Falcons And Blue Jays In Stalemate

For only the second time in the history of the Mike Tunningley Handicap Shield a match finished in a draw. Sparken Hill Falcons and Sparken Hill Blue Jays couldn’t be separated and will now have to replay the match using the same players on each side. Although the Falcons and Blue Jays are a division apart, there isn’t that much of a gulf in standard which meant that a tight match was anticipated, and the two teams didn’t disappoint. Connor Bettley put in a good performance for the Blue Jays as he beat all three Falcons players in Jordan Potter, Mick Potter and Luke Barraclough ensuring he returned the maximum points possible of 126 whilst only dropping 80 points in the process. Bettley was well supported by Ivan Stallworthy who despite dropping points to Jordan Potter still managed a healthy return defeating Mick Potter and Luke Barraclough whilst Dave Rix also managed to triumph against Barraclough but lost out to both Potters. The points gained on the table were added up and the Blue Jays had amassed 351 to the Falcons 279, a lead of 72 and when the envelope was opened, low and behold the handicap given was 72 points to the Falcons leaving the match all square.
Sparken Hill sides in general had a good week with four of the 8 teams that will make up the quarter final line up guaranteed to be from Sparken Hill when you include the Falcons v Blue Jays replay. One of the teams to make it through were Sparken Hill Vultures who managed to sneak a win away at Stanley Street ‘A’ by 386 points to 370. Ben Crapper, Rob Vaughan and James Wormwell amassing 260 points on the table with Wormwell gaining the scalp of Alex Millward beating him 21-20, 21-15. Millwards team mates in Jack Kirkland and Peter Eyre remained unbeaten with Kirkland dropping 81 points and Eyre only dropping 66 but it proved not to be enough as when the sealed envelope with the handicap was opened it revealed that 126 handicap points had been awarded to the Vultures giving them a 386-370 victory.
An even closer contest was between DTH Redlands Roosters and Sparken Hill Starlings which ended with the Starlings edging it by just 7 points. The Starlings trio of Andy Le, Ivan Guilliatt and Kurt Hutson really got stuck in and gave the Roosters side much to think about with Guilliatt and Hutson both beating Steve Fox with Andy Lee managing to not drop any points to Fox by winning one 21-18 and losing one 21-18. The good performances continued and although they couldn’t trouble Tom McIntosh, both Lee and Hutson did take a game off of the Worksop Masters Champion Ernest Mpundu. The game finished 350 points to 276 in the Rosters favour, but 81 handicap points awarded to the Starlings to give them the win by 375 to 350.
Division Three side Sparken Hill Hawks also made it through to the next round with a win away at First Division Worksop Miners Welfare who despite winning all 18 singles games still found themselves out of the competition. For the Welfare side Mark Stanfield only dropped 22 points, Mick Bell 29 with Dave Marsh dropping 38 but it still wasn’t enough as the Hawks trio of Paul Wendon, Tom Wendon and Scott Lee kept plugging away and managed to win 91 points against their opponents 378 and with 300 handicap points added to their 91 won on the table they ran out winners by 391 points to 378.
Stanley Street ‘B’ made it through to the quarter finals with a comfortable win away at Manton Sports, made even more comfortable by an excellent performance by Mark Sansom who not only won all his three singles matches but did it by some margin to set his team on their way. He was backed up well by his team mates Ralph Rodda and Chris Tilstone with Rodda beating both Alan Wilson and Keith Smith but losing out to John Lowde with Tilstone also managing to beat Smith. On the table Stanley Street ‘B’ were ahead by 371 points to 265 with 60 handicap points going to Manton Sports making the score a little more respectable but not enough to stop Stanley Street winning 371-325.
In an all DTH Redlands affair it was The Demolition Men that came out on top against their fellow Division Three opponents The Red Devils. Perry Bradford, Derek Piper and Ethan Shevill had a little too much for the Red Devils trio of Phil Daly, Harry Clarke and Dave Lyus winning on the table by 356 points to 241. When the handicap envelope was opened there were a further 65 points to go on the Red Devils total, but the damage had already been done and it wasn’t enough to overhaul their opponents total and the Demolition Men ran out winners by 356 points to 306.
Other Second Round Results: The Real Deal 378 Worksop Owls 0 (conceded)