Churchtown work hard for 7-1 victory

DESPITE the scoreline being 7-1, Division Four leaders Churchtown IV were made to work hard to maintain their top spot during week four of the ‘Master Lock & Safe’ Southport and District Badminton League.

With over half of the contests being decided by a third and final set, Churchtown showed great nerve to win almost all of them in what was a battle of two unbeaten sides. In what could be a historic season for the club of Churchtown, this result could well be its most vital.

Just behind the top two in third place is now Tarleton III, who took care of a Woodvale VI side still looking for their first win of the season. Missing a chance to keep pace with the top two was Mawdesley IV.

Their 7-1 loss to a rejuvenated St Cuthberts side has expanded the chasing pack even more.

Sadly struggling at the bottom without a point to their name is Formby II. Despite the result being an 8-0 loss to top-half side St Cuthberts II this past week, five of the eight contests went to three sets.

Elsewhere, wins in both of the women’s doubles was the key factor in the 5-3 win for Hesketh Bank II over Southport V in what was an entertaining back-and-forth contest.

Churchtown’s success continues in the fifth division, as their fifth team made it three wins out of three.

However, they were made to work hard for it against mid-table side Tarleton IV. Wins in both of the men’s doubles contests confirmed all three points went to Churchtown in a 5-3 win.

Also with a 100% winning record is Southsands III. They had a much easier outing, as they cruised to a 7-1 win against Ormskirk IV in a top versus bottom encounter.

Keeping their hat in the ring for promotion is Crosby II after their impressive 8-0 away win at Mawdesley V.

Elsewhere, there were a couple of draws between a lot of the leagues mid-table sides. But edging ahead to claim the extra point were Burscough Pioneers IV and St. Cuthberts III against West End Park III and Woodvale VII respectively.

Division Six also looks to be all about Churchtown. Their sixth team extended their perfect start to the season after coming through in a well fought 6-2 win over Woodvale VIII.

Three points behind them in second place is Southsands IV. Their 7-1 home win against bottom side St. Cuthberts IV keeps them within reaching distance from the division leaders.

It was a strong week for Southport’s sixth and seventh team sides. They secured a 7-1 win over Hesketh Bank III and a narrow 5-3 victory against Burscough Pioneers IV respectively.

Formby Methodist could not quite collect their third draw of the season, as they fell to a heart-breaking 5-3 defeat to Southsands V, who now over-take Formby Meths into sixth place.

There was also a rearranged match, as Hesketh Bank and Woodvale were pulling double duty for this week.

Nothing managed to separate the sides throughout the evening and the extra point ended up being decided on points difference. That honour went to Hesketh Bank, who ended up securing 17 more points during the contest.

It’s looking more and more like a three-horse race in the second division as six points already separate the top three from the chasing pack. Leading the charge is Crosby, whose 8-0 win over strugglers Hesketh Bank made it consecutive white-wash victories.

Matching them were second place side Churchtown III, who took down bottom side Formby 8-0. Completing the top three being just a point behind is Southsands, who toppled a Mawdesley II side 6-2, who managed to claim some sort of bragging rights over their opponents as their two wins came in both of the women’s doubles contests.

Meanwhile, Tarleton collected their first win of the season. After a commanding start against opponents Woodvale III, they managed to hold off a comeback attempt to take the 5-3 win.

With nearest rivals Woodvale IV not playing this week, it was the perfect time to extend Ormskirk’s second teams lead at the top of division three. They did just that, but maybe not the way they were hoping. They came from a 3-1 deficit against fellow promotion hunters Burscough Pioneers II to claim a winning draw. For West End Park II, their 8-0 win over Woodvale V moved them into the second promotion spot for the time being. With many teams in touching distance of the top two, it may be a temporary stay in the promotion places. Just behind them in the chasing pack are Mawdesley III who claimed a comfortable 6-2 win over bottom side Southport IV.

There was a minor upset victory for Southsands II. They made it a happy trip to Southport, as they soundly defeated their third team 7-1 to record their first win of the season.

It was all pretty comfortable for ‘the big four’ in the league’s top division as the hype for the matches between gets slightly amped up with strong performances by all. Despite losing their first events of the season to a West End Park side that showed a lot of resistance, Churchtown battled through to take the 6-2 win.

But with Churchtown missing out on another 8-0 win, this has moved Victoria Hall to top of the table for at least one week after they took care of Woodvale’s second team 8-0.

Also moving ahead of Churchtown were Woodvale, after they produced a near-perfect team display to oust Churchtown’s second team 7-1. As for the champions of two years ago, it was plain sailing for Mawdesley as they defeated Southport’s second team, 8-0.

Elsewhere, Southport’s first team look to be setting the pace in the pelaton, as their 7-1 win over relegation candidates Ormskirk moves them further away over their nearest rivals to further cement their fifth place. In the league’s bottom division, life is good for Churchtown’s brand new seventh team. They gave a strong showing in their 7-1 win over Woodvale’s ninth team in what was a battle of the top two unbeaten sides. For more on the latest news and latest league tables, be sure to check out the league’s official website, www.southportbadminton.com, as well as the league’s official Facebook page.