Strength in depth to fore for Prestbury

ALL but one of the 13 men’s teams from clubs in and around our town took to the courts for North West Counties League matches last Thursday – and, rather impressively, all but three of the dozen that played were winners.

For the second week running, both local representatives in Division Two East triumphed.

On this occasion, it was against opponents with slightly lower league positions.

Ninth-placed Bollington 1 travelled in a south-westerly direction to struggling Congleton, and extended a useful – not to mention consistent – run of form with a third successive 4-1 victory, thanks to wins by Christian Ogden, Brigg Simpson and 17-year-old James Walton, as well as a walkover at fifth string.

Prestbury 1, in fifth, had prepared to host mid-table Crewe Vagrants 2 with some trepidation, after losing three players to work commitments or injury.

But, as things turned out, the strength in depth of the home squad won the night – and most emphatically, too, as Rob Alcock, Adam Colebatch, Brian Lomas, Chris Dunkerley and junior player Jonny Murray (16) secured a 5-0 rout.

At third-division level, the Second Teams of Bollington and Prestbury both won tight contests 3-2.

The ‘Bolly Seconds’, sitting seventh in Division Three Central South, saw off out-oftouch visitors David Lloyd Manchester 1, courtesy of victories for Stuart Arnold, Neil Garner and Mark Collins.

And Prestbury 2 moved up a place to third in Division Three South-East, after edging out hosts Warrington 3 who had triumphed in their previous five fixtures.

Mike Brauckmann, Rich Curry and Mike Quartley all prevailed 3-1 on the night for Prestbury.

There were contrasting fortunes for the two Prestbury sides in Division Four Central South.

The ‘Thirds’ made it four November wins from four, and rose two positions to second, as Andrew Worsley, Paul Wilson, Dave Jones and junior Harry Mattocks (17) won to secure a 4-1 victory over Moss Side 2 at Bollin Grove.

But the ‘Fourths’, in 11th, continued their sequence, stretching back to mid-October, of alternate victories and defeats with a reverse by the odd match in five at Bowdon 5 – with Kevin Wynne, whose opponent retired due to injury, and Rupert Richards both winning 3-2, as well as picking up some valuable points to assist their side’s survival cause.

In Division Four South, all three local teams got back to winning ways after waits of various lengths, and against relegation-threatened sides.

Macclesfield 1’s dip in form had only lasted a week, following defeat at table-topping Glossop 1 seven days earlier and a return to home territory yielded a 4-1 victory, together with a jump of two places to third, following wins for James Douglas, Simon Evans, Robin Thorpe and Daz Glaser.

Seventh-placed Bollington 3 had suffered three successive 3-2 reverses, before storming to a 5-0 victory at basement team Buxton 2 as Andy Phillips, Aldo Palazzo, Malcolm Kendrick, Rob Harland and 14-year-old George Lomas triumphed in Derbyshire.

And the relief was palpable for Prestbury 5, who, following six losses in a row, moved up a position to eighth with a 4-1 victory at home to New Mills 2.

Rob Thorneycroft, junior player Kaamil Bhatti (15), Dave Pearce and Chris Murray (the latter two of whom achieving their inaugural Fourth Division successes) all won to stop the rot for the hosts.

Division Five South featured a ‘derby’ at Bollington Leisure Centre between the ‘Bolly Fourths’ and Macclesfield 2.

The former proved to be the hosts with the ‘four’-most, winning 4-1 - thanks to victories by Tom Grimes, Phil Colville, Will Jordan and 14-year-old Jack Walton – to extend their winning run to four matches and cement their position in fourth place. Ollie Critchley was the sole winner for secondplaced Macc.

Further down the table, Prestbury 6 remain without a win after losing 5-0 at unbeaten leaders Knutsford 3.

And, in Division Five Central South, Prestbury’s ‘Sevenths’ had to concede a walkover-defeat, on account of failing to raise a side for their scheduled visit to West Heaton 2.

Three days earlier, in the Cheshire Ladies’ League, seventh-placed Bollington hosted, and lost 4-1 to, unbeaten leaders Heswall 1 - with Annika Hall securing Bolly’s only victory of the evening.

Both Prestbury teams, in the meantime, were on the wrong end of 3-2 losses at The Northern.

The Division Two ‘Firsts’ remain fifth, after wins by Linda Maher and Helen Thaw were not quite enough to overcome their West Didsbury hosts’ Second Team - while victories for Judy Scorer and junior player Olivia Knight (15) helped earn enough points to lift Prestbury 2 up to the same position in Division Three (b), despite an overall defeat to The Northern’s ‘Thirds’.