Late Rally Falls Short as Richmond Split Opening Double Header of 2026

Richmond Lacrosse Club opened 2026 with a mixed afternoon in a home double header in Twickenham, narrowly falling to Camden 3’s before recording an emphatic shutout victory over Buckhurst Hill.

Richmond vs Camden 3’s

Result: Richmond 6 – 7 Camden 3’s

Richmond began the first game of 2026 brightly, enjoying early possession and pressure. The breakthrough came when Owen Keeley drove from behind the goal to open the scoring and give the hosts a 1–0 lead.

Camden responded well, taking control at the face-off and finding rhythm in attack. Three quick goals swung momentum firmly in the visitors’ favour, and further pressure saw Camden extend their advantage to take a 4–1 lead into half time.

The second half followed a similar pattern initially, with three more Camden goals putting them firmly in control. Richmond, however, showed real resilience as their offence began to click. A second goal from Keeley sparked belief, before debutant Tim Sugrue struck to reduce the deficit. Further finishes from Rob Arnott and James Morrison brought Richmond back to within two at 7–5.

With two minutes remaining, Camden called a timeout, but Richmond struck immediately on the restart. Forcing a turnover and breaking quickly upfield, Sugrue found the corner for his second of the game to make it 7–6 and set up a dramatic finish.

Richmond regained possession from the ensuing face-off and used their final timeout with just five seconds on the clock to draw up one last play. Sugrue’s outside effort narrowly missed the left post, and the final whistle followed moments later, leaving Richmond agonisingly short after a spirited comeback. Credit to Camden 3’s for a composed and clinical performance.

Richmond vs Buckhurst Hill

Result: Richmond 14 – 0 Buckhurst Hill

Richmond carried improved rhythm and confidence into their second match against a youthful Buckhurst Hill side featuring several under-18 players.

Shayne Prior set the tone early with a strong drive from up top, and Richmond quickly asserted control. First-half goals followed from James Morrison, who struck twice, alongside contributions from Rob Arnott and Tim Sugrue, giving Richmond a commanding 5–0 lead at the break.

The second half saw Richmond maintain their intensity, adding a further nine goals as the team moved the ball well and shared scoring responsibility. At the other end, the defensive trio of Stephen Brown, Matt Blom and Alan Keeley deserve special praise for keeping Buckhurst Hill quiet throughout, helping secure a first clean sheet of the season for goalkeeper Barry Macleod-Cullinane.

In midfield, Conor Hafner delivered an expert box-to-box performance, linking defence and attack tirelessly and setting the tempo for much of the contest.

Overall, it was a positive start to 2026 for Richmond. While there was understandable disappointment at narrowly missing out against Camden 3’s, the response and dominant performance against Buckhurst Hill highlighted plenty of encouraging signs moving forward.

Goal Scorers

vs Camden 3’s

- Owen Keeley (2)

- Tim Sugrue (2)

- Rob Arnott (1)

- James Morrison (1)

vs Buckhurst Hill

- Rob Arnott (4)

- Shayne Prior (4)

- James Morrison (3)

- Alan Keeley (2)

- Tim Sugrue (1)

Richmond Squad

Barry Macleod-Cullinane; Alan Keeley, Stephen Brown, Matt Blom; Alex Dopson, Shayne Prior, Sergiu Teslovan, Trevor Bobowick, Conor Hafner, Tim Sugrue, Adam Gatley, Rich Laperle; Owen Keeley, James Morrison, Rob Arnott.