In their final match Nottingham took revenge over a Manchester Northern outfit whose early-season victory cost Nottingham a place in the play-offs ...
FPD Savills 5 Manchester Northern 0
John White beat Peter Bilson 9/4 9/3 11/9
David Evans beat Philip Barker 9/3 9/4 8/10
9/3
Sam Miller beat Daryl Selby 7/9 9/3 9/6
9/5
Nick Douglas beat Masambo Salisho 3/9 9/4 9/7 8/10
9/7
Jenny Duncalf beat Laura-Jane Lengthorn 3/9 9/4 9/7 8/10
9/3
In the final match of the season - to all intents & purposes a dead
fixture, the FPD Savills Nottingham team took revenge over bottom team
who beat them 5 - 0 in the 1st half of the season - the result that
effectively robbed the former champions of a place in the last four.
Team Manager, Phil Songhurst, announcing players on court for the final
time before his departure to another job, had the pleasure of the final
player being World No. 1 and recently crowned British Champion, John
White.
The first two encounters on court were close affairs with Nottingham's
Nick Douglas just squeezing past Northern's captain 9/3 in the fifth
whilst Jenny Duncalf made hard work of her victory over England
team-mate Laura Jane Lengthorn, taking the match again in the 5th after
a 70 minute battle.
After losing the first 9/7, Sam Miller found his rhythm taking the next
three games in 20 minutes.
Welsh Champion, David Evens was rarely under pressure in overcoming
Philip Barker 3 - 0.
With the match well won, World No. 1 player John White took to the court
against Peter Bilson. White, who can play the most entertaining
exhibition squash in the world didn't disappoint the home crowd,
displaying an amazing array of shots which glanced around the extremes
of the court. Bilson, to his credit, managed to stay with the pace for
periods of the match but was always chasing the game. White ran out a
comfortable 3 / 0 winner and thus secured a 5 / 0 victory for Nottingham
- a nice way to overcome the disappointment of failure to qualify for
the semi-finals.
The team finished third but will be looking to strengthen the depth of
the squad to push for the title next season.
