Solitary side of shooters sustains unbeaten record
AT THE start of the fourth week of matches in the Hinckley Air Rifle League there were three teams with 100% records - Bedworth, Taylor & Ayre, and Ashby Road.
By the end of the night that number had reduced by one.
Of those three it was Bedworth Ex Serviceman’s Club that had the hardest task as they were visited by the Sporting Lions. The Lions’ first half put in their usual strong performance with Glen Dainter’s opening 29 preceding a Melanie Jenkins 27, Karl Bunting’s 30, Jeanette Mulkeirins’ 28, and Lee Johnson’s 29. Normally the reply from Bedworth would have been equally strong but for some reason they struggled on this occasion so that with James Bend’s 29, and the 27s of Mick Cryer and Jackie Bend being the best on offer, the half-time break was reached with the visitors well to the good. The Lions’ second half was a little disappointing with Mollie Harris’ 27 being the solitary score of note but the resulting 195 was sufficient for the visitors to take the points as Bedworth, short of one their shooters due to illness, finished two adrift despite the 30s of Andrew Cryer and Bill Bend.
Taylor & Ayre had a seemingly easier task with the visit of the lowly placed Smallshaws but this could easily have been a banana skin match as the home team were short with just eight shooters.
However T&A easily overcame this deficiency with an outstanding 200 total made up of the 30s of Giles Headley and Darren Hicks, the 29s of Alyson Steele and Alison Smith, the 28s of Paul Griffin and Phil Steele, and Norman Hall’s 26.
The response from their guests was much less assured as they struggled to a disappointing 183 despite Rob Wainwright’s 26 and the 28s of Tom Williams, Jackie West and Bob West.
Ashby Road maintained their own record thanks to a victory over the visiting Trojans. Shooting first the home side started slowly with a first half that included a solitary Lorraine White 29 whereas the Trojans responded with 29s from Phil Hood and Leigh Hall. However after the break the positions were reversed; Ashby Road finishing with 190 thanks to a Seamus Moore 29 and Pete Finney’s 30 while Rob Forman’s 27 and Chris Sills’ 28 left Trojans two short on 188.
The match between Hinckley Phoenix and Ashby Road B couldn’t have been closer with both teams finishing on 191.
The Ashby Road total was made up of Jeff Goodyer’s closing 30, Neil Price’s opening 29, John Storer’s 28, and four 26s, while the Phoenix version came courtesy of Roxy Ratheram’s 29, the 28s of Barry Wright and Ian Ratheram, the 27s of Karen Bown and Geoff Herbert, and a couple of 26s.
The Hounds went into their match against the visiting New Plough with increased confidence thanks to new shooters taking their roster up to 10.
The Ploughmen started slowly with Paul Barwell’s 26 being the best individual score from their first eight shooters.
Their final three all did much better as Nigel Hill’s 28 and the 29s of John Bray and Tom Bray but the resulting 185 wasn’t quite enough as the strengthened Hounds team managed a 187 total thanks to Paul Huddlestone’s 29, the 27s of Richard Allen and Andy Smith, and the 26s of Andrew Mitchell, Brian Allen, Roy Pritchard and Richard Green.