2008/2009 NEWPORT & DISTRICT POOL LEAGUE
For immediate release
Friday, December 12th, 2008
AUDCO IN SEVENTH HEAVEN AS BEECH GOES INTO ORBIT
NEWPORT (Shropshire): Audco A were the only team to survive unscathed from a dramatic fifth week of matches in the 2008-2009 Newport Pool League, with early season pace-setters Lilleshall Sports Centre held to a 3-3 draw at the Navy Club and Shakespeare B, Junction B and Shakespeare A all enjoying shock wins.
Audco A hit the top of the table for the first time after a tense win against the previously unbeaten King’s Head. Poor Brad Borritt broke off in his frame against Mick Beech, but didn’t return to the table. “I told him to sit down, watch and enjoy what happened,” quipped Beech. It was 1-0 to the home side…
Paul Trevor edged out Ian Perry to make it 2-0, Andy Lycett beat Neil Hallett for 3-0 and the game was over after the singles, when Colin Pink beat Mick Collins. Irene Whittington and Hallett restored some pride for the battered Chetwynd End side by beating Anthony Heathcote and Beech in the doubles and Perry and Borritt made it 4-2 by pipping Lycett and Pink.
LSC were expected to continue a four-match winning start to the season at the Navy Club, but new home signings Scott Smith and Mike Matthews had other ideas. Alan Pritchett won a long and tactical first frame to set the Navy on their way, but Greg Heathcote levelled by beating Smith.
Ben Longstaff’s shocking start to the season continued when he went down to Matthews – a fourth straight defeat for the Stafford entrepreneur – but Nick Clewley made it 2-2 with a comfortable win over Norman Riley. Honours and the points were shared in the doubles, with Smith taking advantage of a Clewley error to clear the table with his two penalty shots to level the match after Heathcote had sealed frame five with some good play for LSC.
Junction A were expected to take all three points against an inconsistent Shakespeare A side, but this season is already proving to be very unpredictable. Andy Potter put the away side 1-0 to the good, only for Ian Mason and Keith Rogers to make it 2-1 to the Junction with wins over Laura Baker and Don Brennan.
But the in-form Dave Marshall struck again, claiming Sion Richards’s scalp on this occasion to make it 2-2. Brennan and Richard Young overcame Rogers and Mason to make it 3-2 and the most unlikely win was confirmed when Marshall and Potter beat Roycroft and Hyla Marklew in the final rack to move up to sixth in the table.
Teams are sure to get a hostile reception at Shakespeare B and Navigation B were the latest team to fall foul of the loud music and heckling. Wendy Drew and Hazel Ford-Lewis put the girls 2-0 up, only for Ian Hogarth to pull one back against Hannah Evans. But Kim Rigby beat John Gibbons and the ‘gals’ claimed their first win of the season by winning both the doubles matches to send Navigation B back to Gnosall with their tails between their legs.
The biggest disappointment of the season so far has been the form of the Railway Tavern and week five was no different, with Junction B taking all three points at Upper Bar. Skipper Ben Clewes got the home side off to a good start with a win over Mick Ashforth, but James Searles and Andy Richardson fell to Jas Shepperd and Stu Till.
Dave Wilkinson’s woeful form continued and the pigeon fancier was beaten soundly by John Owen, as the away side went 3-1 up. Clewes and Wilkinson pulled one back in the first doubles rack, but Ashforth and Sonny Taylor dug deep in frame six to seal the match and an excellent away win.
In the final match of the evening, a depleted Wrockwardine Wood FC went down 4-2 at the Navigation A. Luke Hayward set the visitors on their way with a win over Scott Podmore, but Geoff Arrowsmith and Brian Hall made it 2-1 to the home side with wins over Kim Worrall and Charlie Hayward. Even though Kim Worrall and Luke Hayward pulled back the first of the doubles matches, the visitors were a player short and winning the match was too much to ask.
All match forms are to be delivered to Ian Roberts and/or Dave Wilkinson at the Railway Tavern in Newport and match results sent immediately by text message to 07831 123153. Please note that the Audco (Barley) B will play from the Audco this season and not from the Barley, as previously intended.
Fees must be paid by the end of December and left with Ian Roberts at the Railway Tavern for the attention of Neil Perkins.
2008-2009 Newport & District Pool latest league table @ 10/12/08
Team P W D L F A Pts
Audco A 5 4 1 0 22 8 13
Audco B 4 4 0 0 17 7 12
Lilleshall SC 4 3 1 0 15 9 10
King’s Head 4 2 1 1 16 8 7
Junction A* 5 2 1 2 15 15 7
Shakespeare A 5 2 1 2 14 16 7
Navigation A 5 2 1 2 14 16 7
Wheatsheaf* 4 1 3 0 13 11 6
Junction B 4 2 0 2 12 12 6
Wrockwardine FC 4 1 1 2 12 12 4
Railway Tavern 5 1 1 3 13 17 4
Shakespeare B 4 1 0 3 8 16 3
Navy Club 4 0 1 3 6 18 1
Navigation B 5 0 0 5 9 21 0
* denotes league fees paid
Week 5 results:
Junction A v Shakespeare A, 2-4
Navigation A v Wrockwardine Wood FC, 4-2
Audco A v King’s Head, 4-2
Navy Club v Lilleshall Sports Centre, 3-3
Shakespeare B v Navigation B, 5-1
Railway Tavern v Junction B, 2-4
Ends
For further information:
Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, Tel: 07831 123153
www.ndp-publicity.com