Derby rivals are beaten by Seconds
ALL five teams from in and around our town were back in North West Counties Summer League action last Thursday, and two of them were victorious – although only one local club was celebrating at the evening’s end.
The pair of successful sides were Bollington’s, who both chalked up wins at the village’s leisure centre to propel themselves up into the top three of the South Division.
Bollington 1, who lie second after maintaining an unbeaten start to the campaign, did things the hard way, after going two matches down against a combined team from AstraZeneca and Radbroke Hall that also went into the fixture with a 100 per cent record.
But 16-year-old James Walton led the fightback with a 3-1 win at first string, before Gareth Ainsworth and Tom Grimes both triumphed in straight games - and, by coincidence, with identical gamescores - to see off their visitors.
The ‘Bolly Seconds’ also initially went behind in their local derby with Macclesfield Squash - with visiting captain Ollie Critchley edging out another Bollington teenager, Ben Gayne, by the odd game in five to establish an early lead for Macc.
The home side, however, responded in style, and rocketed up to third place courtesy of straight-games victories by Rick Walters, Martin Ogden and Will Jordan, and a 3-1 win for Charlotte Dewar who defeated Cheshire Ladies’ Winter League team-mate Jennifer Robinson.
Macclesfield remain without a win, but are one position above bottom-placed Prestbury 1 who, on returning to the court after a fortnight’s absence, lost 5-0 at Marple - with just two consolation points, earned by late replacement Brian Lomas and skipper Andrew Worsley, to bring home at the end of the night.
East Division outfit Prestbury 2, meanwhile, sit precisely in mid-table - having gone a good deal closer in defeat than their club-mates. Captain Mike Quartley and Dave Pearce both prevailed 3-1, - and Rob Alcock and Kevin Wynne earned points for the team by taking their respective matches at The Northern to five games, before the West Didsbury hosts clinched both ties, and the overall fixture, 3-2.