Ashby Road looking stronger despite defeat
THE Hinckley Air Rifle League’s 2018-2019 season started really well for Ashby Road with two easy victories. However, these were followed by three successive close fought losses, leaving them making the journey to the New Plough Inn eager to return to winning ways.
The home team’s own start had been even worse leaving them, prior to this match, with an uninterrupted string of L’s in their results column so they entered the match hoping to finally register some sort of positive result. Those hopes began to look unlikely to be realised as the visitors’ first half proceeded, Alison Finney’s opening 27 being followed by Richard White’s 28, Innes Droomer’s 27, and Seamus Moore’s 29. The response from the New Plough revived their hopes of a win with John Bray’s 30 and brother Tom’s 28 together with the 26s of Daniel Lakin and Darren Statham, leaving them slightly behind at the half way stage. However those hopes were all but dashed by Ashby Road’s second half with a trio of 29s from Lorraine White, David White and Pete Finney taking them to an excellent 198 total. A 26 from Steve Reynolds and Nigel Hill’s 29 helped the Plough to a respectable score of 190 which is the sort of total that will surely give them victory in the near future.
The Hounds achieved their second win of the season with a surprisingly large margin of victory over their Hinckley Phoenix hosts. The home side shot first but struggled throughout with Karen Bown’s 27 being their best individual performance and 26s from Samantha Haskins, Luke Bown, Kurt Challifour, Colin Rusted and Ian Ratheram helping them to just 182, their lowest total thus far. The Hounds did much better overall and whilst they also scored a number of 26s, courtesy by Lee Foskitt, Leanne Simpson and Richard Greene, they could also count a Brian Allen 27; the 28s of Roy Pritchard, Callum Garner and Richard Allen; and Paul Huddlestone’s 30 all of which combined to give them 193.
Taylor & Ayre played host to the league leaders this week, but squandered their home advantage. Electing to shoot first, the highlight of T&A’s first half was Giles Headley’s 28, with Aly Steele’s 26 and Glenn Foxon’s 24 also counting. The visitors fared much better with Lee Johnson and Todd Astill each hit a 28, Karl Bunting and Glen Dainter missing the bull just once to score 29 and Jeanette Mulkeirins getting a maximum 30. After the food break Paul Griffin and Alison Smith managed 26s for the home side; Phil Steele scored an excellent 29; and Darren Hicks closed with a 30. For the Lions Melanie Jenkins scored another 29 and Mollie Harris’ 23 was enough to give the Lions a seven shot advantage, the match finishing at 196 to 189.
The Trojans experienced little difficulty in beating the travelling Smallshaws, eventually winning by thirteen shots. The visitors started slowly with four successive 25 and whilst they improved slightly after this thanks to Simon Grewcock’s 26, Jackie West’s 27, and Bob West’s 28 the resulting 181 never looked likely to be enough. And so it proved as the Trojans put together a 194 reply that included the 26s of Mark Smith and Will Chambers, Chris Sills’ 28, and the 30s of Phil Hood and Leigh Hall.
The closest match of the night came as a result of the visit of Bedworth Ex Servicemen’s Club to the home of Ashby Road ‘B’. The visitors shot first and did reasonably well to set a target of 194, thanks to the 27s of Mick Cryer and Jackie Bend; Bill Bend’s 28; the 29s of Andrew Cryer and Klaus Baker; and James Bend’s 30. The Ashby Road reply started well enough as Craig Shuttleworth’s 27; the 28s of Neil Price and Kim Baker; and Jon Storer’s 30, put the second half in with a very real chance of winning. However a Mike Sansome 27 together with the 26s of Martyn Wood, Alf Shore and Jeff Goodyer left them just short on 192.