Fourth for Guildford

PNH Properties 3 beat UniSport Guildford 2

Alex Gough 2 lost to Stacey Ross 3
11 - 5, 11 - 7, 13 - 15, 5 - 11, 7 - 11
Tim Vail 3 beat Steve Meads 1
11 - 9, 11 - 8, 6 - 11, 11 - 7
Ollie Pett 0 lost to Phil Rushworth 3
10 - 12, 3 - 11, 9 - 11
Neil Frankland 3 beat Mick Biggs 2
11 - 5, 7 - 11, 9 - 11, 11 - 5, 11 - 5
Annabelle Collins-Ballands 3 beat Emma Wardle 2
8 - 11, 9 - 11, 11 - 7, 12 - 10, 11 - 6


Guildford finish fourth - Ian Robinson reports

UniSport Guildford travelled to the south coast with points uppermost in their minds for the last match of the Premier Squash League season. At the start of play UniSport were 9 points ahead of Chichester at the foot of the table and 9 points behind St Georges Hill in fourth place. So a win would see a fourth place finish ahead of St Georges Hill but a loss would make a points calculation inevitable with PNH Chichester chasing hard to lose the wooden spoon position. Both teams had absentees with Alison Waters and Dominique Lloyd-Walter away as well as UniSport team no 1 Jesse Engelbrecht and Chichester without ever present veteran Peter Genever and their number 1 Azlan Iskander. Nonetheless the matches were intriguing and made it difficult to predict the outcome with home advantage going to PNH Chichester.

The first match was between two young ladies of the future, Emma Wardle for UniSport Guildford and Annabelle Collins-Ballands of PNH Properties Chichester. Nerves were going to play a big part in this match and so it proved. Premier League Squash is all new to both these promising players who have been notable in their junior exploits. Predicting the outcome was akin to Saturday night lottery selection - much in hope but little certainty - and likely success would fall to the one who managed the occasion best. The first two games were claimed by Wardle who dictated terms from the middle of the court and hit the ball crisply with some clever placements. No doubt Collins-Ballands was showing early signs of nerves, making mistakes in situations where she would not normally. After building good leads Wardle proceeded to show her opponent enough daylight to encourage her keen participation, which was probably to cost in the long run. After looking the likely winner to the later stages of the third game Wardle lost her control and ceased her strong hitting to the back corners which allowed the Chichester youngster enough room to work her way to the middle of the court and start exercising more control over proceedings. It was the Guildford player who started to make mistakes, but there was no certainty either way. The tie break in the fourth game was the last time that Wardle had a chance to claim victory. Collins-Ballands came back from a 2 - 0 deficit, worked hard and at the same time reduced her errors to claim a hard fought victory. Both players will have been encouraged by this outing in the big time and will learn from the experience. But first blood went with home advantage, 1 - 0 to PNH Properties Chichester.

Phil Rushworth is in a rich vein of form at the moment and looking to add to his recent scalps found himself opposed to another upcoming youngster in Ollie Pett of Sussex. UniSport needed this tie to get back on equal terms and Rushworth was up for the challenge. The first game was particularly hard fought but in the end recent successes meant that Rushworth had the confidence to nose in front at the crucial time and claim a hard working first game success 12 - 10. This only served to increase his confidence even more and he came out firing at the start of the second and dominated the game with his relentless driving forcing loose balls to finish clinically to the front corners. In the third game matters were more even and Pett tried desperately to force his way back in, but in the end Rushworth was not to be denied and he happily put UniSport Guildford's first points on the board. 1 - 1 in match score and at this stage on games count back Guildford with 2 games from Wardle's match and 3 points from Rushworth's match had scored 5 points with a points tally of 10 being necessary to overtake St Georges Hill.

Mick Biggs found himself opposed to Neil Frankland, once of UniSport Guildford fame and now spending his twilight years as a super-sub for PNH Properties Chichester. As is the case in these situations it came back to haunt Guildford. Frankland did what he has done many times before in Guildford colours and that is won the first game with his brand of quality controlled squash. He worked his opponent out of position and hit some tasty winners to the front corners of the court. But credit to Biggs, he started to adjust to the Chichester courts and hit more accurately taking Frankland away from the middle of the court and making him work harder for his opportunities. Biggs even managed to venture some controlled placement winners of his own to steel the second and third games. Both these games were hard won and the closeness of the score suggested that Biggs was not really making his advantage pay as effectively as he should. When 2 - 1 down, Frankland applied himself to the task and increased his work rate and grabbed control of the play back from Biggs and ran out the winner using his experience to make it count at the key stages of the fourth and fifth games. Biggs will rue the missed opportunity here - the last time they played he took a 3 - 0 beating but here he was definitely in with a great chance. The fact that it went begging only says that it is a matter of time before he wins at this level and then there will be a suitable boost to his confidence with the attendant benefits. PNH Properties Chichester 2 - 1. However a further 2 valuable points were added to the UniSport cause in the League table.

Home team player manager, the ever popular Tim Vail greeted Steve Meads with a volley of attacking shots from the outset. So nothing new there then. Meads was pitting his reliable containing game against the outright and forthright attack of Vail. Always a fascinating contest made more so by the hint of niggle taking place on court, which the referee did little to allay. It was really an end of season struggle with the quality of squash sufficient but both players are probably looking forward to some summer sun or if they are not then they probably should be. Clearly the the result and the points were all that mattered. Both players are such good professionals that they wanted to deliver the goods for their team on the night. There was some interesting cat and mouse and by and large it was in the balance. But it was a straight battle as to whether Vail would find enough winners to keep him out of too much physical trouble against Meads trying to suck him into working as hard he could to reduce the attacking capability. The result went again with home advantage when, despite dropping the third game, Vail was able to find enough control to keep Meads at bay and raise the cheer of the night as Chichester won the match 3 - 1 and the tie 3 - 1 as well. But another valuable point in the league table for UniSport Guildford - now a promising 8 points with a further 2 needed to overtake St Georges Hill.

So with 2 points needed Ross was faced by the PSA's new Chief Executive Alex Gough, who, more importantly used to be a world top 5 player himself. Gough was immediately into his stride giving no hint of his retirement to take up more pressing executive matters. No question the ball was pinging around the court with little or no accuracy except that applied by Gough which was enough to win him the first game with Ross seemingly not at the races. The second game went a similar way with Gough far more in control and finding the right shot at the right time to claim the second game, however not by such a clear margin. Now Ross was beginning to show signs of getting his game together. The third game was closer but still Gough arrived at match ball before Ross started to come to life. Stung into action after the frustration of the first two games, Ross was timing the ball better and hitting some clean winners - always a good indicator. After saving himself in the third, Ross started to hit with precision, which conveniently co-incided with Gough getting tired and slowing his relentless speed around court just enough. Showing great accuracy and hitting some disconcerting winners Ross played particularly well in the fourth to level the scores and take it into fifth and deciding set without having to become embroiled in too many lengthy rallies. The fifth was an intriguing struggle with Gough trying to contain the attacking game of Ross hitting tight and deep, but Ross showing just enough patience to wait for his moment to hit the winner and stretch his opponent and make him work harder than he wanted to. After tough early exchanges in the deciding set, Ross moved clear and claimed a hard working victory in a strangely fascinating and entertaining match at the end of a long season. UniSport Guildford had lost the match overall 3 - 2, but had put 11 points on the board which was enough to finish 4th in the Premier Squash League table for the season.

This has been another successful campaign in the Premier Squash League by UniSport Guildford who have worked hard to make the most of their playing resources. A very special mention must go to all those that have supported the team as sponsors, the University of Surrey Sports Department (UniSport) Colbornes VW and R A Robertsons & Sons. We would also like to thank all those travelling spectators,drivers and general camp followers too numerous to mention but you know who you are - you have all added to the spirit of the team. We look forward to next season, which we hope will be adorned by the move to the new Surrey Sports Park facility with 8 brand new glass backed squash courts. Can't wait. See you next season.

Ian Robinson
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