Sedgefield Water Polo Club sent a men’s team to the Northern League Tournament at Maltby, Rotherham earlier this month and the team returned home with the silver medal after a narrow 10-8 loss in the final.
The tournament consisted of five teams from across the region, including York, Barnsley, Morley, Rotherham and ourselves.
The Sedgefield team ranged in age from 14 years up to 24 years old, with players using this as a developmental opportunity.
The first game, against York started tighter than anticipated with a 3-3 scoreline at half time.
But after a motivational team talk, the lads dominated the second half to eventually record a 9-4 score.
Next up were Barnsley, who had beaten Sedgefield, but on this occasion they were no match for a side riding high in confidence and after leading 6-1 at half time, an equally dominant second half led to a an 11-3 win.
The third game, against Morley, was a much closer affair, but Sedgefield’s grit and determination helped them to record an impressive 9-7 win.
The final game of the day was against hosts Rotherham, who had also won all three of their games.
It proved the toughest challenge of the day for the young squad.
All players showed great team spirit, battling right through to the final whistle, albeit to a narrow 10-8 loss.
However, it proved an excellent day and the side earned a well-deserved silver medal.
A special mention goes out to the younger members of the team – Aston (14), Kyle (15) and Gregor (16) who played well and didn’t look out of place in a men’s event.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
