Match:  Knutsford 1 Home to Club AZ 1

Date:  10^th March 2011

Into the last 4 games of the season and with our new number 1 unable to play in the last 4 due to rule 7.7 it looked like knutsford were going to struggle. AZ arrived with a depleted squad too and knutsfords feathers started to fluff up.  With 2 courts available it was going to be an early night.

On first was Streff against badminton champ Hancox.  After some early exchanges streff never looked back and won easy 3-0.  Man of the match for hitting the tin just once all night.

Meanwhile on the other court Smithy was up against Pete Ceuppens.  This was a much tighter match and proved to be close.  After taking a 1-0 lead our man then relinquished it to go behind 1-2.  He valiantly pulled it back to 2-2.  Another tight game and at 6-6 Pete crowded the ball and gave away a stroke.  So at 7-6 could Smithy finish the match.  A disastrous drive into the tin lost the momentum to which he couldn't recover and went down 7-9.

So at 1 match each and with Burkey up against wonderboy Rhys it was going to come down to Russell and Risley to bring the match home.

Whilst Burkey was getting creamed on court 1, Perry was battering his oppo into submission.  An easy win for our very own Francis Rossi lookalikey.

Burkey was challenged to take a game off the man who has not conceded a single point against him all season.  A brave attempt was made but he could only get 1 in the first and a couple in the third.  Smithy was quick to point out that he got 6 points off him earlier in the season!

Could Risley finish AZ off.  With a very rotund oppo he did with just 6 points against.

So a good win against the 2^nd placed team.  Knutsford now looking forward to getting up into the promotion spots.  With 3 games left and fairly easy run in, can they do it…..watch this space.

 Score card