Bollington bounce back to beat Park
THE second full set of winter fixtures in the men’s North West Counties League brought mixed results for our local teams collectively – much as the first had done a week previously.
On an individual basis, however, a number of the sides experienced a direct reversal of fortune from seven days earlier - including both of those competing in Division Two East.
Bollington’s First Team shook off the disappointment of an opening-night defeat by travelling to Grove Park and edging the contest against GP’s ‘Seconds’ by the odd match in five.
Victories for Bolly’s top three players - son and father Christian and Chris Ogden, as well as Brig Simpson - saw the visitors home and into early midtable territory.
They currently rub shoulders there with Prestbury’s ‘Firsts’, who followed up their initial victory with a 5-0 defeat at Willaston against Crewe Vagrants 1. The Crewe club is already proving a less-than-happy hunting ground for Prestbury, whose Second Team, in Division Three South East, had made the same trip and lost on the previous Thursday.
Happily, Prestbury’s ‘Seconds’ were another side to get off the mark in the latest round - edging out Knutsford Sports 1 at home by three matches to two.
Mike Brauckmann and Rick Bower both achieved 3-1 wins, while Paul Bartle, at fifth string, was awarded a walkover.
Staying in the Third Division, Macclesfield Squash 1 lost for the second time - but will take heart from having pushed Grove Park 4 all the way, before succumbing to a narrow 3-2 reverse at the Leisure Centre. James Douglas and Ollie Critchley secured the pair of victories for Macc.
In Division Four South, Prestbury’s Third Team was without a fixture.
But, across in Bollington, the ‘Bolly Seconds’ made it two wins out of two with a thumping 5-0 defeat of Grove Park 6.
And it was a similarly emphatic story in the Fifth Division for Prestbury’s ‘Fourths’, who maintained their 100 per cent record after winning by the same score at Grove Park 8.
Elsewhere around Division Five South, a local derby at Prestbury between the home club’s ‘Fifths’ and Bollington’s Third Team - neither of whom had won in the first week - saw the latter enjoy bragging rights with a 4-1 victory.
Teenagers Martin Ogden (18) and James Walton (15) were among the successful visiting players, while 18-year-old Matt English played his best squash to claim a pulsating five-game match at first string for the hosts.
The pattern of fortune reversal was also reflected in the results of Prestbury 6, whose win on the previous Thursday was followed by a 5-0 defeat at Disley 2, and Macclesfield Leisure 2, who were awarded their match - and inaugural victory - after Grove Park 9 failed to raise a team.