Trojans come out on top in match and trophy
THERE was quality shooting from both teams involved in the Hinckley Phoenix versus Trojans meeting but it was the travelling Trojans who came out on top in both the regular match and the Bernard Yates Trophy.
The first half definitely went Phoenix’s way as 29s from Tony Overton and Karen Bown combined with Roxy Ratheram’s 28 and Samantha Haskins’ 27 to give them a sizeable lead at the half way point, their opponents responding with Phil Hood’s 29, Dave Brown’s 28 and Darren Houghton’s 27.
However, while the home side maintained a reasonable standard of shooting in the second half with Michael Robinson’s 28, Geoff Herbert’s 27 and Ian Ratheram’s 26, the visitors improved quite markedly with the 29s of Rob Forman and Leigh Hall, the 28s of Mark Smith and Chris Sills, and Will Chambers’ 26 being the most significant scores.
All these combined to give score-lines of 198 to 194 and 11 points to nine points, both in Trojans favour.
The Sporting Lions team’s trip to the Greyhound home of the Hounds left them holding on to their positions at the top of both the league table and Bernard Yates Trophy, albeit only by points difference in the latter.
The Hounds shot first and had a reasonably successful first half with Richard Greene’s opening 28 being followed by Roy Pritchard’s 26 and Andrew Mitchell’s 27 but this was made to look woefully inadequate as the Lions first half began with 30s from Glen Dainter, Todd Astill and Karl Bunting, and ended with a Lee Johnson 28.
Further 26s from Chris Allen, Richard Allen and Andy Smith plus a closing 29 from Paul Huddlestone took the home side 188 and 9 points whilst the visitors fin- ished on 198 and 9 points thanks to Melanie Jenkins’ 29 and Mollie Harris’ 26.
Despite not being at their best Bedworth Ex Servicemen’s Club maintained their league title challenge as they beat a below strength team from their New Plough Inn visitors.
Bedworth’s 192 total, their lowest of the season thus far, was topped and tailed by the 28s of Mick Cryer and Bill Bend, with the best of the intervening scores being the 29s of Andrew Cryer, Jackie Bend and James Bend.
For the Plough the only score of real note was John Bray’s closing 29, the next best scores being the 26s of Darren Statham, Daniel Lakin and Tom Bray.
This left the visitors well adrift in the regular match with 179 and just short in the Bernard Yates competition which Bedworth won by eight to seven.
Taylor & Ayre welcomed Ashby Road to The Barn where, as usual in the combined competition matches, the teams alternated shooters.
T&A’s first half had little to commend it with Aly Steele’s 27 and a welcome maximum 30 for Giles Headley being the only counting scores whilst Ashby Road’s reply comprised Lorraine White’s 29, husband David’s 27 and a pair of 26s from Richard White and Innes Droomer.
The home side bucked their ideas up somewhat for the second half. Jim Gibney returned after injury to score a 27, as did Alison Smith and Paul Griffin.
Phil Steele recorded a 28 and Darren Hicks closed their effort with a 29.
For the visitors Neil Smith and Seamus Moore matched their target scores, with 25 and 27 respectively, before Pete Finney shot their only maximum 30 score to end the match.
T&A won the league encounter by 195-190, and scraped a win in the Bernard Yates Trophy where the scoreline was 10-9.
For the second week in succession Smallshaws travelled to Ashby Road Sports Club where they again lost in both competitions, this time to Ashby Road ‘B’.
The Smallshaws first half was steady rather than spectacular with no fewer than four 26s, courtesy of Chris Slimm, Bobby Wainwright, Rob Wainwright, and Tom Williams, and there was very little improvement in the second half as a fifth 26 from Jackie West was followed by Bob West’s 29.
Neither of the resulting 184 and seven points proved sufficient as the home side confidently moved onto 193 and 10 points thanks to Jon Storer’s 29, the 28s of Neil Price and Tom Middleton, and the 27s of Mike Sansome, Alf Shore, Martyn Woods and Jeff Goodyer.