Round EIGHT – 11th March
With just three rounds of league action to go, tonight’s eighth round had the potential of seeing some teams confirming their place in the semi-finals while others could see their playoff hopes dashed, and with five of the six matches finishing 3-2 the drama was played out right up to midnight!
Duffield squeeze into semis
In Group A league newcomers Coolhurst travelled to struggling Pontefract and came away with a 5-0 win that keeps their playoff hopes very much alive as they moved to 107 points.
Leaders Duffield were tested by visitors Chapel Allerton, who recovered from two down to force a decider, but it was Duffield’s Nick Matthew who clinched the points with a 3-1 win over Daryl Selby.
Meanwhile Birmingham hosted Nottingham in a 3rd v 4th match that both needed to win. That went to a decider too with Nottingham’s Alan Clyne winning at top string to put them just one point behind Birmingham.
With Duffield on 136 points and their nearest challengers still to play each other, they are sure to feature in the semi-finals, but the second spot is still up four grabs with four teams separated by just 13 points.
Exeter & Surrey almost there
In Group B leaders – by one point – Exeter won a hard-fought 3-2 tie against Winchester, while defending champions Surrey went top by a single point with a comeback 3-2 win at St George’s.
That all but ended St George’s playoff hopes, and Chichester also suffered a setback as they lost 3-2 at Bristol.
With almost 20 points in hand Exeter and Surrey – who meet next week – are strong favourites for the semi-finals, while it really is last-chance saloon for the other contenders.
Group A:
Duffield (121+15) 3-2 Chapel Allerton (93+7)
Nick Matthew 3-1 Daryl Selby 11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 13-11
Joel Hinds 0-3 Chris Simpson 12-14, 7-11, 8-11
Andy Whipp 1-3 Shaun Le Roux 14-12, 6-11, 4-11, 1-11
Aqeel Rehman 3-0 Simon Parke 12-10, 11-6, 11-9
Laura Massaro 3-0 Carrie Ramsey 11-6, 11-5, 11-2
Pontefract (27+3) 0-5 Coolhurst (87+20)
Chris van der Salm 0-3 Omar Abdel Meguid 5-11, 8-11, 6-11
David Campion 0-3 Ben Coleman 4-11, 6-11, 7-11 (42m)
Alex Hodgetts 1-3 Adam Auckland 3-11, 11-9, 4-11, 3-11
Taminder Gata-Aura 2-3 Steve London 8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 5-11 (58m)
Sarah Kippax 0-3 Nicolette Fernandes 9-11, 15-17, 10-12
Birmingham (88+7) 2-3 Nottingham (80+14)
Chris Ryder 1-3 Alan Clyne 11-8, 11-13, 10-12, 2-11
Jaymie Haycocks 3-0 Eddie Charlton 11-7, 11-9, 11-9
Peter Creed 3-0 Lewis Walters 11-3, 11-3, 15-13
Nathan Lake 0-3 Chris Fuller 10-12, 5-11, 12-14
Chloe Mesic 0-3 Emma Beddoes 1-11, 6-11, 2-11
Standings:
Duffield 136, Coolhurst 107, Chapel A 100, Birmingham 95, Nottingham 94, Pontefract 30
Remaining Fixtures:
Wk9: Nottm v Duffield, Chapel A v Ponte, C’hurst v Bham
Wk10: Ponte v Nottm, Duffield v Bham, C’hurst v Chapel A
Group B:
Bristol (64+15) 3-2 Chichester (84+8)
Lucas Serme 1-3 Jonathan Kemp 13-11, 5-11, 6-11, 6-11
David Evans 3-0 Robbie Temple 11-7, 15-13, 11-5
Tom Ford 0-3 Ollie Pett 6-11, 8-11, 10-12
Mike Harris 3-2 Anthony Graham 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8 (67m)
Yathreb Adel 3-0 Lauren Briggs 11-5, 11-5, 12-10
Exeter (105+16) 3-2 Winchester (35+9)
Omar Mosaad 2-3 Marwan El Shorbagy 11-9, 9-11, 4-11, 11-4, 8-11 (72m)
Olli Tuominen 3-1 Abdulla Al Tamimi 11-6, 11-8, 10-12, 11-8 (46m)
Tim Vail 3-1 Robert Downer 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5 (45m)
James Snell 3-1 Scott Fitzgerald 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9 (50m)
Aisling Blake 0-3 Emily Whitlock 8-11, 6-11, 5-11 (32m)
St George’s (95+8) 2-3 Surrey H&R (104+18)
Borja Golan 1-3 Peter Barker 7-11, 11-7, 5-11, 2-11
Tom Richards 1-3 Adrian Grant 11-9, 7-11, 9-11, 9-11
Joe Lee 3-2 Greg Marche 5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7
Henrik Mustonen 3-2 Adrian Waller 10-12, 11-9, 11-6, 4-11, 12-10
Dom Lloyd-Walter 0-3 Alison Waters 4-11, 4-11, 5-11
Standings:
Surrey 122, Exeter 121, St George’s 103, Chichester 92, Bristol 79, Winchester 44
Remaining Fixtures
Wk9: Chich v StGge, Surrey v Exeter, Winch v Bristol
Wk10: Exeter v Chich, StGge v Bristol, Winch v Surrey
