Seasons come, and seasons go and this EBA 1st XVI season for the Northern is one they may wish to swiftly move on from.
Things started positively enough with a 5-4 victory at home against the team who finished 4th in Queensberry but that result was followed up with a 7-2 loss away to Postal, a 5-4 loss at home to Hillside and 9-0 defeat at home to eventual champions Craigentinny. That disappointing form continued throughout weeks 5, 6 and 7 with the halfway point in the season coming after a 5-4 loss at home against Carrick Knowe.
The season’s mid-point offered a chance for rejuvenation and the first results back were relatively decent with a 6-3 loss away to Queensberry followed by a 7-2 win at home to Postal and a 5-4 win away at the always difficult Hillside. There was even a potentially valuable 2 points picked up away to Craigentinny but what followed was a home 5-4 loss to Sighthill and an 8-1 home loss against fellow relegation candidates Maitland, leaving the last game of season, away to Carrick Knowe, as bit of a dead rubber.
Reflecting on the results Darren Prentice said “The first half of the season’s what cost us, it was a real come down from last year when we won the Top 10 and got promoted”
Garry Harrison added “It’s very disappointing to be relegated. We need to be stronger at home and harder to beat away from home. It would also be nice to see some of our new younger players getting more consistent and making it into the 1sts. Practice. Practice. Practice”
Gordon Wilson Jr was a bit more to the point and commented “Shite season. Glad it’s over” but Gordon Wilson Snr was around to be a bit more diplomatic with their thoughts of “All and all a disappointing season. The only good was the form of one of the rinks and the emergence of a new skip in the form of Darren who I thought equipped himself excellently in his first season as skip. I think if a few of us more experienced players had been more consistent we would have been okay but onwards and upwards to next season and let’s get back to where we belong in the first division”
The changing of one season to the next, as in nature, brings a time for reflection and it is definitely disappointing to go from the highs of promotion and winning the top 10 to having a season like this but I’m sure that everyone knows what’s required to get the club back where it belongs. .Chin up lads! Stick in!
RESULTS
Week 1 – 3rd May 2023
Northern 5 – 4 Queensberry (60-51)
Week 2 – 10th May 2023
Postal 7 – 2 Northern (71-47)
Week 3 – 17th May 2023
Northern 4 – 5 Hillside (60-64)
Week 4 – 24th May 2023
Northern 0 – 9 Craigentinny (42-68)
Week 5 – 31st May 2023
Sighthill 7 – 2 Northern (70-40)
Week 6 – 7th June 2023
Maitland 7 – 2 Northern (74-58)
Week 7 – 14th June 2023
Northern 4 – 5 Carrick Knowe (53-55)
Week 8 – 21st June 2023
Queensberry 6 – 3 Northern (67-51)
Week 9 – 28th June 2023
Northern 7 – 2 Postal (61-55)
Week 10 – 5th July 2023
Hillside 4 – 5 Northern (68-70)
Week 11 – 12th July 2023
Craigentinny 7 – 2 Northern (71-44)
Week 12 – 19th July 2023
Northern 4 – 5 Sighthill (61-69)
Week 13 – 2nd August 2023
Northern 1 – 8 Maitland (56-74)
Week 14 – 9th August 2023
Carrick Knowe 6 – 3 Northern (?-?)
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