Saddleworth the KO kings

SADDLEWORTH are proving to be a knockout in three of the prestigious Manchester Alliance team competitions.

They have won through to the last eight of the Archie Preston Mixed Foursomes and BMW Challenge, the junior event.

And this weekend they will be bidding to make it a hat trick when they bid for a place in the quarter finals of the Dunham Forest Trophy at Hazel Grove.

The mixed team’s latest Archie Preston success came with an emphatic 6-1 home victory against Withington through Anita Scholes and Brian Rooney (19th), Dave Pullen and Kay Orme (4 & 3), Tad Knebel and Jenny Knight (1up), Nigel Cooper and Sonia Dunn (3 & 2), John Knight and Kathy Scott (4 & 3), Lillian and Jeff Howarth (4 & 3).

And in the BMW Challenge, Saddleworth’s latest victory was 5-2 against Ellesmere through Tom Caffrey (9 & 7), Mark Anderson-Wild (3 & 2), Jack Shaw (3 & 2), Stephen Pullen (3 & 2) and Rick Scholes (3 & 2).

Saddleworth have also enjoyed a further success, this time in the Daily Mail Foursomes as Pam Taylor and Jennifer Fallows have won through to the last 64 of the national tournament which attracted over 2,000 pairs.

The local pair began the competition in March and have battled their way through five rounds - Longley Park and Cleckheaton away and at home against Bakewell, Wallasey and most recently Marple. They have been drawn away to Beacon Park, Wigan, in the next round.

BROOKDALE also won through to the last eight of the Archie Preston Mixed Foursomes after defeating High Legh Park 5-2 at home.

The five winning pairs were Paul Cain and Margaret Coleman, Geoff and Jean Clarke, Beverley High and Mike Taylor, Doug Unsworth and Barbara Olivier, Vicky Akin and Brad Keeling.

WERNETH made home advantage count as they marched into the last eight of the Dunham Forest Trophy with a stunning 6-1 win over Congleton club Astbury.

The Garden Suburb club are now within one win of making finals day for only the second time in their 99-year history.

Lead-man James Buckley (4 & 3) made it four wins out of four and, although Adam Rowbotham was beaten on the last green, victory was in sight when Mike Farrimond and Mark Abbott (both 3 & 2) notched their first wins of the season in the competition.

Stalwarts Les Dooley (2 & 1) and Paul Rowbotham (3 & 2) weighed in in quick succession and professional James Matterson completed the surprising margin of victory with his fourth consecutive win (4 & 3) having secured the deciding game in the previous three rounds.






BROOKDALE have slipped to third place as the race for the Oldham and District Rabbits League title hots up.

But with only eight points separating the top four teams, it promises to be a thrilling finish to the campaign.

Leaders Dukinfield can take an important step towards the title as this week they are at home to bottom-club Oldham while second-placed Houldsworth are away to next-to-last Fairfield.

Brookdale have a tough home game against Stamford, a dress rehearsal for their cup final meeting.