Supercup 2018
Four sides finish within a point of each other as section countback decides it
Report from Gold semi
ANGLING TIMES/BAIT-TECH SUPERCUP SOUTHERN SEMI (SAT) Gold Valley Lakes, Middle, Gold & Bat Lakes (10 teams)
THERE have been some close finishes to Supercup semi-finals in its 18-year history – and none more so than this Southern clash in the heat of Gold Valley.
The top four sides all finished within a point of one other and the final qualifying spot needed section countback to decide who went through.
Sussex/Surrey side Carp Shop emerged victorious on 24 points, one in front of Gloucestershire outfit South Cerney AC Gold. They, in turn, were one in front of Dorset side Whitemoor Lakes, a further point separating them from Essex lads Bill’s Tackle.
Fifth place was battled out between Kent teams Team Martin and Team Cottington – the Martin family getting the nod there by virtue of two section wins.
Winners Carp Shop returned a good set of scores, taking a section win from Steve Turner, a second from Lee Perry and a third from Michael Head to sit alongside six points from Dan Knight, seven from Mark Parrett and five from Tony Lane on Bat Lake. It was still mightily close at the finish, though, and the 30-point target Carp Shop set themselves would only just have squeaked in!
“After drawing we had a good chat and felt that a minimum of fifth in each section would get us through with 30 points, but that turned out to be only just enough,” skipper Tony Lane said.
“Needless to say we were happy to finish on 24 points and win it. We never expected that when we got back to the clubhouse and started tallying our points up!”
In the baking heat, shallow fishing was always going to play a part. The Carp Shop lads had fished a couple of practice matches and been given tuition from Daiwa Dorking venue expert Paul Hiller to put them right on a few things. Practice, as they say, made perfect.
“The plan was to fish paste on the Middle Lake for the F1s, starting short at 4m and working
out to 13m as the day went on.
“On Bat, the big carp would play more of a part than the F1s but I was on there and got seen off several times, so perhaps I should have caught a bit more!” Tony explained.
“Gold Lake was always going to be a bit of everything, from pellet waggler, to mugging and bomb and pellet and margins.
“The only thing we ruled out on this lake was skimmers. Very few were being caught in the run-up to the match.” Team result (top five qualify for the final): 1 Carp Shop, 24pts; 2 South Cerney AC Gold, 25; 3 Whitemoor Lakes, 26; 4 Bill’s Tackle, 27; 5 Team Martin, 31 (section wins); 6 Team Cottington, 31; 7 JL Tackle, 32; 8 Queen’s Works Matchmen, 39; 9 HAPS A, 44; 10 Bath Spartans Yellow, 51.