Blake’s of ‘the Hollow’ 125 Years Celebration Spring Tennis League
Monday Night
On a perfect night for tennis top billing went to the classy Chardonnays doing battle against the big hitting Serving Aces. First up in the mixed was super sub Dominic (yellow card for James) & Sandra Parker, who has taken the step up from No.3 to No.1 in her stride. After coming from behind to leave the minimum between them, Sandra and Dominic lost out narrowly 5-7 to Donal Burns and Louise McGann after a real corker. Next match up saw father against son as Ollie McShea and Veronica Bogue faced Conor McShea and Moira McAdam, a lot of bragging rights at stake in this one. It was obvious from the off neither side wanted to lose and after numerous rallies and some excellent volleying at the net from both Veronica & Conor it was Ollie and Veronica, in their first game together, who won 9-3. However, the young pretender Conor got his chance for revenge in the men’s doubles and he had an Ace up his sleeve in the form of the hard serving Donal Burns, who, along with a significant age gap, was ultimately the difference between the two teams with Conor holding his serve in the final game from love 40 to win, leaving the bragging rights shared in the McShea household as Conor & Donal won 8-4. As the match reached the closing stages the overall score was very close but the Chardonnays had saved the best wine to last in the form of Vanessa McBrien and Jennifer Kelly who returned everything and then some to cruise through 12-0 and ensure an overall victory for The Chardonnays 53-43. So toast of the night to Vanessa and Jennifer!
Earlier on Monday the Perfect Pints had Reggie Ferguson and Seamus O’Connell to thank for bringing them through at the death 50-46 against the Pool Sharks. Following an impressive 8-4 win in the final mixed doubles for Sharks James Morrison and Catherine Sloan over Seamus and Jenny Cruickshank, the Pool Sharks finally started to hit form, winning 3 of the 4 doubles matches, albeit by the tightest of margins 7-5 but they had to watch and learn as Reggie and Seamus turned back the clock beating Chief Shark Matt Dillon and James 11-1 to give this round and the overall match to the Perfect Pints.
Wednesday Night
With some Snug Bugs failing to show on a wet and cold night the Irish Coffees took full advantage of a 12-0 walkover in game to run out cosy 57-39 winners. However the Coffees didn’t get it all their own way with Helen Cooper fighting back to win both her matches 8-4, firstly with the never say die Daire Dillon in the mixed , and then a repeat in the ladies doubles with much in demand sub Geraldine Millar. These two victories combined with a gusty 8-4 win for Neville Crawford and Tony Ringland in the men’s would have given some hope but the Snug Bugs were finally crushed by too strong Irish Coffees Enid Redmond and Joy Fletcher winning out 9-3 in the final ladies doubles to give Joy her second 9-3 win of the night and the Irish Coffees the overall victory.
Last match of the week saw Martin Sharkey’s Level 7 battle in out against the Cocktail Knights and despite continuous drizzle for the entire match both teams managed to maintain a high standard of tennis resulting in a competitive and close match. John Griffin, with his partner Dympna Slowey enjoying a welcome and winning return to league tennis, were first up for the Knights scraping over the line 7 to 5. Fellow Knights Brian Donaldson and Kathleen Murphy then took centre stage running out easy winners 10 games to 2 help the Cocktail Knights to a comfortable 6 game lead at the halfway stage. The second half began in similar fashion with John Griffin and /Nicholas Hambly winning 7-5 to stretch the lead. At this point Level 7 began to rise to the challenge and an amazing reversal of his earlier defeat saw Niall Mc Gandy with the help of, the wetter the better Allen Reynolds, overturn his earlier defeat with a convincing 10 to 2 win. The second ladies doubles ended in a 6 to 6 draw leaving the score level with the first ladies doubles the last match to complete. Andrea Crawford who had played well all night with her partner Michelle Kennedy won a tight match 8 to 4 giving Level 7 a superb comeback win 50-46.
