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| Report: | Dulwich had a solid 5 man team up against a slightly less solid Bexley 4 man team. Duwlich needed to beat Bexley and secure 9 more points in the process in order to finish ahead of Bexley.
Armstrong was first up and he saw off the unseen opponent in no time at all.
Collingham stepped up next to bamboozle Kachelhofer with his fleet footed cross court style and was soon 1 up. The 2nd was going the same way until at 4-0 a serve out handed Kachelhofer the initiative and he quickly levelled only to ship points in similar order as the heat got the better of him so Collingham was 2 up. The 3rd was much more competitive and at 5-4 up Kachelhofer had a chance but once he lost the lead Collingham had it in the bag for a 3-0 win.
Next up Kelly took on Fitzsimon and this looked like it could be competitive as both players were getting around the court well but Kelly was the one winning the points and he won all of them in the 1st. The 2nd saw Kelly in command as Fitzsimon struggled in the heat. Kelly dropped just 2 points on his way to the 2nd game. The 3rd was a game too far for Fitzsimon as he had no answer to Kelly's all round game and it ended 27-2
That meant Dulwich had secure 14 points to Bexley's 0 and they would have to win the remaining matches 3-0 to prevent Dulwich overtaking them in the league.
Kettle was up against Fuller next and this seemed to be going Kettle's way as Fuller struggled to get going. Fuller pulled it back from 4-0 to 4-3 and as Kettle won the next point it seemed he would now turn the screw but a couple of long rallies put Kettle under pressure in the heat and woke Fuller up as he won 4 points in a row to lead 7-5. Kettle grabbed it back with a string of points to reach game point but a tin when in position to win the game let Fuller back in and he levelled after a few handouts. Kettle had another game point before Fuller had one of his own only to see Kettle grab a fantastic game. Kettle was boiling over in the break but he simmered down in the 2nd and eased away to a commanding 7-1 lead with some tighter squash. Fuller pulled a few points back and at 8-4 down had a slight chance but Kettle closed the door to go 2 up. The 3rd saw Fuller get an early lead as he seemed determined to get a game but once Kettle levelled he went quickly away as Fuller tried too hard to force the play and Kettle finished it off for another 3-0 win which secured Dulwich a spot ahead of Bexley.
Dulwich where now looking at overhauling Maidstone who had received a walkover this week from Blackheath 1 in their final match so this meant Duwlich needed 2 more points from the final match.
Horseman versus Davis had 5 sets written all over it as Davis runs all night and Horseman has been struggling with injury and fitness for the past few months. Early stages were tight but Horseman was soon riding away to build a clear lead with sharper shots but just as it seemed he was going 1 up Davis struck back with a few bursts to almost level at 7-6 down. Horseman spotted the danger and upped his game a little and that did the trick - 1 point on the board and 1 more point needed for Dulwich to secure 4th spot. Horseman was playing more cutting shots and this was keeping him out of danger and pushing him forward on the scoreboard but when Davis fought back to 6-3 down Horseman looked like he needed a water trough but thankfully he was able to raise his game again and secure the 2nd game to secure 4th spot for Dulwich. The 3rd game was a struggle for Horseman as Davis raised his game and pushed Horseman all the way. At 7-5 up however it seemed that Horseman was about to clean up but Davis stood firm and fought hard to gallop past Horseman to take the game and make it 2-1. The 4th was however a game too far for Davis as Horseman pulled out the whip and made his cuts and boasts do the business and it was all over for the loss of just 1 point.
A great 5-0 win for Dulwich saw them leapfrog into 4th spot which seemed impossible a couple of weeks back when we needed points to prevent relegation placed teams from getting ahead of us.
Dulwich Tandoori fed us all well and we all looked forward to a tiny break before the winter season begins in less than a month from now. |
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| Author: | Ian Armstrong |
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