Lions pick up another trophy in a successful year
THE Sporting Lions added another trophy to an already successful season as a home victory against the Trojans confirmed their position at the top of the Gordon Smith Cup table.
The Lions’ first half shooters were as imposing as always, Glen Dainter’s opening 28.3 being followed by Todd Astill’s 28.4, Karl Bunting’s 30.1, Jeanette Mulkeirins’ 28, and Lee Johnson’s 28.3.
And while the Trojans reply had its highlights, notably Darren Houghton’s 27.2 and Phil Hood’s 29.3, the result never really looked to be in doubt.
The home side’s second half was less consistently impressive but a 28.2 from Melanie Jenkins and Jim Lowe’s 27.1 were enough to take them to 198.4, a total which proved much too much for the visitors who, despite Leigh Hall’s 27.2, the 27.3s of Rob Forman and Mark Smith, and Chris Sills’ 28.2, finished well adrift on 192.6.
As with so many other competitions this season the runner-up spot went to Bedworth Ex Servicemen’s Club thanks to a close win over the visiting Ashby Road ‘B’ team.
Mick Cryer led the way for Bedworth with 28.3; there were 28.2s from Andrew Cryer and Jackie Bend; and James Bend closed a strong first half with his 29.4. Ashby Road’s first half reply was less assured with the best individual efforts being Kim Baker’s 27.1 and Jon Storer’s 28.4 but these were enough to keep them in touch, particularly after a Bedworth second half that had Bill Bend’s 29.3 as the only score of note (although it is worth mentioning that Bob Wagstaff did shoot despite his current health problems).
The resulting 192.6 was quite low by Bedworth’s normal high standards but it proved to be just enough as Ashby Road ‘B’ replied with a second half made up of Mike Sansome’s 27.2, and the 28.2s of Alf Shore and Jeff Goodyer, all of which took them to 191.4
For a second successive week Ashby Road were involved in a Paynes Cup match where the winning margin was just 0.1, on this occasion against the travelling Smallshaws.
Unsurprisingly given the closeness of the result the two teams were well matched in the first half with the 27s of Smallshaws shooters Bobby Wainwright and Rob Wainwright being met by David White’s 27.2 and Innes Droomer’s 27.1.
Smallshaws improved a little in the second half with Tom Williams’ 28.1 and Bob West’s 29.3 helping them to 187.7 and this looked as if it might be enough when, after Seamus Moore’s 27.2 and Pete Finney’s 27.1 left their final shooter needing a 27 to win, that shooter missed his first three shots.
Fortunately for the home side, Chris Rose held his nerve to ring the bell with his next three shots to score the 27 that took their total to 187.8.
The match between the Hounds and their guests from the New Plough Inn wasn’t quite as close but the result was still in doubt right up to the last shooter.
The home side had a decent first half that included Roy Pritchard’s 27.1 and Andy Smith’s 27.2 whereas the best the visitors had to offer was a 25.1.
However the story changed after the break.
Paul Huddlestone gave the Hounds his utmost with an excellent 29.5 but this wasn’t enough to compensate for a numerically depleted team that forced them to count lower scores that they would have preferred to discard and so they finished on a slightly disappointing 183.0.
The second half response from the Plough started in a low gear but a closing sequence of 28.1/29.3/28.2 from Tom Bray, John Bray and Nigel Hill was enough to give them a reasonably comfortable win with a total of 186.8.