Hectic period for Onley Arms

5:23pm Thursday 7th August 2008

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It was another night of close games in the Daniel Robinson and Son’s Braintree and District League.

Rayne Cock 3 travelled to play Onley Arms and Cock’s triple of Graham Hill, Neil Morgan and Ian Humm built a good lead, after the early ends were shared. The Onley triple of Derek Roughton and Daniel and Trevor Blows pulled points back but the visitors ran out 13-9 winners.

In the singles, Morgan pointed well to build a 6-1 lead over Trevor Blows.

The home captain responded by upping his game, taking 12 points at the next five ends to win 13-6.

The deciding doubles saw the teams sharing the points early on but the Cock pulled away, 7-2 then 11-5, before Derek Roughton and Daniel Blows found their form to bring it back to 11-11.

At the final end, with boule in hand, the Onley opened the head.

It was left to Blows, under considerable pressure, to point past a wall of opposition boule, for a hard fought 13-11 win.

Onley won 2-1 in another match played in good spirit throughout.

A hectic five games in eight days for the Onley has brought three wins and eight points, moving them up the table.

After last week’s success in defeating leaders Feering Bell 1, Rayne Swan 1 came down to earth with a bump, losing 2-1 to Rayne Swan 2.

Swan 2 raced into a 5-0 lead in the triples but let their club-mates back into the game.

Swan 1 immediately started taking the coche long which suited them more.

It became a hard fought game with Lorne Gibson, Adam Buxton and Vince Schofield finally running out 13-9 winners.

In the doubles Colin Sams and Tom Smith again took an early 7-2 lead for Swan 1, which Lee Dodge and Schofield fought back from to lead 8-7.

The next end saw Sams and Smith take a stinging five to sit on the brink of a win at 12-8.

The next two points went to Swan 1 to bring the score to 12-10.

The last end saw Dodge, who pointed well throughout, place a boule right on the coche.

But he was outdone by Smith who matched it and with boule in hand, Dodge and Schofield were unable to move it so Swan 2 ran out 13-10 winners. It was left to Gibson to win the singles for Swan 1, which he certainly was expected to do against Matt Waldie, who is playing his first season of petanque and only his second ever competitive singles match.

But in a major shock Waldie, who played with some dour Scottish tenacity, totally upset the form book in winning by a considerable margin.

He never looking troubled and led throughout.

On the final end shot Gibson’s holding boule out and calmly pointed in for a 13-4 win and the game for Swan 2.