of Lancaster.
The match started well for York with Potter taking victory in the first two games although his narrow margin of victory left Lancaster with reason to be hopeful. This belief was repaid in the third game which saw Reeds win in style leaving the score now 2-1. However for the final game, Potter conjured up something special allowing him to take the match 3-1 and earn a valuable point for York.
Next on were Matt Brennan and Arnie Dunning in a match that was tighter than an arm-wrestler’s handshake. The first two games saw Brennan achieve victory despite being given a worrying run around by Dunning. From there however, York’s game went downhill with Brennan appearing to succumb to the intense pressure of the occasion. Dunning, obviously sensing weakness, capitalized on it and took the next two games in succession leading to a nail-biting final round which eventually ended 13-11 in Dunning’s favour.
With the score now level, Lancaster’s hopes were raised as the next game began poorly for York; with junior squash player Matt Lewis quickly going down by a game to nil against Lancaster’s Dave McGovern. However Lewis must have been given some truly inspiration advice in the following break as he returned to the courts a new man and turned a potentially embarrassing defeat into one of the games of his career, winning the next three sets 11-0, 11-1 and 11-3.
After the match Lewis remarked: “I’ve always said that there’s nothing like the raw emotion of squash for getting a man fired up. I may have needed a warm up game but I’ve accessed something primal in myself today. I feel like I could go home and rip the tusks off an elephant!”
Following the example set by the young Lewis, Matt Pollen, fresh from scoring a try for the rugby first team the night before, played with devastating confidence. Lancaster’s Ben Holden could barely get a grip on the match before Pollen and his trademark two-handed back-hand smash led him to a 3-0 victory which sealed the win for York.
Once again playing merely for pride, “Big Dog” Calum Fraser was the final York player to step up to the mark facing off against Lancastrian top seed Jez Boardman. Fraser’s clever defensive play clearly infuriated Boardman who found that any point winning run he managed to get on was soon stopped dead in its path. With the match finally finishing 3-0 to Fraser, York dominance was sealed and the match was won in style.
As he walked back to his team, arms held aloft in a victory pose reminiscent of the great Usain Bolt, Fraser succinctly summed the gravitas of the occasion: “We’ve done it boys,” he whispered, “we’ve done it!”