Prestbury win reduces fear of basement fight

LAST Thursday saw the final full set of preChristmas fixtures completed in the men’s North West Counties League - with a roughly balanced contrast in fortunes for the 13 teams from our local clubs.

In Division Two East, Prestbury’s First Team signed off for the festive break by recording a second successive victory - on this occasion, at home to Congleton. Two returning players - namely, Mike Lomas and Rob Alcock - chalked up wins, which, when added to those by Adam Colebatch and Brian Lomas, saw the ‘Firsts’ prevail 4-1.

While Prestbury 1’s position in the table now looks to be well consolidated, with a 39-point cushion separating the team’s eighth place and the relegation zone, Bollington’s ‘Firsts’, one position below, are still looking a little more nervously over their combined shoulder. Christian Ogden was their only winner in the course of a 4-1 defeat at Brooklands 1, although three individual 3-2 reverses on the night did help to ease them from nine to 14 points clear of the drop.

There was much seasonal rejoicing in Division Three SouthEast’s danger area, as Bollington 2 and Prestbury 2 - lying 10th and 11th, respectively - both won 4-1 to close the gap on safety.

The ‘Bolly Seconds’ saw off basement side Grove Park 4 at the village’s leisure centre, thanks to straightgames victories by Stuart Arnold, Stuart Melia, Olli Stewart and junior James Walton (16).

And Prestbury’s Second Team registered a first triumph since late September, as Chris Dunkerley, Rick Bower, Mike Brauckmann and 15-year-old Jonny Murray all prevailed away at fellow strugglers Alderley Edge 4.

Prestbury 3, in the Fourth Division South, got quickly back to winning ways - and in impressive style, too.

Having hosted, and lost to, leaders Crewe Vagrants 4 seven days earlier, the ‘Thirds’, like Prestbury’s Second Team, travelled over ‘The Edge’ and were victorious - in their case, against Alderley’s second-placed ‘Fifths’. Rob Thorneycroft, Graeme English and Andrew Worsley saw them edge proceedings by the odd match in five to cement further their fifth position.

Division Four South companions, occupying the inclusive positions between ninth and 11th, fared rather less well. Macclesfield 1 (ninth) suffered a third consecutive 4-1 defeat - with the unbeaten James Douglas once again earning a consolation victory at Crewe Vagrants 5. Tenth-placed Bollington 3 were also away to a Crewe side - losing 5-0 against the Vagrants’ table-topping Fourth Team.

And Prestbury 4, one position below, ran Knutsford Sports 2 close at Bollin Grove - only to be edged out 3-2, in spite of wins for Rupert Richards and Paul Minshull.

Prestbury’s ‘Fifths’, after losing twice in a row and surrendering the lead in Division Five South, fought their way back to a share of the table-topping spoils after crushing thirdplaced visitors Knutsford Sports 3.

Paul Wilson, Ben Parker and Gareth Evans, together with 16-year-old juniors Greg Ralley and Harry Mattocks, ensured a collective 5-0 rout, which leaves their team level on points with joint leaders Alderley Edge 6.

Prestbury 6 and Bollington 4 each put a Grove Park side to the sword and triumphed 4-1.

Dave Marwood and Pat Hunter, as well as juniors Rhys AsquithEvans (13) and Rory Hughes (16), all won in straight games for Prestbury, who climbed two places to fifth after beating their hosts’ Eighth Team.

And another two juniors - Ben Gayne (17) and George Lomas (13) - were successful for the ‘Bolly Fourths’, along with Tom Grimes and erstwhile longterm-injured absentee Aldo Palazzo, as they defeated the GP ‘Sevenths’ at home.

Bollington, as a result, move up two positions to eighth - swapping places in the process with Macclesfield 2, for whom Russell Stagg was a lone victor in a 4-1 home reverse against Radbroke Hall 2.

And Prestbury 7 continue to strive for an inaugural triumph, after losing 5-0 at home to promotion hopefuls Crewe Vagrants 6.

The Fifth Division South is staging one further round of December fixtures this week, as is the Cheshire Ladies’ League.

A week ago on Monday, Prestbury’s ladies’ ‘Firsts’ did their Division Two survival hopes the power of good after registering a second 3-2 win of the season - with Jane Mackay, Fran Taylor and Linda Maher all triumphing to help their side get over the line at Liverpool Cricket Club 1 and ascend two places to seventh.

And in the Third Division (b), top met bottom as Bollington’s unbeaten side extended its advantage at the head of the table to 27 points, following a 5-0 triumph over visitors Prestbury 2.

Debbie Kent, June White, Jennifer Robinson, Charlotte Dewar and a walkovervictory at fifth string combined to send their near-neighbours home empty-handed.