COUGARS’ SURPRISE WIN RAISES SURVIVAL HOPES

Relegation-threatened Nomads Cougars produced the shock result in Division One of the Clacton and District League when they narrowly beat third-placed Walton A 6-4.

Boosted by a rare appearance from Adam Cuthbert, the Cougars chalked up only their second win of the season. Cuthbert and Sam Hume both won twice with Colin Beaumont picking a crucial, unexpected win over John Rice.

But it was a close-run thing, Cuthbert beating Rice 3-2 (5-11, 4-11, 12-10, 12-10, 12-10) whilst the doubles pairing of Cuthbert and Hume edged it 11-8 in the decider against Rice and Peter Burrows.

Amidst all this, Burrows stayed unbeaten for the Walton side.

So the Cougars, now only five points behind Brotherhood B, have given themselves a realistic chance of survival with seven matches still to play.

Brotherhood B’s plight wasn’t helped when they went down 8-2 to a Windsor Hawks’ side enjoying their best-ever top-flight season. Andy Vincent was unbeaten for the Hawks, with John Barton and Ian Fielder each winning twice. Martin Edwards took both Brotherhood points.

Although the battle for the second relegation place may well go down to the wire, bottom-side Brotherhood D’s fate already looks assured. This week, they went down 7-3 to Walton D, their fifteenth defeat of the season despite all three Brotherhood players – Russell Hillier, Shaun Beckham and Lee Harvey – playing well to each record a point. With more good fortune, they could have scraped a draw, Walton taking the two matches that went the distance. Three from Matthew Horrocks, two from Paul Woolnough, one from John Marshall and a Horrocks/Woolnough doubles win saw the Walton side home.

At the top Nomads Panthers appear home and dry, James Denyer and Colin Webber undefeated in the 9-1 success against Nomads Lions. John Hatley’s win over Gill Locke was the losers’ only point.

Brotherhood A look set to take the runners-up spot. Greg Green maintained his season’s unbeaten record in the 8-2 victory against Windsor Condors whilst there were two each for John Andrews and Alan Burgess. Windsor’s John Pattrick excelled to take his side’s points with an 11-9 in the fifth win against Andrews and a 12-10 in the fifth success against Burgess.

It was also 8-2 for Windsor Eagles against Walton B, Gary Cattermole and Phil Smith undefeated. The closest match saw Windsor’s John Hobson chalk up an 3-2 (11-6, 10-12, 10-12, 11-2, 11-9) win over John Rankin.

The relegation situation in Division Two is becoming clearer by the week.

Windsor Magpies are rooted to the bottom of the table and they failed to improve their position when they went down 10-0 to Brotherhood C, with only one of the matches going to five.

Brotherhood I, who are currently in the second relegation spot, lost 8-2 to Nomads Ocelots. Doug Green and Peter Giles took hat-tricks for the Ocelots although Giles was taken to five by Rowan Cottee. John Wrigley and Allen Denyer took a point apiece for the losers, Wrigley winning a tight 13-11 in the decider match against Andy North.

Nomads Jaguars are the side immediately above the relegation places and, although they suffered two 8-2 defeats, they are now eighteen points clear of trouble.

Dave Martin and Bob Sawyer took three each in Windsor Kestrels’ victory over the Jaguars, Martin’s treble including a 3-2 (9-11, 16-14, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5) victory against Harry Hawkes. Hawkes and Mike Hillier both had wins over Alan Rutledge although it was a close 11-8 in the fifth for Hawkes and 11-5 in the decider for Hillier.

The Jaguars also went down 8-2 to Nomads Tigers for whom Tony Beezer and Darren Bunce were undefeated. Eric Lemke won one for the Tigers and lost in the final set to both Hawkes and Hillier.

Five of the matches in the Windsor Owls v Brotherhood F encounter went the distance but three from Frank Burbidge and two from Adam Jackson helped the Owls to a narrow 6-4 win. Burbidge defeated Sandie Isaac 11-8 in the fifth and then Barry Alien 12-10 in the fifth, the latter victory denying Allen his own-hat-trick. Allen beat both Jackson and Tricia Salter in five.

Brotherhood J had a surprise 7-3 win against Windsor Harriers, this after being 3-1 down. Gracie Edwards’ two for the winners included an 11-6 in the decider victory against Jenny Higgins but she just failed to secure a treble, losing 11-8 in the fifth to Ferdy Rodriguez. Tom Wilkin’s two for Brotherhood included an even closer success against Higgins, 3-2 (12-10, 6-11, 10-12, 11-7, 13-11).

The best performance in Division Three came from Malcolm Caley who took a maximum in Windsor Swallows’ drawn match with Brotherhood H, a repeat score of their early-season meeting. But it could easily have been a victory for the Swallows with three of Brotherhood’s points coming form matches that went to five. Brian Baines defeated Angela Barratt 11-7 in the fifth and Iris Howlett 14-12 in the fifth, whilst Gerald Batt and David Wilkin took the doubles 3-2 (7-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9) against Caley and Barratt. There were two wins each for Brotherhood’s Baines and Windsor’s Barratt.

The draw preserved Brotherhood H’s unbeaten record for the season but they are now only two points ahead of Brotherhood G in the battle for the second promotion place, with everything to play for in the remaining quarter of the season.

There are no such problems for Brotherhood E who marched on at the top with a 10-0 victory over lowly Windsor Ospreys, a result that puts them thirty points clear.

Three for Andrew Cousins, and two each for Lionel Goddard and John Houghton, saw Nomads Pumas to an 8-2 victory against club-mates Nomads Leopards. Laurie Farrugia, with a debut League win, and Harry Beezer picked up the two Leopards’ points whilst Norman Jacobs played well before running out of steam against Houghton, losing 3-2 (11-4, 11-6, 12-14, 11-13, 5-11).

There was a maximum for Morgan Harvey, and a pair apiece for Jonathan Found and Debra Found, as Brotherhood L defeated Nomads Wildcats 8-2. Andrew Cawley won the two points for the Wildcats and, with a little more luck, his team-mates could have got on the score sheet as well. Hazel Blanche lost 3-2 (4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 16-18, 5-11) to Jonathan Found whilst Harry Barlow went down 3-2 (9-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-2, 9-11) to Debra Found.

Normal service resumed for Walton E who lost 10-0 to Windsor Penguins whilst Windsor Kites went only one better against Nomads Lynx, Chris Simson’s victory against Tom Collins their only success in the 9-1 defeat.

RESULTS
Division 1
Windsor Condors 2 Brotherhood A 8;
Nomads Panthers 9 Nomads Lions 1;
Brotherhood D 3 Walton D 7;
Nomads Cougars 6 Walton A 4;
Brotherhood B 2 Windsor Hawks 8;
Walton B 2 Windsor Eagles 8;
Walton D 5 Windsor Eagles 5.

Division 2
Nomads Jaguars 2 Nomads Tigers 8;
Brotherhood I 2 Nomads Ocelots 8;
Brotherhood J 7 Windsor Harriers 3;
Brotherhood F 5 Nomads Tigers 5;
Windsor Owls 6 Brotherhood F 4;
Windsor Kestrels 8 Nomads Jaguars 2;
Windsor Magpies 0 Brotherhood C 10.

Division 3
Nomads Leopards 2 Nomads Pumas 8;
Brotherhood L 8 Nomads Wildcats 2;
Windsor Penguins 10 Walton E 0;
Windsor Ospreys 0 Brotherhood E 10;
Nomads Lynx 9 Windsor Kites 1;
Brotherhood H 5 Windsor Swallows 5.

To view the full tables click here

Tony Oswick (March 5, 2014)