Press Correspondent:   Peter Thompson      
ETTA Senior Coach
Tel or Fax 0113 2047082                             

Mixed Start for Pudsey Teams

Pudsey teams competing in the senior British league had contrasting fortunes at the weekend. The first team made the short trip to Accrington to compete in division four whilst the second team headed north to Ormesby to compete in division five.

The first team made an excellent start with a comfortable 6-2 win over Cliffedale Chandlers including a brace of wins for Chris Parker and Phil Cawser with one win each for Phil Lowe and James Atkins. Pudsey then suffered their only defeat of the weekend going down 5-3 to Woodfield. Single wins here for Phil Cawser, Chris and James. Pudsey then were on the right side of a 5-3 score line in overcoming Halton. This saw Bryan Birkbeck with two wins, giving Pudsey victory with a comfortable 3-0 win over Janay Gibson in the last match. Pudsey went 6-0 up in their match with Isle of Man before dropping the last two ends to run out 6-2 victors. This left Pudsey in second position after the first weekend.

In division five Pudsey faced Team Tameside in their opening match and Chris Newsome got the side off to a good start with a fifth end win. However Pudsey could not maintain the momentum and lost 6-2. Linda Sanderson produced the only other win with a good fifth end victory on her debut in the British League. In their second match against Bribar Redlands, Nicola Smith lost the opening game in five ends. Newsome levelled the match before 14-year old Nicole Finn beat Phil Beresford in the fifth end to put Pudsey in front. Pudsey then fell behind before Smith again got the better of the unfortunate Beresford in the fifth end. With Pudsey 4-3 down Nicole faced Stephen Arliss and it looked like the experienced chop play of Arliss would be too good as he took the opening set 11-2. Nicole then grabbed the next end 11-9 and from then on with increasing confidence and maturity beyond her years proceeded to win the next two ends 11-7 to give Pudsey the draw. On the Sunday with a completely different team, Pudsey were on the wrong end of a 5-3 score line with wins from John Ainley, Rudi Itoe and Dave Noutch. Wigan beat Pudsey 8-0 in the last match.

Posted 18 September 2010 22:46 BST