It’s the End for West but Mawdesley clinch first division

WEST End Park II survived for another season in division two thanks to their 5-3 victory relegated opponents St Cuthberts.

Wins in both the men’s doubles was the key to the win that saves them the embarrassment of the dreaded relegation.

For St Cuthberts, it was a heart-breaking evening, as they made a quick return to division three of the ‘Master Lock & Safe’ Southport and District Badminton League.

With the momentum being with St Cuthberts, they were coming into this match with the highest amount of confidence possible.

However, West End Park took an early lead in the first of four mixed doubles encounters.

West End Park’s top pair of Nathan Freear and Jill Scott recovered after a strong start to defeat St Cuthberts’ Martin Fearn and Anne Girdler in a tense match 21-9, 15-21, 21-17.

It was a quick response by St Cuthberts’ second pair of Stuart Harrison and Trish Bennett.

After squeaking out the first set, they cruised through in the end for a straight sets victory 25-23, 21-9 against West End Park’s Phil Dempsey and Jenny Weaver.

It seemed the mixed doubles was not going to separate, as the final two matches were split. The West End Park pair of Chris and Judith Hornby took care of St Cuthberts’ Ian Pattison and Lesley Slater 21-14, 21-11.

Shortly after that, the fourth St Cuthberts pair of Tom Pattison and Nicky Johnston prevailed in three sets against West End Park’s Ben Keen and Sarah Smith 19-21, 21-12, 21-10.

At the start of the men’s doubles, West End Park came out of the blocks strong after Freear and Keen took down Fearn and Harrison 21-17, 21-17. However on the next court, St Cuthberts’ top women’s doubles pair of Girdler and Slater came out victorious in two close sets over Weaver and Smith 21-15, 24-22.

With the scores level at 3-3, tensions were at an all-time high.

In the second men’s doubles match, it saw West End Park re-take the lead as Dempsey and