‘Top Three’ place within reach with win at Lenzie

There was double joy for the Dundee sides in their away day to Lenzie last Saturday in their National League 1 games.  The men played first against the team above them in the league, competing for the third place in the top of the table play-offs.  Both sides traded points in the first set with all players in the Dundee side scoring points.  Mike Coward made the first big impact with his service allowing Rad Marinov and Boris Prodanov to score with big hits.  The 14/10 lead was soon 19/12 as the two Bulgarians continued to add points for the visitors. Barry Millar and Colin Mcevoy combined to score a net block to secure a 22/16 lead.  Lenzie struck back with a score block of their own off Lewis Crockart and a serve, before Coward hit back for Dundee.  Lenzie hit back again and rattled up a run of four points to close the gap to tie the scores at 23/23.  Lewis Crockart hit from the left side to secure set point and pressure caused the home side to hit out, giving Dundee the set 25/23.  The second set followed a similar pattern with the scores close throughout the set, the home side leading 21/19.  Mistakes from Marinov and then Coward handed Lenzie a tantalising lead of 24/19.  Needing only one point from a side out to secure the set, it looked ominous for Dundee.  Prodanov then stepped up with a block and hit to help level the scores at 24/24. Both sides then scored points with Dundee’s scorer, Prodanov, who then manufactured set point for Dundee and a hitting error from Lenzie gave the set to Dundee 28/26.

The home side were devastated and their spirit was broken.  Using several changes to their line-up, Dundee raced to a 16/7 lead, with Craig Goldthorpe and Dave Bonnar both scoring several points.   There was a brief spell when the confidence of the home side grew as they closed the score to 15/21 but Mcevoy and Coward secured points to win the set 25/19.  This win brings Dundee to within one point of Lenzie, with one more game to settle the play-off places.