Top Two Can’t Be Separated In Top Of Table Clash

The top two sides in Division Three met this week with both having the chance to pull away from each other with a positive result. Sparken Hill Hawks and DTH Redlands Rovers met at Sparken Hill with both sides knowing that a win would put them 3 points clear of their opponents. The match was an extremely tight affair from start to finish with no side going more than one set up at any one time. Paul Wendon was the player in form as he registered an impressive hat trick with wins over Roman Rosser, Adam Pinches and Stuart Pinches who was making a comeback after a while out of the game. Wendon’s hat trick helped his side to a share of the spoils in a 5-5 draw and he was helped along the way by son Tom and Scott Lee who both had a win each over Stuart Pinches. For the Rovers, both Rosser and Adam Pinches both managed two wins each before they teamed up in the doubles to beat Lee and Tom Wendon which proved decisive in the Rovers taking a point whilst also maintaining their unbeaten start to the season.
Sparken Hill Blue Jays who before the season started were amongst the three or four teams that looked most likely to challenge for the top two promotion places were playing Worksop Welfare Real Deal who had lost both of their opening league games and it came as no surprise that the Blue Jays dominated proceedings. Ivan Stallworthy, Dave Lee and John McIntyre all won all their singles games with both Lee and Stallworthy being relatively untroubled on the night, but McIntyre had to battle to wins over both Michael Candy in 4 sets and Tom Ogley in 5 sets. Dave Rix joined the proceedings and teamed up with Stallworthy to play in the doubles with which they won in straight sets over Candy and Ogley to secure a comfortable 10-0 win.
Also in Division Three another Sparken Hill side were in action as the Nightingales entertained DTH Redlands Mean Machine but they were no match for their opponents as they slipped to a 10-0 defeat. There were hat tricks all round for Mean Machine trio of Harry Clarke, Grace Dickinson and Joseph Wootton with Wootton and Clarke adding the doubles to their sides tally with a victory over Harrison Holland and Charlie Shepherd with Isabella Saul sitting the doubles out.
Worksop Welfare Snipers ‘B’ look like they are attempting to win the Division Two title by the end of November! The Snipers team had a blank week in the fixture list this week but brought yet another fixture forward and it paid dividends as they whitewashed Sparken Hill falcons 10-0. This meant that the Falcons played two games in two nights and they slipped to another defeat, this time against Stanley Street ‘B’ but they did go one better this time as they managed to avoid another 10-0 defeat going down 9-1 to the Stanley Street outfit.
Two sides in Division Two who have made an unbeaten start to the season both played this week with Manton Sports making it three wins from three with a 6-4 win away at Sparken Hill Eagles whilst Manton Tigers drew with Carlton X-Youth to maintain their unbeaten record with X-Youth gained their first point of the season.
Another draw in Division Two came when Worksop Welfare Harriers and Worksop Welfare Cannon couldn’t be separated in a tense affair with both sides earning a point in a 5-5 draw.
Clowne ‘B’ already look like one of the favourites to drop into Division Two from Division One after falling to their third league defeat in a row after being second best all night in a 10-0 defeat away at Stanley Street ‘A’. Surprisingly joining them on zero points at the foot of the table are Worksop Miners Welfare who strengthened in the summer with the signing of Chris Cattell but have lost both of their opening two games. Their latest defeat came against newly promoted Worksop Welfare Snipers ‘A’ who took full advantage of their opponents only fielding two players and registered an unlikely 6-4 win.
Last season’s title winners DTH Redlands Roosters met the runners-up from last season but the Monsters showed their improvement by running out 7-3 winners to remain at the top of the division on set difference from their club colleagues the Fluffy Toys who enjoyed an 8-2 win over Sparken Hill Starlings. The Starlings played two league games this week as they caught up with a postponed game from the opening week of the season and grabbed a 5-5 draw away at Clowne ‘A’ who were left wondering ‘what if’ as they earned a point despite only being able to field two players.