Seconds derby clash goes way of Bollington

TWELVE of the 13 men’s teams from clubs in and around our town were in North West Counties League action last Thursday.

Bollington 1 were the side to have an enforced free week, due to the withdrawal from Division Two East of Hyde 2 earlier in the season. The ‘Bolly Firsts’ remain ninth, and a single point above the relegation positions - but, crucially, with a match in hand over the next-placed team.

The other local representatives at that level, Prestbury 1, had a tough assignment away from home at leaders Bowdon 2. Prestbury drop a place to eighth following a 4-1 defeat that saw Chris Dunkerley secure a straight-games consolation victory.

Many eyes from the area were focused instead on the Division Three South-East ‘derby’ at Bollin Grove between Prestbury’s and Bollington’s struggling Second Teams. Mike Quartley and Andrew Worsley both won for Prestbury to get the hosts off to the best possible start. But victories by Stuart Arnold and - in each case over five games - by 16-year-old James Walton and ex-Prestbury player Stuart Melia saw the ‘Bolly Seconds’ edge the contest by the odd match in five and move up one position to ninth, two places and 12 points ahead of their nearneighbours.

In Division Four South, only one of the four local sides enjoyed a win - and the lowest-placed among them at that! Prestbury 4 triumphed 4-1 for the second week running, as victories for Rupert Richards, Paul Minshull, Ben Parker and Kevin Wynne saw them prevail at basement side Grove Park 5. The ‘Fourths’ still occupy the first relegation place, but have massively reduced their deficit over the past fortnight and are now only four points adrift of safety.

Rather nervously looking over their shoulders as a consequence will be Macclesfield 1 and Bollington 3 who remain ninth and tenth, respectively. The ‘Bolly Thirds’ were thumped 5-0, following five straightgames defeats, at second-placed Radbroke Hall 1. And another win for the unbeaten James Douglas, coupled with a walkover-victory, did not quite amount to enough at the town’s leisure centre, in the course of a 3-2 reverse against Alsager 2, for Macc.

Fifth-placed Prestbury 3 also lost 3-2 - at home to Buxton 1, one position higher. Paul Bartle and Dave Jones were fivegame winners on the night for the hosts, who had been victorious in their previous two matches.

Prestbury 5 got back to winning ways after surrendering the leadership of Division Five South at Alderley Edge a week earlier. The ‘Fifths’ stay second, following a 4-1 victory at home to Club AZ 2 - with Gareth Evans, Barry Jupp and Alan Whiston all winning in straight games to supplement a walkover at fifth string.

Bollington’s ‘Fourths’ prevailed 4-1, too, and now move up a place to seventh courtesy of what was for them a second success in as many Thursdays. But while Will Gayne, Andrew Berry, Tom Grimes and Will Jordan all triumphed for the hosts in straight games at the village’s leisure centre, the match of the night saw Prestbury 7’s Rhys Asquith-Evans, 14, win 3-2 against fellow junior Ben Gayne, three years his senior, to give the ‘Sevenths’ a fine consolation victory.

Prestbury 6, in ninth, made the long trek south to third-placed Crewe Vagrants 6 - only to lose 5-0 and suffer a fourth successive defeat. But the ‘Sixths’ may take some heart from tenth-placed Macclesfield 2, who brought a four-match losing streak to an end by winning 3-2 at Grove Park 7. David Birtwistle, Simon Fisher and Jon Stoker made sure of the victory for Macc.

Three days earlier, both of Prestbury’s ladies’ teams turned out at home in the Cheshire Ladies’ League - albeit, ultimately, without overall success. The ‘Firsts’, in spite of 3-1 victories by Jane Mackay and Fran Taylor, were edged out 3-2 by second-placed Bowdon 2 - although they did secure enough points in defeat to rise two Second Division places to sixth.