Bolly leapfrog Northern at top of the table

LAST Thursday, for the first time in six weeks, all 13 men’s teams from clubs in and around our town took to the courts in North West Counties League action - although only five were celebrating victories come the evening’s end.

One side to come out on top - in more ways than one - were the in-form ‘Firsts’ of Bollington, who extended their unbeaten run to eight matches, and leapfrogged tabletopping visitors The Northern 3 into pole position in Division Two East, after triumphing 4-1 - thanks to wins for the hosts by Christian Ogden, Rick Walters, Rob Alcock and Brigg Simpson.

Divisional companions Prestbury 1, missing three regulars, fared less well at home, and slipped a place to seventh - losing 5-0 to Warrington 2. And the club’s Second Team, fourth in Division

Three South-East, went down by the same scoreline in Stoke-onTrent against

Tollgate 1.

In the Third Division Central South, Bollington 2 returned to winning ways, and bounced back up one position to third, courtesy of a 5-0 victory at struggling West Heaton 1 - with Lyndon Stonier, Stuart Arnold, junior George Lomas (13), Martin Ogden and Mark Collins ensuring the collective rout. But Macclesfield 1 remain second-to-bottom, after falling to a 4-1 defeat, during which Simon Evans earned the consolation win, at home to Disley 1.

Prestbury 3’s promotion charge in Division Four Central South continued with a 4-1 home triumph over David Lloyd Manchester 2 - courtesy of victories for Paul Bartle, Rob Thorneycroft, David Fitzpatrick and 15-year-old Rhys Asquith-Evans - that kept the Third Team in second place. Prestbury’s ‘Fourths’ remain nine places below, following their fourth successive loss - in this instance by 4-1 at The Northern 6, where Alex Mighall was the sole visiting winner.

In Division Four South-East, both local representatives lost - with Prestbury 5 dropping two places to 11th after a 5-0 home reverse against City of Manchester 3, and Bollington 3 being edged out by the odd match in five at Marple 3, but still climbing a place to fourth, after Aldo Palazzo and Tom Grimes earned points in their consolation victories.

Bollington’s ‘Fourths’ maintained a 100 per cent record, and extended their lead in Division Five SouthEast to 10 points - as Will and 15-year-old son Sam Jordan, Andrew Berry and two walkover victories accounted for eighthplaced near-neighbours Prestbury 6 at the village’s leisure centre. Macclesfield 2 also triumphed 5-0, and moved up a position to third - with Ian Hill, Craig Hulme, Chris Campbell, JeanBaptiste Laurens and Ken Nicholls all prevailing at basement side Glossop 2 - but wins by Jon Stoker and Bill Ritchie were not quite enough to get the ‘Macc Thirds’ over the line at home to Marple 4, and they stay sixth after losing 3-2.

Three days earlier, in the Cheshire Ladies’ League, Second Division Prestbury 1 continued a sequence of alternate wins and losses, as Jane Mackay, Fran Taylor, Linda Maher and Sarah Lonsdale ensured a 4-1 home triumph over Liverpool Cricket Club 1.

They now sit third, three places above Bollington whose 3-2 win at City of Manchester 2 was earned by Jen Robinson, Debbie Kent and debutante Nicolette Barry. And in Division Three (b), Prestbury 2 are up to fifth after Judith

Scorer, Jen Powell and Vicky Bissett secured victory by the same margin at Bowdon 3.