Devils & Eagles maintain their relentless promotion drive
The two teams leading the way in Sunderland & District League Division Three both posted victories that consolidated their status as red-hot favourites to book the precious promotion berths.
Brandon Devils proved too strongforDurhamCityScorpions with the experienced Tony Taylor untroubled throughout. He was well supported by his team-mates. Patrick Nicholson struck twice and Edward Nicholson also battled for a double as he defeated Oliver Wilkinson and Stephen Verde in five-end tussles.
Harry Veitch reined in the pair of Devils with a doublestrike of his own to provide Scorpions consolation in the 8-2 defeat.
Lanchester Eagles maintained their own drive with a 7-3 success at Brandon Energy.
New signing Ian Cumpson eased to a maximum on his debut, while Jeff Singleton’s double included a 12-10 nail-biter over Bill Maclennan.
That performance was mirrored by Energy’s Peter Gregory who despatched Terry Charlton 11-7 in the fifth to seal his own brace.
In Division One, championship hopefuls Backspin A were held to a 5-5 draw as stubborn visitors St Chads became the first team to deny the hosts victory this season.
The pugnacious stance was set in the very first set as Paul Baines battled back from 2-0 down to defeat Jamie Dent 11-6.
Anthony Ainley strove to maintain Backspin’s proud record with a solid pair of wins over Baines and Dave Bissett, but succumbed 12-10 in a crucial decider against man-ofthe match Keith Weatherby.
Chasing Brandon Air also met with stiff resistance as Durham City Aces restricted them to a 6-4 winning margin.
Waldemar Dzwonkowski hit a hat-trick for Aces and Ian McAllister pipped Alex Garlick 11-8 in the fifth.
For Brandon, Geoff Salter and Jamie Lupton led the way with two sets apiece, while Garlick had to settle for a single win over Duncan Fraser.
While their rivals toiled, Thompson kept their fading title hopes flickering as they crushed a doomed St Gabriel’s B outfit, 9-1.
The fight for survival in Division Two escalated and, for the second successive season, things look set to go to the wire.
A recent upturn in results from St Gabriel’s C has given them a glimmer of hope.
Gabriel’s visited East Boldon Bandits, a team not clear of danger themselves, but Geoff Young and Mark Burton were both beaten in straight ends by Ryan Campbell.
However, Young beat Sophie Richardson in five ends and Burton did likewise, scraping home 16-14.
David Revell arrested Bandit Campbell’s streak, before a climactic showdown with Istvan Franko.
A dramatic contest between the two number-ones culminated in Franko relentlessly clawing back a 2-0 deficit to take the decider 11-8 and ensure a share of the spoils.
St Gabriel’s D added spice to the survival battle by defeating West CA B 7-3.
In a scrappy affair, the Gabriel’s trio of David Snowdon (3), Gary Anderson (3), and Tony Watson ground out the victory that drags West deep into the relegation vortex.