COPY SHOP BREAK AWAY IN DIVISION ONE

DIVISION ONE

Copy Shop A (8) Breakaway A (2)

Hat-tricks and a doubles win for the dynamic duo, Brian Crellin and Ronan McDonnell, helped Copy Shop secure the double over Breakaway and break clear at the top of the division. Malcolm Cummings went 2-1 up in sets against Crellin before fading out 6/11, 11/8, 11/9, 7/11, 7/11. Jane Kneale earned Copy Shop’s final point with a three sets win over Paul Corran having lost out to Darren Smethurst and the resurgent Cummings.

Copy Shop B (5) Foxdale A (5)

Ewan Watterson’s hat-trick helped Copy Shop avoid defeat but they couldn’t haul themselves out of the relegation zone. Foxdale’s Becky and Will Bayley both beat Sean Drewry and Danny Hamill who had to content themselves with wins over Ruth Bailey who was off the pace having missed the last few matches. Becky and Will then clinched the draw 8/11, 12/10, 11/4, 7/11, 11/8 in a heavy hitting dramatic doubles against Drewry and Hamill.

Arbory (7) Strathallan A (3)

Liam Chan survived a feisty five setter to thwart Hadyn McLarney 11/9, 11/9, 9/11, 5/11, 11/5 and go on to his hat-trick. Third placed Arbory’s Jason Quirk was denied his triple by Julian Briercliffe who also beat Mikhail Tamarov. In a brave battle to avoid a pointless evening Andy Patterson hobbled his way to a narrow five sets win over Tamarov for fourth placed Strathy’s final point as the doubles went Arbory’s way.  

Tower A (7)Travellers A (3)

Sixth placed Tower moved further away from the drop zone and may have sealed the fate of Travellers who never-the-less fought for every point. Travellers’ Paul Nelson was two sets up against Paul Callow but sunk 6/11 in their final set. Chris Reynolds revenged that defeat but, like Nelson, he had no luck against either Tim Baker or John Callow. Gary Shilling beat the Callow brothers and met Baker in a thrilling hat-trick player off only to lose 10/12 in the final frame. Tower also took the doubles.

DIVISION TWO

Salmon River Spinners (4) Foxdale B (6)

A Nigel Beattie hat-trick, including a rare but deserved win over Mike Bayley, was insufficient to secure victory for third placed Spinners. With two points apiece Bayley, Ken Mitchell and Neil Quane  took all their points from Tommy Cowin and Colin Barron to keep table topping Foxdale two points clear of Tower B. However, Beattie and Cowin won the doubles 13/11, 6/11, 11/9, 11/9 for the Spinners.

Travellers B (4) Tower B (6)  

There were no hat-tricks but there were two near misses for Tower against third placed Travellers. Firstly, Graham McFarlane beat both Stu Douglas and Stu Mason, only to lose 11/8, 8/11, 11/8, 11/13, 9/11 to Steve Ellis-Pearson. Then Paul Kozlowski disappointed Ellis-Pearson and Mason but was edged out by Douglas 7/11 in their final frame. Douglas and Ellis-Pearson responded by beating Steve Curtis who grabbed a vital point against the luckless Mason. Tower took the decisive doubles and the win.

Travellers C (6) Tower C (4)

Alan Harding’s hat-trick proved decisive for Travellers who moved two points clear of the relegation zone after their third win of the season. Jackie Gill amassed a mere twelve points in her match with Dave Callow but marched in with two wins for Travellers by beating both Margaret Forsyth and Mike Chapman. Maurice Campbell seemed to be off form in the singles and lost all three to Tower, but he and Harding won the pivotal doubles 8/11, 11/8, 11/7, 11/2 against Callow and Chapman.     

Peel B (3) Peel A (7)

Matty Evans, Will Cross and Ashley Reid had no luck against Peel A’s established players Malc Lewis and Les Wilson although Reid purloined a set off both of them. Nathan Evans, Matt’s younger brother, was substituting for the A team and by all accounts, although he lost his matches, he enjoyed himself especially in taking the first set off Cross before capitulating 11/6, 9/11, 6/11, 7/11. Lewis and Wilson wasted no time in wrapping up the doubles.

DIVISION THREE

Copy Shop C (10) Peel C (0)

Armed with his new bat and increasing confidence young Henry Hyde secured a notable hat-trick which helped Copy Shop move within one point of top placed Breakaway. Nathan Evans took a set off Hyde but Oska Corkhill lost in straight sets. Fraser Dorling was Hyde’s sternest test which Hyde weathered 11/9, 8/11, 11/9, 9/11, 13/11. Rob Sim and Malcolm Lambert were just too experienced for the youngsters from Peel and Pedro Cardoso stepped in to make it a clean sweep by winning the doubles with Lambert.

Travellers D (2) Copy Shop D (8)

David Buck bagged a brace for Travellers with wins over George Melvin and Kevin Drewry. However, Chris Aspden played brilliantly to beat Buck in their hat-trick decider. Neither Juan Moore Jnr nor Juan Moore Snr could take a point off third placed Copy Shop who also won the doubles 13/15, 12/10, 11/5, 8/11, 11/5.

IOM Junior Development Two (2) Breakaway B (8)

JD2’s Carl Blatcher nearly pulled-off what would have been a superb win against Aaron Faragher but having bounced back from two sets down he narrowly lost 3/11, 8/11, 11/5, 11/7, 10/12. Blatcher and Alfie Crowe both beat Breakaway’s new recruit Kerenza Baker who won her first point for the league leaders with a four sets victory over James Colgan. Chris Kewley collected another triple and joined with Faragher to take the doubles.

Fortress Management Services (0) IOM Junior Development One (10)   

Work commitments and attendance at the Safeguarding and Protecting Children course in preparation for the Manx Youth Games caused Fortress to concede this match so JD1 took the opportunity to take on their counterparts from JD2 in an improvised match.

IOM Junior Development One (7) IOM Junior Development Two (3)

This match had been postponed earlier in the season. With only four Development players in attendance the uncontested games were awarded to JD2 as Carl Blatcher and Alfie Crowe, this time representing JD1, both beat James Colgan and Liam Cooper. The two teams are now within a point of each other in the league.  

MALCOLM LAMBERT