In Malta with the Senior Men’s Programme for the European Championship Qualification Tournament.

This was the first serious competition for the Senior Men’s Team in the period after seeing the whole of the starting six of the Scottish national team either retire, or move on to the GB programme.  The tour party therefore had three players getting their first caps and four players on their first ever tour.  We were an inexperienced, and enthusiastic group.

The travel schedule had to be made on Wednesday 4th June because of the timings of the flights.  There were the expected delays and difficulties with BA and Terminal 5 and we arrived at the hotel in Malta at 02.10 on Thursday morning the 5th of June – a long day.

Practice on Thursday was good, the players were busy and focussed and we played event favourites in match 1 on Friday 6th June.  We played an excellent first set, dipped 21 – 25, but were in good shape.  We played an untidy second set where we lost some of the team shape and cohesion.  Introducing Colin Giles into the game as setter, for his first ever on court international experience helped, and we finished the set more strongly.  Third set was better, the outside hitters were more successful, and while we lost the set and the match there was clear evidence of the performance standard we are capable off.  Stuart Edgar and Brian O’Neil in particular had played well.

Match 2 was against Iceland.  We started untidily and lost the first set to 22.  The team regrouped and won the second 26 – 24, then the third 25 – 23.  there were some great performances in the team, Todd, Macnab, Edgar all played well, and scored consistently.  Kevin Chisolm added some service weight and a crucial kill block, while Ali Galloway hit a purple patch with his hitting in set three and for a spell  was unstoppable.

Fourth set we were in front and the momentum in the game was with us.  I was convinced we would win the match at that point, but a couple of loose plays later it was neck and neck.  Then they found a positive ‘out’ with their Polish right side hitter, our block did not adjust, they stole a lead they held onto, and the set went to 22.  Fifth set is a sprint, they took an early lead and held it, and finished the match leaping about in celebration.

I had some issues with the consistency of the refereeing, but Iceland were stronger in that fifth set than we were.  It was hard to lift the players after this one as they had put almost everything they had into the match, but we still had game 3 against Malta.

Practice Sunday morning was a mixed affair.  The players who had played the majority of the five set match the night before in the 28 degree heat were put through a stretch and recovery session with Alan Krawczyk the team physiotherapist.  The players who had stood in the corner for the match, but roared encouragement throughout, were put through a side out session.  It was busy and focussed and spoke of positive attitude from all concerned.

The match against the hosts Malta started at 18.00 and I knew by 18.05 we would win.  We were super.  We won three sets to zero 25 – 17, 25 – 20, 25 –15.  Edgar in his 90th match for the National Team was outstanding.  Galloway and Glissov gave a clinic on the tactics of outside hitting. Both Todd and Giles played well in the setter’s position, O’Neil’s service was a constant disrupter for the Maltese passers, all twelve members of the Scottish squad featured and contributed to what was a simply outstanding performance.  Malta had taken a set from both the Icelanders and the Cypriots, but could not cope with the Scottish Team’s power or speed.

In the changing room after the game there were tired players and mixed feelings.  Clear pleasure for both the performance and the win, but also a measure of frustration that we had not demonstrated our true game in the first two matches.  The conclusion was that there had been a ‘hesitation’ in our play in the first two matches, and an absence of that hesitation in the third.  There was still all the various pressures associated with an International Match in the game against Malta, but we had simply pushed past that pressure and excelled.  The reality that we are capable of such a rich performance, but did not demonstrate that at the right time, is hard to understand, hard to take, hard to accept, but the reality is that the National Team Programme is charged with the responsibility to look forward, while learning the lessons of the past,  and we will simply have to do that.

My thanks to the players for their commitment and their endless energy.  My thanks to the staff for their support, to Andy Thomson in his first trip as Team  Manager, to Alan Krawczyk who successfully made the transition from NT player, to NT Physiotherapist, to Brian McDougall an excellent Intentional Referee, and finally to John Scrimgeour for everything he does.

Thomas Dowens
Head Coach
Senior men’s NTP
Monday June 9th 2008