Trojans set out their stall for season’s honours with shooting performance
FOR the ten teams of the Hinckley Air Rifle League the second round of matches in the new season presented them with the opportunity to consolidate on their previous victory or to make up for their loss.
Only two teams followed the consolidation route while three won for the first time.
The Trojans staked a very early claim to honours this season as they to the top of the table thanks to a fiveshot victory at the home of Hinckley Phoenix.
The two first halves were reasonably well matched, the visitors counting Phil Hood’s 30, Darren Houghton’s 29 plus a couple of 26s against, for Phoenix, Roxy Ratheram’s 29, Stu Allen’s 28 and the 27s of Samantha Haskins and Karen Bown.
However, while the Trojans raised their game after the break, 30s from Leigh Hall and Chris Sills plus a Mark Smith 27 taking their team score to 198, it was more of the same from the home side who added a Michael Robinson 28, and 27s from Luke Bown and Ian Ratheram, to take them to 193.
Paul Barwell gave the travelling New Plough team a good start to their match at Bedworth Ex Servicemen’s Club with a 27 but Jake Brotherhood’s 28 was the only other score of note in their first half, leaving them slightly adrift at the half way mark as Bedworth responded with a Robert Wagstaff 27 and the 28s of Mick Cryer, Andrew Cryer, and Jackie Bend.
The visitors did reasonably well in their second half with a Tom Bray 27 and Nigel Hill’s 28 but the resulting 183 total never looked to be competitive, even shooting as they were against a Bedworth team with the bare minimum of shooter, and so it proved as Bill Bend’s 30 took his team’s total to 191.
It would be fair to say the Sporting Lions were always going to face an uphill struggle during their visit to the Hounds with some key team members missing due to holidays.
The home side won the toss and elected to shoot first but the only score of note in an otherwise average first half was Roy Pritchard’s 28, whereas the Lions reply started with an excellent Glen Dainter 29 and this was followed by Todd Astill’s 30 and Jeanette Mulkeirins’ 28.
The Hounds took their final tally to a creditable 190 with Andy Smith adding a 28 and Paul Huddlestone closing for the home side with a 30.
This left the Lions with just four shots to play with if they were to win but sadly their remaining two shooters couldn’t deliver on this occasion and they finished five short on 185.
Had the match between Taylor & Ayre (T&A) and the visiting Ashby Road ended with the first half then the latter team would have been the happier for whilst T&A had to make do with the 27s of Steve Vincent and Phil Steele, Ashby Road replied with a 28 from Richard White and the 27s of Innes Droomer, Seamus Moore, Lorraine White and David White.
Fortunately for the home side they improved massively after the break with Darren Hicks’ 30 top scoring ahead of Alyson Steele’s 29 and the 27s of Alison Smith, Matt Hall and Norman Hall.
These combined to give T&A a total of 194, comfortably beating Ashby Road who finished on 190 after a second half where Pete Finney’s 29 was the sole highlight.
Ashby Road ‘B’ scored considerably less than their namesakes but still managed to beat a below-par Smallshaws team.
Ashby Road shot first but couldn’t really take advantage of their home advantage as they finished on a 181 total that included Kim Baker’s 27, Jon Storer’s 28, and Mike Sansome’s 29. However this proved to be enough as their guests struggled to a 177 total where the highest individual contributions were a trio of 26s.