On claiming crown
matches with a close fought 6-4 home victory against Princes St D, which kept them firmly in fourth place on 92pts.
Southport C finally ended their dismal run without a win which stretched back to November, by overcoming bottom team Crosby F 7-3, where both Ollie Moir and Jeff Hesketh with a full quota of wins each made all the difference.
Argyle E edged out Waterloo B 6-4, the inform Rob McMahon and Adrian Hyland completing the job for the home side in the final few encounters.
Rounding up the second tier news, with Southport B having no match this week, results now make it bleak viewing for the Amelan Hall based side.
With just three matches to play, they find themselves 17pts from safety, which could be a step too far.
Rainford (128pts) find themselves on the verge of the third division title at their first attempt.
They also remain the only unbeaten side across the three divisions, their latest conquest a convincing 1-9 victory at North Meols.
There is no doubt Paul Melling’s team deserve their success, and will relish the challenge of the second division. But who will go with them? The Para’s currently lie second on 123pts, after a comfortable maximum win over Crosby H.
Of course with the visitors turning up with just three players, it did make it a little easier for the hosts.
Nevertheless, what we did see of the visitors was encouraging.
Some sensational hits from young Antony Lewin, along with some canny displays from the evergreen Pat Hyde, made the hosts work hard for their points.
Audrey McGing, playing in her first season, also caught the eye, with a tremendous performance against Kosta Sinitsa, just losing out 11-9 in the fifth. Para’s acting captain Mark Wilson can be well pleased with his side’s season, as it must also be a welcomed tonic to long standing captain Ian Littlewood who has been sidelined from day one, recovering from illness. Get well soon Ian.
Princes St F remain slight favourites, lying in wait in third place on 120pts, after they too were presented with a maximum return when Southport E conceded their match.
Argyle F (105pts) stay in fourth spot, despite losing out 3-7 at home to Crosby G, the absence of Lewis and Gary Hible, hurting the home side.
Finally, whilst Rainford had taken the division by storm, our other newcomers Carlton, who were totally new to competitive TT, looked to have gradually carved out a decent conclusion to an interesting season.
To see what’s made the difference, we called in on them to see how they fared when they hosted Argyle G. Simple answer to that question is... they’ve got considerably better, and to captain Mick Walsh’s credit, they now enjoy winning as much as they did losing, or should that be learning.
It turned out to be a superb night, with Kris Cooper, Carl Mulligan, Mick and James Abram all earning valuable points in what was their third 6-4 win in four matches.
Argyle G also deserve the plaudits, with their contribution, especially Robert Yeung’s epic 15-17 win in the fifth game against Kris.
A highlight which proves whether it’s the top of division one or at the foot of division three, quality play with entertainment thrown in is the key.
Next week we are back to Cup action with the Semi finals of the Anon and Gunson Cups and Plates, fingers crossed for a surprise or two, all information can be found at southport.ttleagues.com