Shooting: Hinckley on target in hard-fought Triple Town Trophy victory
EVERY year the three local air rifle leagues – Bedworth, Hinckley and Nuneaton – take a week out of their regular league schedules to compete for the Triple Town Trophy.
Contested over three successive shooting nights, this season the honour of hosting the first leg went to Nuneaton so Monday night saw the best shooters from the three leagues convene at the Coton Conservative Club to try to gain a strong start to the cumulatively-scored competition.
The home team’s performance was solid rather than spectacular with a steady drip of missed shots eating away at what could have been a spectacular score.
Five of their number – Neil Price, Jon Storer, Karen Bown, Lee Johnson and Darren Hicks – all missed a shot apiece while the other three counting shooters – Taryn Cockerill, Melanie Jenkins and Phil Steele – added the 28s that took their team total to 229.
Bedworth weren’t quite as consistent but their high scores were better leading them to finish one ahead of their hosts with a 230 total.
That included the 30s of Andrew Cryer, Todd Astill and Bill Bend; the 29s of Bob West and James Bend; Tom Williams’ 28; and the 27s of Jackie Bend and Jeff Goodyer.
However both these efforts were comprehensively overshadowed by a Hinckley team that were both consistent and high scoring with 30s from Giles Headley, Pete Finney, Paul Huddlestone and Karl Bunting; and 29s from Glen Dainter, John Bray, Mark Smith and Chris Sills helping them to an outstanding 236 out of a possible 240.
If the first night belonged to Hinckley then Tuesday night at the Bedworth Ex Servicemen’s Club emphatically belonged to host side.
Mick Cryer’s 29 gave them a fine start and the subsequent shooters mostly matched or bettered this level.
Jackie Bend and Bob West scored 28s apiece.
There were additional 29s from Andrew Cryer, Tom Williams and Jeff Goodyer.
Todd Astill, James Bend and Bill Bend all added 30s to take their night’s total to 234 and their cumulative score to 464.
Hinckley’s performance on the night was much less assured as they finished with ten fewer than the night before.
Their 226 made up of an unusually poor 26 from Paul Huddlestone; the 27s of Glen Dainter and John Bray; Mark Smith’s 28; the 29s of Alison Smith and Pete Finney; and the 30s of Rob Forman and Chris Sills.
This dropped them to second place in the overall standings with a total over the two nights of 462 but, poor as this was, it was still good enough to keep them well ahead of Nuneaton who’s 223 on the night came courtesy of the 29s of Lee Johnson and Jeanette Mulkeirins.
The 28s of Mike Sansome, Melanie Jenkins, Phil Steele and Darren Hicks; Jon Storer’s 27; and Neil Price’s 26. This left them well behind in the overall standings with just 452.
For the final Thursday night at Hinckley’s Ashby Road Sports Club the rules changed slightly with a clean bull being awarded a 5.1 and, with no real chance of overhauling the other two teams, Nuneaton took advantage of this to record their highest nightly score of the competition.
Lee Johnson’s 30.1 was their best individual score; there were 29.3s from Jon Storer and Melanie Jenkins; Jeanette Mulkeirins and Darren Hicks added 29.2 and 29.1 respectively; Neil Price and Karen Bown contributes 28.3 and 28.1; and there were 27s from Taryn Cockerill (27.1), Phil Steele (27.1), and Mike Sansome (27).
While Nuneaton’s overall total of 682.5 wasn’t enough to lift them out of third place overall the night’s 230.5 was at least enough to give them second place on the night with Bedworth finishing on 230.2.
Bill Bend’s matchless 30.6 was the outstanding score of the night; Andrew Cryer’s 30.5 was very nearly as good; James Bend added his 30.2; there were 28s from Mick Cryer (28.2), Todd Astill (28.4), and Tom Williams (28.1); and 27s from Jackie Bend (27) and Jeff Goodyer (27.1).
This gave Bedworth a cumulative total of 694.2 and left Hinckley requiring 232.3 or more to win.
An opening 30.2 from Glen Dainter did no harm to Hinckley’s chances and neither did Paul Huddlestone’s following 29.3.
But the subsequent pair of 27.2s from Andrew Mitchell and Karl Bunting were a little less than hoped for.
John Bray and Rob Forman did slightly better with 28.3 and 29.3 respectively but the pace dropped again thanks to Seamus Moore’s 27.2 and Richard White’s 28.2.
A 30.3 from Pete Finney put the host side back on track and although Mark Smith could only manage 28.2 the 29.5 of Alison Smith and Chris Sills’ closing 30.3 were enough to take Hinckley’s score on the night to 234.4 and give them overall victory with a cumulative score of 696.4.