Tuesday the 6th saw the first meeting this season between PwC Castletown Abbey B and Speedy Parking Peel A, the damp and subdued evening outside starkly contrasting the buzz within Castle Rushen sports hall.
As the level doubles kicked things off, a strangely familiar pattern began to emerge for Castletown Abbey, the men's went their way and the ladies' went to the opposition—mirroring the start of all the three other matches they've had so far this season.
As the mixed games started it was four apiece and everything was to play for.
Playing for the first time this season, Castletown Abbey's pairing of Mark Neddle and Freya Corrigan put up a valiant fight against a more experienced Peel pair of Aalish Watson and Ryan Fortuna but were ultimately outplayed 15/21, 17/21. Corrigan even experimenting with the technique of blocking a smash back with her face, sadly unsuccessfully.
Stalwart as ever, Castletown Abbey's James O'Meara and Lina Desai levelled the scoreline again taking the next two 21/11, 21/15, against Gillian Craine and Bart Chhetri.
The night's entertainment ended on some nail-biting notes; 2nd Mixed Graham Coffey and Sue Rossouw, Castletown Abbey, narrowly taking the first game against Darren Irvine and Susan Craine 23/21, and kept it close in the second game too, 21/17.
The pressure was on Peel's Chantal McLean and Juri Pinar to claw the scores back again to level in the 1st Mixed, but, playing together for the first time this season, Nick Thornley and Asia Ogden managed to extend Castletown Abbey's advantage over three tense games. 21/18, 18/21, 21/12.
The final tally showed a win for Castletown Abbey, 10 games to 7. Players of the match were Chantal McLean (Peel) and James O'Meara (Castletown Abbey)