Thirds on top after gut-wrenching show
Team still eyeing title despite sick drama on court
A night of unbelievable squash drama kept Bridge of Allan’s third team on course to be the Minewood club’s only title winners in this season’s East of Scotland campaign.
The Richardson and Starling side maintained their two-point lead at the top of Division Five on a night when the thirds left it all on the court.
With Scotland under 13 No 1 Kyle Penman and veteran Bert Mitchell posting 3-0 victories, BofA looked to be on easy street at Edinburgh Sports Club.
But a rollercoaster five-set defeat for skipper Stewart Penman rekindled home hopes. It was then that the drama started. With Jon Spinks battling to match ball at 14-13 in the fifth set of a gruelling encounter, he was violently sick on court and so, under East League rules, forfeited his match to allow ESC to level the tie, in what was literally a gut-wrenching defeat.
Worse was to follow as Robbie Harper quickly found himself two games down before rallying to win the third only to fall 14-9 down in the fourth as the 17 year-old stared down the barrel. But after saving an astonishing six match balls, Robbie prevailed 15-13 in the fifth, after a 65-minute monster match to keep his team top with three games left.
Skipper Stewart said afterwards: “This was the most dramatic night of squash any of us has ever witnessed and some of us have been round the block a few times! Young Robbie deserves tremendous credit for his refusal to lose while what can you say about Jon Spinks – he really left it all on court!
“On that note we’d like to thank ESC not only for their hospitality but also for helping us get the match court mopped up and fit for play again!” With only three games left to play our destiny remains in our hands.
“But with only two points in it there is absolutely no margin for error against Abercorn tonight at Minewood.”
Meanwhile, the firsts posted a season’s best 3-2 victory over second-placed ESC II that has taken them into a campaignhigh fifth spot with just two games left to play.
Ahead of tonight’s trip to Edinburgh Sports Club I, skipper Robin Bairner said: “It was a real case of digging deep and winning ugly.
“Tonight if we can beat ESC we can almost nail fifth place down and that would be quite an achievement”
The seconds, who are already promoted to Division One, travel to Linlithgow with skipper Martin Jack looking to pile the misery on their rivals.
He said: “If we win we relegate Linlithgow but there will be no room for sentiment. We have two games left and the target is to win them and break the 200-point barrier. That would be quite a season.”
Tomorrow (Thursday) the ladies team travel to ESC3 for the final match of their season with a best-ever Division One third place finish already guaranteed.