Division 2 Roundup - Week 18+ (Cup KO R1)

Published 02/03/2024 at 23:10:36 by Martin Johnson; edited 1 times, last on 02/03/2024 at 23:14:42 by Martin Johnson.

Challenge Cup Proves a Challenge for D2 Teams

This week has seen the first knockout round of the Challenge Cup, with three D2 teams having made it through the Group stages - the two Milton Keynes teams, Pioneers and Powers, plus Mursley Hawks.

Unfortunately, Milton Keynes Pioneers were unable to raise a team, so ended up conceding against D5's Greenleys Knights.

Milton Keynes Powers were up against D7 outfit Leighton Buzzard Globetrotters, giving away a big 240 point handicap, however as they could only muster two players, they effectively started an uncatchable 366 points back, with only seven sets to play, and unsurprisingly went down to a huge 196 point defeat.

Mursley Hawks were up against D1's Milton Keynes Pumas, with a 30 point start, and a very close match ensued, with Mick O'Mahony picking up two D1 scalps, but ultimately it was Pumas' Andy Smith who prevailed in the final set of the night, to gain the win for Pumas in the closest contest of knockout round 1, edging through by just nine points.

All of which means that there are no D2 teams left in the Challenge Cup, this season.

This coming week it is back to League action, with the top three teams still in contention for the two promotion spots, whilst the three bottom teams are only separated by two points, and are battling to see which can avoid the two relegation spots.  The fixtures have pitted the top three against the bottom three.  Leaders, Hawks, take on equal sixth-placed Greenleys Valiants, second-placed Leighton Buzzard Spitfires face eighth-placed Pioneers, whilst third-placed Woburn Sands Mosquitoes are up against equal sixth-placed Greenleys Sultans of Spin.  Newport Pagnell Lagondas have a mid-table clash with Powers to complete the week's lineup.