Opponents: Speedwell
Competition: National KO Cup - Quarter Final
Date: Saturday 22nd February 2003
Venue: Bacon's College, Rotherhithe
Result: 3-0 Win (25-16, 25-21, 25-16)
Headline: Docklands Ease Into Semi-Final
Author: Douglas Barr-Hamilton

London Docklands eased into the semi-final of the National KO Cup with a comprehensive victory over the visitors Speedwell from Bristol.

Speedwell actually started quite brightly, left-hander Steve Williams powering them to take the two opening points and later appearing as effectively on the opposite flank to remind the title challengers that they were not a pushover. After a string of near unplayable serves from Docklands' captain Albrecht Glitz, Artur Kwiecinski setting for the home team created a groove for Ned Groy who was playing as well as he must do in his dreams. Despite some good blocking, notably by Tony Pincott, Henk Muller and Steve Williams, he with Glitz and Jesse Kaptein eased his team through the first set with a display of authoritative hitting.

Set two started much closer with Danny Weemes playing his usual power game for Docklands and Billy Fairclough, Speedwell's captain, producing some intelligent shots for his side. At 4:4, Glitz scored hitting off the block to unleash a string of winners from Weemes and Groy which, aided by some good serving, created a six-point lead at 11:5 to force coach Ivor Paul to call a time out. That stopped the rot and Speedwell slowly reduced the deficit. Setter Matthew Pierce struck a second ball, Patrick Kehoe and Fairclough and later Fairclough and Henk Muller blocked well; Roman Benedek's attacks added to the pressure. But with Weemes continuing to demonstrate how to use his height and power and Groy picking up everything loose around the court while proving effective in attack, the Londoners held on taking the set when Glitz buried one down the line.

Speedwell scrambled back the first serve of the third set back to offer Docklands a gift of the first point, Fairclough hit his attack wide to make it two; the favourites were on their way. Fairclough closed the gap to 4:2 but Nick Sampson served into the net to allow Glitz to rotate to serve and he produced a series of thunderbolts which took the score to 10:2 when he hit one centimetres long. From there on the scoring was fairly even although Docklands never looked threatened. While Williams and Fairclough continued to produce winners and Benedek strove in the block, the impact of Weemes, Glitz and Groy always looked superior. There was one excellent rally at 11:4 which eventually went the visitors' way and something of an anti-climax at 21:13 when Glitz's turn to serve came again - and he struck it wide. Finally, with Speedwell hitting them with everything, the blocks of Mike Lams, Weemes, Groy and Nathan Lang held firm and it seemed fitting that a thunderous diagonal smash from Groy converted the first match point to set-up a semi-final clash with Sheffield in two weeks time.

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