R8: Lions lose out to Nottingham
Lions lose out to Nottingham
Birmingham Lions started the evening in second place in Division A, nine points ahead of visitors Nottingham – could they hold that position, or would Nottingham take the Pancake Day spoils ?
The evening started with a show from the Birmingham Pussycats which put everyone in a good mood, then came the squash …
Katrina Burrows 0-3 Emma Beddoes 3-11, 4-11, 4-11
Emma came out firing in the first game and prevented Katrina from playing her usual style. The second was a more even contest as Katrina began to find her rhythm. However, Emma showed her qualities as a top 20 ranked player with excellent and consistent hitting. Even more fabulous play from Emma ensured she was able to block any final resistance from Katrina and take the third quickly.
Jonny Harford 3-1 Ollie Holland 10-12, 13-11, 11-4, 12-10
Painfully long rallies saw both players tested physically though Ollie eventually came through 13/11. The second was another tight game, Jonny absorbed a lot of pressure and forced the errors out of his younger opponent, taking it 11/4.
Jonny continued where he left off and began to control the rallies more and more. Ollie could not find any response, taking the third 12/10, and at 6/10 down in the fourth Jonny found another gear to pull off a great comeback and take the match.
Chris Hall 1-3 Mark Fuller 8-11, 11-13, 12-10, 9-11
Fuller fought back after a strong start Hall to take the first game 13/11, though both players showed signs of real class. Four game balls came and went for Hall as Fuller stepped up his game to take a two nil lead 12/10. Hall found a second wind and began to push his opponent around well, he took the third 11/9 to salvage some hope. After an injury break and one match ball saved, Fuller edged the fourth to end a tense, hard fought match.
Joel Makin 2-3 Eddie Charlton 11-13, 14-12, 11-8, 3-11, 6-11
A mammoth first game that had the crowd breathless was eventually taken by Eddie 14/12. The intensity never dropped. Another long game saw more ridiculous pick-ups, but this time Joel came out ahead 11/8. Joel went from strength to strength as the home crowd roared him on to a 2-1 lead 11/3. Eddie responded brilliantly as he began to dominate the court and took the fourth in very quick time 11/6. After 100 minutes of squash, Eddie finally managed to end the resistance of his younger opponent, taking the final game 11/ 6. Certainly the best match of the night
Chris Ryder 0-3 Alan Clyne 5-11, 4-11, 5-11
Some outrageous displays of pace and cut saw Clyne take the first game with relative ease 11/4. Both players had the crowd amazed, however it was once again Clyne who managed to edge the rallies and take the second 11/5. Although Ryder brought a final spell of quality play he could not handle Clyne’s pace and persistence as the Scot took the third 11/5 to make the final scoreline Birmingham 1 Nottingham 4.
So Nottingham take over second spot on 102 points, with Coolhurst just behind on 101 and Birmingham on 99. All to play for with two rounds to go, the Lions’ next match is away to Pontefract on 10th March, when a good win could see them back in the playoff spots before the final match at home to Duffield on March 31st.
