Warkens and RAC stay top as playoffs approach
The seventh round of the Premier Squash League saw Warwick University/Kenilworth Squash and Tradition@RAC maintain their leads at the top of the Northern and Southern divisions as the competition for playoff places intensified on a night of clear-cut results.
WarKens bounced back from their first defeat in the last round with a comprehensive 4-1 home win over UWE/Elite Squash Bristol to open up a 14-point gap at the top of the division.
Team Pontefract, who suffered a surprising reversal in the previous round, bounced back with a five-nil home win over 2017 champions University of Nottingham to regain second place over University of Birmingham Lions, who went down five-nil to a jubilant Northumberland Club/Newcastle University team who moved off the bottom at Bristol’s expense.
In the Southern Division top of the table clash it was Tradition@RAC who took the spoils away to the Welsh Wizards, while reigning champions Luxfords St George’s Hill beat bottom of the table Chichester 4-1 to move into second place.
In the Friday match Coolhurst came from 1-2 down to beat Bexley, moving into fourth place but both teams are well adrift of the top three.
With two rounds to go and only the top two in each division going into the semi-finals, WarKens have a good lead in the Northern Division with all the other teams still in with a chance, while the Southern Division looks to be a three-horse race .
WARKENS 4-1 BRISTOL (12-3)
Raphael Kandra 2-0 Tom Ford 11-4, 11-7
Iker Pajares 2-0 Sean Conroy 13-11, 11-9
Mark Fuller 1-2 Mike Harris 9-11, 11-3, 5-11
Harry Falconer 2-0 James Peach 11-8, 11-9
Julianne Courtice 2-1 Lily Taylor 8-11, 11-9, 11-6
PONTEFRACT 5-0 NOTTINGHAM (13-1)
James Willstrop 2-0 Declan James 11-9, 11-4
Chris Simpson 2-0 Julian Tomlinson 11-3, 12-10
Abhay Singh 2-1 Lewis Walters 11-3, 4-11 11-6
Sam Todd 2-0 Jayden Gough 11-3, 11-6
Laura Massaro 2-0 Hana Ramadan 11-6, 11-5
NEWCASTLE 5-0 BIRMINGHAM (13-2)
Cameron Pilley 2-0 Jan vd Herrewegen 12-10, 11-8
Piedro Schweertman 2-1 Stuart Macgregor 3-11, 11-8, 11-6
Rob Downer 2-0 Ryan Picken 11-5, 11-8
Chris Wiggins 2-0 Michael Mattimore 12-10, 11-0
Lisa Aitken 2-1 Millie Tomlinson 11-6, 6-11, 11-6
Southern Division
WELSH WIZARDS 1-4 TRADITION@RAC (4-11)
Marwan ElShorbagy 1-2 Paul Coll 12-10, 7-11, 3-11
Edmon Lopez 1-2 Daryl Selby 6-11, 11-3, 10-12
Elliott Morris Devred 0-2 George Parker 6-11, 5-11
David Evans 0-2 Ben Coleman 9-11, 6-11
Grace Gear 2-0 Alice Green 11-6, 11-9
ST GEORGE’S HILL 4-1 CHICHESTER (12-2)
Tom Richards 1-2 Mathieu Castagnet 11-7, 7-11, 6-11
Borja Golan 2-0 Tim Vail 11-4, 11-7
Carlos Cornes 2-0 Tom Walsh 12-10, 11-6
Robbie Temple 2-0 Miles Jenkins 11-8, 11-7
Jasmine Hutton 2-0 Lauren Briggs 11-3, 11-6
BEXLEY 2-3 COOLHURST (5-10)
Josh Masters 0-2 Greg Lobban 5-11, 6-11
Olli Tuominen 0-2 Adrian Waller 11-13, 7-11
Benjamin Aubert 2-1 Joe Green 6-11, 11-6, 11-6
Diego Gobbi 2-0 Lucas Cannistrait 11-2, 11-4
Elise Lazarus 1-2 Katie Maliff 11-9, 9-11, 10-12
