Lions C clear major obstacle in title bid

LIONS C continued their march towards the Division One league title with a convincing win over one of the major obstacles between them and the championship. Jez Powell and Scott Romeril beat the Whistlers B duo of Phil Hunkin and Martin Gaudion by four games to one, but were made to work very hard for their win.

In the first game of the night Powell played Hunkin and quickly sprinted into a 2-0 games lead.

Hunkin fought back, winning the next three, and at 9-6 in the sixth he looked a likely winner.

But Powell went for his shots and reeled off five points on the trot to level the match in the deciding seventh.

Powell continued to fire on all cylinders, winning the decider 11-4.

Romeril then beat Gaudion 4-1, but the match was not as one-sided as it sounds. Four of the five games were decided on deuce, three of them in favour of young Romeril, for Lions to lead 2-0.

Gaudion had to win the next rubber to keep Whistlers in the match and when he established a 3-1 games lead over Powell it appeared as if he would do exactly that.

Once again, though, Powell was not going to give in and started on his second comeback of the night, securing the final three sets and secure an unassailable 3-0 lead for Lions.

The rest of the matches were dead rubbers, but in a fiery encounter Romeril just edged out Hunkin in seven tough games. Whistlers took the doubles but this was no consolation as Lions took a giant step towards the title.

Closest rivals Lions A had a convincing win over whipping boys Whistlers D, 5-0.

There were two wins a piece for Phil Ogier and James Lesbirel over the Whistlers' Tim Le Page and Wasif Annees to keep them just in touch at the top.

Lions B had a convincing 4-1 win over Whistlers A with island champion Peter Bretel taking both of his games for Lions, including a win over the in-form Mark Pipet.

It was only Pipet's third league loss this season. Martin Sarre beat Neil Hastie and Sarre and Bretel combined to win the doubles.

In a rearranged game Lions D also beat Whistlers A 3-2, despite two more wins for Pipet.

Graham Lesbirel and Steve Brouard both beat Hastie and combined to win the doubles to secure the points for Lions.