Martin’s Food Fighters claim the top spot
The semi-finals of the popular Franco’s Autumn League at Enniskillen took place last Monday night. The first semi-final was between Martin Hamblin’s Food Fighters and John Griffin’s Mighty Ducks. Substitute Jimmy Renfrew partnered Enid Redmond in the first match and both played heroically to hold the formidable partnership of Daire Dillon and Lisa Greaves to a 6-6 all draw. A draw also ensued between Matt Dillon and Jenny Kelly against Tony Ringland and Sheila Colville. The significant results of the opening series of matches both went to the Food Fighter with Martin Hamblin and Jenny Humphries and Andy Elliot and Kate McManus claiming big wins for the team. Although Jimmy Renfrew and Marius Blake claimed an important win for the Ducks, this was never going to be enough and the Food Fighters ran out the comfortable winners in the end.
The other semi-final was between Johnny Guette’s ‘The Prawn Kings’ and ‘The Creme Brulees captained by Mary Griffin. Jimmy Renfrew and Alison Glass came through a tight match against the equally strong pairing of Innes Redmond and Geraldine Millar 7-5. Jimmy doubled up later in the evening when partnering JR Dundas against Innes and Brendan Duffy with another healthy 7-5 win. Unfortunately, for the Prawn Kings, that is where the good news ended and they were devoured by the strong partnerships of Alex Knowles and Mary Griffin, Nick Meeke and Kathleen Murphy and JR Dundas and Josie Boyle. Still, the matches were well fought and entertaining, but it was the Prawn Kings who deservedly came through to take their place in the final.
On Wednesday night, the scene was set for the eagerly awaited final between the Food Fighters and the Prawn Kings. It was evident that the Creme Brulees were fired up from the start and they took the first three matches 7-5, with wins for Alex Knowles and Mary Griffin, JR Dundas and Josie Boyle and Jimmy Renfrew and Alison Glass. However it was the decisive win of Andy Elliott and Kate McManus for the Food Fighters which levelled things off at 24 points each at the half-way stage. The second series of matches opened with one of the best matches of the evening. Powerful hitting and decisive volleying was a feature of this match and it ended with a deserved 7-5 win for Daire Dillon and Martin Hamblin over Jimmy Renfrew and JR Dundas. Alison Glass and Josie Boyle took the scalp of Lisa Greaves and Jenny Humphries in a highly entertaining match interspersed with some excellent play befitting of any final. It was the wins of the under-rated Andy Elliott partnering Matt Dillon and Jennifer Kelly and Kate McManus who turned things decisively in the Food Fighter’s favour and they ran out 54-42 winners on the night.
A warm tribute was paid by the Chair, Maxine Leary to Francos Restaurant for their continued support of this event. It is always hotly contested and the number of participants that turned in for this League may well reflect the quality of the prizes on offer and a first rate meal in a first rate restaurant is a prize well worth competing for.
