Tarleton end wait for first division return
A 5-3 win was enough for Tarleton’s first team to confirm promotion to the first division of the ‘Master Lock & Safe’ Southport and District Badminton League for the first time since the 2000/01 season.
In this top of the table clash with Churchtown III, a strong start by the leaders produced enough of a lead to maintain. A couple of three-set wins late in the contest secured their place in the league’s top division for next season.
With only one draw putting in a dent into their league campaign, this memorable season should give you a firm indicator of where this teams ambitions lie for next season.
With that result giving the chasing pack a chance to catch up to second place Churchtown, Southsands capitalised on this with a comfortable 6-2 over mid-table side Woodvale III.
That result gives the third place side a fighting chance of promotion going into next week’s clash with Churchtown.
In other second division action, Mawdesley improved their chances of survival after getting a fortunate break in their 4-4 draw with Tarleton II. When an injury to one of Tarleton’s men forcing them to retire and concede two matches, Mawdesley took this opportunity and snatched a valuable draw to move three points away from the relegation zone.
For the bottom two, it was a tough week as both Hesketh Bank and Woodvale IV suffered narrow 5-3 losses to Victoria Hall II and Ormskirk II respectively.
The battle for promotion in the fourth division has now seen two teams start to pull away in the form of Ormskirk III and Crosby II. While the former produced an impressive performance to beat fellow promotion challengers St. Cuthberts 6-2, the latter brushed aside Hesketh Bank’s second team 8-0. Those results put both sides six points clear ahead of their nearest challengers.
Another result that benefitted the top two was third place Churchtown V failing to secure a win over mid-table Burscough Pioneers II.
With victory being an absolute must, Churchtown tried everything they could to secure another valuable three points. However, Burscough came out strong and matched their opponents throughout the contest and the points were deservedly shared.
At the bottom of the table, the worst possible result occurred for Mawdesley III and Southport V in their clash of the bottom two. With both sides looking for a win in keeping their survival hopes alive, a comeback by Mawdesley saw the result end in a draw that now benefits eighth place side Woodvale VI. With three points separating the three sides and fixtures between them still yet to take place, this is far from being settled.
Despite suffering their first defeat of the season in the St. John’s Shield last week, the 100% winning record of the league campaign of Tarleton IV remains intact after they ousted Churchtown’s sixth team 6-2 in what was a battle of the top two.
That result has also seen Churchtown lose their second promotion spot, as a 7-1 win for Southsands III over a tough Formby Methodist side sees Southsands now move ahead of Churchtown.
Other winners in the fifth division this week were Southport VI and Crosby III, who both recorded 7-1 wins over Churchtown VII and Crosby III respectively.
At the bottom of the table, there was a commanding 8-0 win for Woodvale VII over a Southsands IV side that now take residence at the foot of the division.
For third division leaders Churchtown IV, they now just require one more point to confirm promotion after their 6-2 win over fourth place Burscough Pioneers. A near perfect display puts them on the verge of moving into the second division for next season.
Looking to join them are Tarleton III, as they maintained their seven point lead off third with a comfortable 6-2 victory against mid-table side Mawdesley III.
Keeping the second place side on their toes is West End Park II, who recorded a strong and solid performance in their 7-1 win over a Woodvale V that remain on the bubble of relegation in eighth.
There was also an allSouthport clash as their third team took on their fourth. With the latter needing the points to beat the drop, the match sadly for them went to form as the higher ranked side took the points with a 6-2 win.
Meanwhile in the first division, the two-horse race for the Championship Shield continues to move further away from the rest of the pack. A couple of dominant 8-0 wins for leaders Churchtown and second place Woodvale over Ormskirk and Southport respectively moves them to over a dozen points ahead of third.
The mid-table battle saw a surprising 5-3 win for Woodvale II over West End Park to keep their top half finish a realistic possibility. A few crucial three-set wins was enough for Woodvale’s second team to claim the scalp as well as their sixth win of the season.
At the bottom of the table, the long awaited fate of Southport II has now become official as their 7-1 defeat to Churchtown II confirms relegation to the second division.
For all the latest news and results from the league, be sure to check out their official website, www. southportbadminton.com. Also, make sure you like the league’s official Facebook page.