This match was cancelled and any match scores showing have been awarded.
Mursley Swallows 7-0 Greenleys Cardinals
Monday 4 March 2019
This match was cancelled and any match scores showing have been awarded.
Published 18/04/2024 18:46 by Martin Johnson; edited 1 times, last on 18/04/2024 18:46 by Martin Johnson.
Match Report (courtesy of Martin Johnson)
Mursley Swallows 10 - 0 Greenleys Cardinals (subject to Committee approval?)
Sixth placed Mursley Swallows versus ninth placed Greenleys Cardinals was the penultimate match for each team, with Swallows already set to maintain their Division 2 place for next season, whilst Cardinals would finish in the relegation spots (barring some miracle results). However, the evening did not quite go as it should have, as Cardinals ended up having just the one player, Gary Viner. Despite calls in to his team mates, it was *eventually* discovered (though far too late, by then) that they had thought it was a Cup week!!
With the home team trio of Peter Sear, Roger Shelton and myself (Martin Johnson) having all turned up, as well as Gary from Cardinals, we went ahead and started the match - at this time assuming the other two were just going to be late!? First on for Swallows it was myself, and I soon found myself a leg down and 7-2 down in the second, against some consistent play and some big topspin winners from Gary. I managed to cut out some of the errors and battled back to edge the second leg to make it one each, and then maintained the improvement, to put Swallows 1-0 ahead on the night. With still only one visiting player present, Gary went on again against Peter, and it was similar in pattern to the previous set, as Gary won the first and was ahead in the second, only for Peter to even things up, although this time, Gary battled back from 2-1 down to take it to a decider, but Gary ended up on just the wrong side of a close fifth leg. By now, it was apparent that no other Cardinals players were coming, so Gary gamely went on for a third consecutive singles set, against Roger. This time, it was Roger who forged ahead, taking the opening two legs, however Gary's defending and counter-hitting improved, and he again took it to a fifth leg. Perhaps fatigue was setting in by now, but in another tight deciding leg, Gary just lost out again, leaving him with no wins, despite having taken five legs in his three sets! As such, it was 3-0 on the night to Swallows, and assuming the final 10-0 scoreline is confirmed by the Committee, will push Swallows to within three points of fifth place.
For the record, even had Cardinals won 7-3 (or even 10-0), their fate was sealed elsewhere, as Lagondas were meanwhile racking up a big 9-1 over Blades, leaving Blades and Cardinals as the bottom two.
