PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY
Gala Squash Club 10-4 Duns Squash Club
Iain Gorman 3-0 Iain Richards
Gala’s Gorman boasts 100$ record for the team played 2 won 2. This was the opening rubber on the night and it was the battle of the hard hitters, both players used power in their shots and although quite evenly matched fitness wise, Gorman was more accurate and whoever took serve seemed to reel off 5-6 points on the trot before the opponent could get the serve back. This was story for most of the game and Gorman took it 15-10, 15-7, 15-6.
Darren Quinn 1-3 Billy Gibbs
Although Darren went into this game with confidence, having analysed Billy Gibbs style of play, it wasn’t to prove as straight forward as that. Darren couldn’t get his shots tight against the wall and this gave Billy the time in each shot to kill the ball and won the first fairly quickly 15-8. the Second was much the same although Quinn found his drop shots were proving winners and tried to adapt to low drop shots during the raillies and this was a lot closer but the Duns man took it 15-12. With Darren now using the tactic of keeping Gibbs to the back of the court then pulling low drop shots, he maintained this throught the third and won the third 15-9 to close to 2-1. Darrens morale was high going into the fourth, but his shots were loose and although he still had the length it meant gibbs again had the extra fraction of a second at the shots and Gibbs gathered himself together and won 15-10.
Del Sharratt 3-0 Hugh McLelland
This was a close affair with the games going 16-14, 15-12,15-12. The elder statesman Hugh, although oozing experience didn’t have the movement and agaility of his younger opponent. Hugh had to rely on full length serves for several points because as soon as they got into rallies Del proved too fit and strong and would take the point.
With Hugh being made to run about a lot he just faded as the game went on and Gala’s Sharratt sealed a straight forward win.
Pat Spence 3-1 Matt Gibbs
THe top seeds completed the night, both payers were vastly experienced and both had many years of Team Squash behind them.
It was a cagy start as neither player wanting to take a risk and this made for long tight rallies and some point for point scoring s the first went 8-8 and 109 to Pat before ha took several points on the trot with his serves finding the nicks but it went to the wire and 16-14. The Second gamme was of similar ilk, the players now well in their strides and starting to take risks instead of playing the percentage shots, it was amazing to wathch ang Pat took it 15-11. Tight serving was the key In the next as Duns Gibbs took the serve at 6-6 and didn’t lose serve again until 13-7 and took it 15-7, but there was fewer rallies and Pat may have taken a “rest game” with a view to one final push in the fourth.
Indeed the fourth game was more like the first couple of games but Pat had his eye in and kept playing winners behind Gibbs and took it 15-9.
Gala Captain Sharratt said “I am happy with the whole team tonight, we are going well in the pre-season and everyone is getting their eye in and blowing off the cobwebs in time for the league season; this was revenge for Duns victory over us last year at there patch. We goto Waverley for a Friendly in a couple of weeks- which will prove to be a toughie then it’s full on when the Season starts at the end of September. We are looking forward to it and I’m looking for a good start to the season.”
Duns Squash Club Matt Said “It was an evenly matched tie, I look forward to the return leg at Duns next year where we hope to take our title back.”