Derby victory for promoted Prestbury 5
WITH the majority of the North West Counties League winter programme having been completed in the previous week, attention focused on a handful of rearranged matches - together with the larger-than-most Fifth Division South, in which five local men’s teams each had one final fixture.
Two of them faced each other in a ‘derby’ at Bollington’s Leisure Centre, as Prestbury 5, having made sure of the second promotion slot seven days earlier, visited the sixth-placed ‘Bolly Fourths’.
An entertaining evening’s squash saw the promoted side prevail by the odd match in five, as Rich Curry, Gareth Evans and 15-year-old Kaamil Bhatti all won in straight games for Prestbury - while Ben Gayne and Andrew Berry were the hosts’ two victors.
Elsewhere in the division, there was little to cheer so far as teams from in and around our town were concerned - although Macclesfield 2, in 10th, went close, before being edged out 3-2 at Alderley Edge 7. Robin Thorpe and Russell Stagg were both victorious on the night for Macc.
Their points-haul in defeat was not not quite enough to overtake Prestbury 6 in the final table - even though the ninth-placed ‘Sixths’ were soundly beaten 5-0 at home by unbeaten champions-elect Alderley Edge 6.
And Prestbury’s remaining team also fell to a 5-0 defeat, albeit while picking up points to inch up a position to 12th, at Knutsford Sports 3. The ‘Sevenths’ can feel justifiably proud of an inaugural campaign in which they improved considerably to register four wins over the final seven weeks.
Across other divisions, four teams from Bollington and Prestbury had rescheduled fixtures - following postponements on the original date, when the ‘Beast from the East’ rendered travel to matches hazardous.
In Division Two East, Bollington 1, already assured of safety in ninth place, hosted The Northern 2.
With the ‘Bolly Firsts’ having lost their previous four matches, and their third-placed visitors having won on the last four occasions, the outcome went to form - but only just, as the West Didsbury side narrowly triumphed 3-2. Rick Walters and Brigg Simpson both won for the hosts.
There was rather more at stake in the Third Division Four South-East, as Bollington 2 made the short journey across to Alderley Park to take on Club AZ 1. With one position, four points and the relegation trapdoor separating the two sides at the outset, this was truly a ‘winner-takes-all’ closing match - with survival the prize.
In the event, the ‘Bolly Seconds’ held on to ninth place and to the opportunity of another season in Division Three, after putting their ultimately-doomed hosts to the sword and triumphing 4-1 - thanks to wins by the everconsistent junior player James Walton (16), as well as Olli Stewart, Tom Binder and Mark Collins.
Divisional companions Prestbury 2 faced second-placed Tollgate 1. The ‘Seconds’ were beaten 5-0, but still ended in sixth.
Finally, in Division Four South, Bollington 3 completed a hat-trick of ninth-place finishes for the club’s top three teams, following a 4-1 defeat at Alderley Edge 5. Martin Ogden registered a consolation win for the ‘Bolly Thirds’, while their hosts, courtesy of the overall victory, ‘edged’ out Prestbury 3 into a third-placed finish.