On the fixture card for the Sheldon and District Winter League were the finals of their Punchbowl Trophy and in the semi-finals the all Premier League encounter saw Langley Arrows hand out a 7-0 whitewash to their opponents Highwood, while the other premier team, Brian’s Flights, had a closer 5-2 success over their division one rivals Yardley Ex Colts. The final saw premier division champions Langley Arrows add another title to their account when they won 5-2 against Brian’s Flights with Bobby Nixon recording a maximum for the winners.
There was one rearranged league fixture played, a division two game between Moseley Rugby Club and Digby. The result was a 6-3 win for Moseley Rugby Club to see them move up from third in the divisional table to pole position, however the title for the division could still go to any one of the top three teams as both Moseley Rugby Club and second placed Lyndon Old Boys are both on twenty points with one more game to play and third placed Raven, who also have one remaining fixture, have eighteen points and are level on average with Moseley Rugby Club and have a much better average than Lyndon old Boys.
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Game twenty-one in the Kings Norton league saw no change in the top six places with leaders Northfield taking their undefeated run to twenty-one games with a 7-0 win at Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club to keep them six points to the good on their nearest rivals Copper Fox who with a maximum from their E.Simpson won their home tie with Stirchley 6-1. A further six points adrift in third place is Bournebrook, who fell further behind after losing 4-3 at home against Greenlands. Fourth placed Bourneville are now only two points short of Bournebrook and have a game in hand while fifth in the league Greenlands with twenty-six points are sixteen off the top. Stirchley are fifth in the table but could drop down further when sixth placed Toby Jug play their game in hand as their latest 5-2 home win over Kings Norton Flights leaves them just two points behind Stirchley with a superior average. After playing twenty games Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club are bottom of the league table still seeking their first points of the season.
The only other maximum of the week came from Greenlands player J.Downer.
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Current leaders of division one in the Four Oaks and District League, Highcroft Hotdogs, had their most recent fixture away to Rise Club claimed by the home side who were awarded a 9-0 win. This completes Hotdogs fixtures for the season but the title will almost certainly go to second placed Nomads @ Hollyfields whose latest fixture saw them win 6-3 at fourth in the division Old Horns Lions to leave the Nomads just one point behind Highcroft Hotdogs but still with two games to play. Third in the division Walmley CSC Flights also had a 6-3 win in their game at Red Lion to put them on twenty-eight points with one more fixture to play but a win in that game would see them finish in their current third place as it would leave them one point short of Highcroft Hotdogs. Jamie Meredith (Walmley CSC Flights) had a 160 break in his 2-1 win over Red Lio’s Dane Vickers.
Old Horns Lions top the division one Shadow League with twelve points, however they have completed their programme and second placed Old Oscott Arrows who are level on the same twelve points, still have one more game to play and a win in that game would see them overtake Old Horns Lions to finish top of the table.
Drakes Drum, who had already been acclaimed champions of division two, had a 6-3 win at Pint Pot Flights to take their points tally to thirty-four with one more game to play, P.Smith hitting a maximum for Pint Pot Flights.. Erdington Arrows completed their fixtures with a 5-4 win at Beggars Bush to see them finish as runners-up with twenty-eight points, two more than third placed Rosey Mac’s who had already played their last game and had a bye this week. Michael Taylor (Sutton Sharks) had a 160 break in his team’s 6-3 home defeat to Deer’s Leap.
Deer’s Leap have won the division two Shadow League, they have fourteen points with one remaining fixture while their nearest rivals St Thomas Arrows are two points behind them and have played all of their games
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There were mixed fortunes this week for leader of the Heartlands Sugardarts M&E Co Double Top League, Martin Cooper as he began the evening with a straight 3-0 win over George Drennan but then lost a vital game to his nearest rival, second placed Steve Cain, who won 2-1 to give him a total of twenty-nine points, two fewer than Cooper who also has a game in hand. John Frost, with a 3-0 win over Matthew Cain, holds on to third place with twenty-eight points, one more than John Burdett who remains fourth after adding a 2-1 win over Hayden Valovec and 3-0 success against Tony Pedley.
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No changes in the top positions in the Netherton Thursday Night 501 League despite leaders Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club having their fixture with fifth placed Bulls Head postponed, their twenty-one wins in as many games giving them a total of sixty-three points and a lead of six, plus a game in hand over second placed Old Liberal Club who won their home tie with Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘B’ 8-1. Third in the league British Oak also had their game away to fourth placed Plough and Harrow postponed and remain on fifty-four points to Plough and Harrows forty-eight, both teams now having a game in hand. ———————————
With just two more fixtures to play to the halfway point of the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League, leaders Allen’s Bar, with a 5-2 home win over Wonder ‘A’, made it thirteen consecutive unbeaten games, however their 100% record only gives them a narrow lead of two points over second in the league Vine ‘A’ who also won 5-2 playing away against Sandwell whose defeat sees them drop one place in the table to fifth with twenty points, the same number as fourth in the league Wonder ‘B’ whose 6-1 home win over Sow and Pigs leaves them two points behind third in the table Cottage Spring. Cottage Spring were one of this week’s biggest winners, handing out a 7-0 whitewash to their hosts King Arthur, Horseley Tavern ‘A’ were the other 7-0 winners in their home tie with bottom placed Royal Yeomanry who are still seeking their first win of the campaign.
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A 5-3 home win over fifth in the Silver End Sunday Morning League keeps Spring meadow top of the table with nineteen points, the win keeping intact the leaders record of being the only team in the league not to have lost after the opening seven games. Second placed Old Star went one better with a 6-2 win playing away against next to bottom of the table Pensnett Liberal Club ‘B’. Third in the league Tenth Lock trail Old Star on average only as their 5-3 win at home over bottom of the table Portway, puts them on the same eighteen points as Old Star. Dudley Sports ‘A’ are fourth, they lost ground and suffered their first defeat of the season when they lost 5-3 at home to Brier Rose who are six places below them and have six fewer points.
After the top four come three teams, Old Liberal Club, Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club and Brickmakers Arms all on fifteen points, Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club winning 5-3 at home against Union and Brickmakers Arms having a convincing 7-1 win at Pensnett Liberal Club ‘A’.
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Current leaders of the Black Country Men’s Super League, Quarry Bank Liberal Club suffered a setback to their title aspirations when they lost 3-2 at Allen’s Bar ‘A’, but despite the defeat the Liberal Club remain in pole position with twenty points, three more than second placed Soccer Zone ‘A’ who also went down 3-2 in their fixture at Allen’s Bar ‘B’. With fifteen points Allen’s Bar ‘A’ are third with the same number of points as fourth placed High Acres after they won 4-1 at home against Whiteheath Tavern. Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club are fifth on fourteen points but with a game in hand on all the teams above them.
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It’s as you were for the top four teams in the West Midlands Ladies Super League, leader Evonne Taylor taking her unbeaten run to twenty-six games with further 3-0 wins over both fourth placed kat McLean and Hannah Davies. With a total of 104 points Taylor has a nine point’s advantage over second placed Gemma Barrett plus two games in hand after Barrett beat Julie Emery 3-2.Jacqueline Maiden’s 3-0 win over Chloe Woodman leaves her six points short of Gemma Barrett who has played two games more than Maiden. Kat McLean, in fourth place is on seventy-eight points but with games in hand on all of the three players above her.
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Gilbert’s Bar was the setting for the annual John Jones Memorial Knockout which attracted a top class field of players. The quarter-finals saw Lacey Hughes, Conker White, Andrew Jervis and Jon Blakey all make their exits while in the last four games Dan Hands had a straight 5-0 win over Wayne Willis while in the all-Jones affair Wayne Jones beat Ian Jones 5-2, the two losers each picking up £40. The final was extended to the best of eleven games with the 6-4 result going to Wayne Jones who received £150 as champion with runner-up Dan Hands collecting £80.
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