Match:  Knutsford 1 Home to GrovePark 4

Date:  29^th of September 2011

Start of new season and we were all geared up for it.  Risley arrived all prepared at 6.45 to find empty courts and no players.  Eventually Grove Park turned up at 7.30 and away we went. 

First up was the Burkemeister against Hilary Kenyon.  Would our man show some chivalry and late the dame win.  Well he almost did.  Hilary dsiplyed some nice back hand drops and good length shots to take the first 9-7. John, a perennial slow starter eventually got into it at the end of the second and narrowly levelled things up taking it 10-8.  No looking back now forJohnand he ran out the winner 3-1. 

First points on the board and up next was Risley.  Good warm up was followed by a blistering first 6 points.  Shock refereeing decision then got the best of him and was mullered 3-0.

Nevermind, we still had newly returned Glen at 1 and new member Liam at 2 to take the match, or so we thought!

New boy Liam steps up next,  Looking a little, and unusually tense he takes the first against a tricky gamesman Paul Vale.  The second was even tighter and the match was getting interesting.  Some tough refereeing decisions had to be made by the marker, our very own, Chris Smith.  Paul didn't like the result and proceeded to launch his racket around the court like a 2 year old.  Liam, cool as always, just kept focus.  He took the second 10-8.  Could he finish him off in 3?  Paul kept throwing his racket in frustration and was trying to put our man off by taking 3 minute rest breaks leaning against the front wall.  No worries from our Northern Irishman, who just kept it together and got a well deserved victory, to much applause from the balcony.  Paul shook hands but didn't thank our marker, who was looking very worried that he may get accosted in the changing rooms later.....not!!

Glenn steps on court looking like a gecko on steroids, with all hopes on him to take the match for Knutsford. He punished his oppo in the warm up by melting the ball into the front wall and nick with regular accuracy.  His oppo, Nick Scarle, was already sweating!  No problems in taking the first 9-3.  He then lost concentration in second and allowed the match to be levelled.  Some great long rallies and some tight drops ensued and Glenn managed to edge in front, only to be pulled back to 2-2.  He pulled himself together and demolished Nick in the final game 9-0.

So victory to Knutsford and at 10.30 Chris eventually stepped on the court against a strapped up Phil Stafford.  Phil looked like he had played in a much higher division in his youthful years and he picked off all of our mans loose shots....of which there were many.  2-0 down in 15 minutes, we all know Chris likes to make a glorious come-back when looking dead and buried.  At match ball down, alas, he could not and Chris went down in 3 looking very disconsolate. 

So 14 points in the bag was an ok result.

Onwards and upwards for next week...

For the Match Scores Click Here