30th Jan 2018
Castletown Abbey B [11] versus Rushen B [8]
Another local derby match for the Southern clubs PwC Castletown Abbey (CA) and idesign Rushen in League 4. Whilst "home" team CA B are vying for the league title, Rushen B's focus is firmly on avoiding relegation—that did not however stop it being yet another excitingly close meeting.
Level games saw things shared equally, all Men's going decisively the way of CA, and Women's equally decisively to Rushen. 2nd Men Graham Coffey/James O'Meara v. Dave Leigh/Callum Coulthard 21-5, 21-3; 2nd Women Asia Ogden/Lina Desai v. Caroline Whitehead/Jo Lannon 12-21, 7-21; 1st Men Nick Thornley/Damian Peter v. Adrian Edwards/Steve Leece 21-5, 21-8; 1st Women Clare Townsend/Hannah Clague v. Amanda Munro/Lucy Kerr 7-21, 6-21.
Things become more tense in the mixed.
4th, O'Meara/Desai, won the first end 21-10, nearly came unstuck after Coulthard/Whitehead managed to find some gaps in the CA defence 16-21, but were able to come through 21-12 in the last.
CA ahead by one.
3rd, Coffey/Ogden, were initially in control but the experience of Edwards/Kerr was enough to turn the worm and allow their birds to take them to a win in three, 21-16, 10-21, 15-21.
The scoreline sat all square once again.
2nd Mixed Peter/Clague finally broke the stalemate with two straight games 21-15, 21-13 against Leigh/Munro to ensure CA would be unable to lose, knowledge that didn't get through to the 1st mixed pairings who were at the same time battling it out on the next court.
Rushen's 1st pair Leece/Lannon took Thornley/Townsend a little by surprise late in their first, with a flurry of well placed shots leaving the CA side stranded out of position and without enough traction to cover, 16-21. It wasn't ultimately to be for Rushen however as CA adopted a slightly safer style of play, cutting out many of the opportunities Rushen were exploiting, to take the following two 21-16, 21-16, ending the night with Castletown Abbey B the overall victors by 11 games to 8.
Nominated players of the match were Jo Lannon & Damian Peter.