Chapel A off to a winning start

LEBC Group Chapel Allerton 4-1 Pontefract

It was fitting that after winning the title last season that this season should start off with a home tie against local rivals Pontefract. The crystal ball predictions had Ponte to win 3-2, which spurred our team on even more.

Team Managers Mike Dickens and Neil Guirey put on the Christmas light show and laptops and projectors beaming images onto the front walls. The dance tracks were turned up and the scene was set for a great battle.

The huge crowd were treated to:
Jenny Duncalf vs Vanessa Atkinson – sporting the new Tecnifibre outfit Jenny was looking the part but Vanessa came out of the blocks at a ferocious pace taking an 8-3 lead, Jenny soon focused and willed on by the full house clawed her way back in the game to 9-10. A winner by Vanessa snatched the first which had the champions slightly nervous. However, Jenny regrouped and soon took command of the T moving Vanessa from corner to corner. Jenny didn’t look back taking the next three games in style 11-5, 11-4, 11-2.

On the opposite court was a home debut for Adam Murrills (19) taking on 17 year old Karan Malik from India. The squash was fair and entertaining but Adam seemed to be doing a lot of running which showed. After taking the first game Karan just scraped the second 11-13. The third was again tight throughout with Adam showing some double handed back-hand skills at the front of the court reminiscent of Robbie Temple. Adam won the game 14-12 with one of the worst framed volleys ever seen, to the delight of the Chapel A supporters and jeers of “lucky boy” from the Ponte followers. Adam pushed through in the fourth 11-8 to take a great win on his home debut.

At 3 was an ex Ponte boy Shaun Leroux also making his Chapel A debut playing against Neil Cordell. Neil looked keen from the word go and Shaun seemed slightly slower to start, maybe the nerves on his debut? Neil took the first 11-6. A fired up Leroux went 5-0 up in the second with some superb kills. The deficit was too much for Neil to pull back and Leroux finished the game off in style with a disguised back hand drive 11-5. The third and fourth were a similar outcome with Leroux starting to impose himself on the rallies with heavy hitting sending Neil scrambling in the back then pulling him to the front with accurate drops. Neil made some tremendous dives which pleased the crowd. Shaun proved too strong winning 5-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-6.

Number 2’s pitted Laurence Delasaux against Lee Beachill. Dela had trained with Lee when he was a youngster at Ponte and was looking forward to getting on court with the former World Number 1. The match was a display on how to hold your opponent, Lee the master still pulling out some outrageous shots and Dela the apprentice making his opponent work as hard as possible all the time. Dela took a 2-0 lead reasonably quickly. Again the match was very fair and played in good spirits. Lee turned it up a notch in the 3rd and the cries from the balcony of “come on beach” were growing louder. Lee took the third 11-5. The Chapel A supporters cheered Dela on in the fourth and again he was making Lee do the work. Dela won 3-1 (the apprentice wins this time), the match was filed with high level shots, skill and accuracy. Lee smiled throughout and looked like he enjoyed the game.

Number 1’s was a battle of the England team mates, Alister Walker and James Willstrop. In the first game it looked like James meant business and was in no mood for Chapel A to chalk up a 5-0 victory. Ali was solid and competed well with the first two games being 10/12, 9/11. Alister is now ranked 12 in the world and looks as if he can certainly hold his own against the top ten boys. James however continued his form and won the 3rd 11-7.


Good start for Chapel Allerton 4-1. The beef sandwiches were fantastic and the comment of the night went to the Ponte supporter who won an England shirt signed by Alister Walker in the raffle, “if I wash it enough will the Chapel A players name come off ???”

Mike Dickens