Prestbury’s victory brings welcome relief
VICTORIES were again in short supply for men’s teams from our three local squash clubs last Thursday - with only two of the 13 registering North West Counties League triumphs.
Approaching the halfway stage of the season, most of the sides were in need of a win to boost prospects at one end of their respective tables or another. And this was certainly true of Prestbury’s eighth-placed ‘Firsts’, who secured a much-needed victory away to basement side Brooklands 2 that consolidated their position in Division Two East following a run of three successive 3-2 defeats. Cousins Paul and Brian Lomas, together with Adam Colebatch and Chris Dunkerley, all triumphed to get their team back to winning ways for the first time since October.
Divisional companions Bollington 1 faced top-two opponents for the second week running - and, having lost 4-1 against Hyde 1 the previous Thursday, went down by the same score at home to Bowdon 2. Brigg Simpson repeated his feat from the Hyde match by securing a consolation win for the ‘Bolly Firsts’, who remain in ninth and are eight points above the drop-zone.
In Division Three South-East, Bollington 2, who lost 5-0 at Alderley Edge 3, and Prestbury 2, who, in spite of a victory for Graeme English, went down 4-1 at home to leaders Knutsford Sports 1, swapped relegationplaces with each other. The ‘Bolly Seconds’ now lie 10th and Prestbury - without a win since late September - in 11th, albeit, respectively, only three and four points adrift of safety.
Three of our four Fourth Division South representatives lost 4-1 - although the team bucking this trend did so negatively, alas, as bottom-placed Prestbury 4 suffered a 5-0 defeat at Club AZ against former Bollin Grove tenants, and promotion challengers, Radbroke Hall 1.
Elsewhere, in the division, Prestbury 3 dropped a position to fifth - with captain Rob Thorneycroft’s straightgames win at first string proving the only bright spot of a tough evening at home to table-toppers Crewe Vagrants 4. Ninth-placed Macclesfield 1, not for the first time this season, had leading player James Douglas to thank for a sole success at the town’s leisure centre - on this occasion, against Buxton 1. And Eugene Mole was the lone winner for Bollington 3, in 10th, as the ‘Bolly Thirds’ hosted, but succumbed to, Alsager 2 following two consecutive victories.
Prestbury’s ‘Fifths’ lost their lead at the top of Division Five South, after losing 4-1 at in-form Alderley Edge 7. Junior player Greg Ralley (16) won in straight games, but the remainder of his side, despite some closely-fought matches, could not follow his lead - and the Fifth Team now sits two points behind new leaders, Alderley Edge’s ‘Sixths’!
A local victory was guaranteed from the local ‘derby’ that saw Prestbury 6 receive Macclesfield 2 - and, as things turned out, the bragging rights went comfortably to Macc. Russell Stagg, David Birtwistle, Bader Khan, Simon Fisher and Jon Stoker all won in straight games to ensure a 5-0 rout, and move their team up a place to eighth - while the Prestbury hosts fell one to seventh.
Bollington 4, who are down two positions to 10th, and 14th-placed Prestbury 7 both suffered 5-0 defeats away to teams in the top half of the table: at Knutsford Sports 3 and Radbroke Hall 2, respectively.
Three days earlier, in the Cheshire Ladies’ League, Prestbury’s First Team was edged out by the odd match in five at home to City Of Manchester 2. Fran Taylor and Sarah Lonsdale secured victories on the night for the ‘Firsts’, who nevertheless remain bottom of Division Two with only one win to their name this term.
In Division Three (b), Bollington look set to progress to the next level after preserving a 100 per-cent record that keeps the team in pole position and 15 points clear at the top. Annika Hall, Debbie Kent, June White, Jennifer Robinson and Charlotte Dewar all achieved straight-games wins in the course of a 5-0 thrashing of The Northern 3 in West Didsbury.