Paignton 1 game
Tavistock 4 games
TAVISTOCK travelled to Paignton, who were fourth in the league, one above the Pixon Lane outfit. But by the end of the evening the two rivals had swapped places.
First on court was Pete Middleton against Dave Jones, the number five for Paignton. Dave lost the first set against the Tavistock left-hander 9-7.
The second set proved a tight affair, matching Pete's finesse and guile against the speed and spirit of the Paignton man, who took it 10-9.
Pete won the third and looked set to take the match, but Dave dug in and won the fourth and fifth sets, taking the rubber 3-2.
Stuart Cox lined up against Paignton number four, Colin Hill. Stuart lost the first two sets with a number of unforced errors and at 5-0 down in the third the game looked lost. But the Tavistock man started finding his range and scraped the third 10-8, having faced three match points.
Colin then started showing signs of fatigue and against a revived Stuart quickly caved in, losing the next two games and the match 3-2.
Playing in the unusual position of number three was Tavistock skipper Tim Wallis, who outclassed Paignton number three Malcolm Davis. He had no answer for Tim's mixed game of drops and cross courts. Tim won 9-1, 9-2, 9-1 and put Tavistock into a winning position.
The victory was sealed by John Betts who cruised to a 2-0 advantage before allowing Paignton's Dave Piper to sneak the third. The fourth set could have gone either way with both players cracking the ball at a ferocious pace. John won the battle of the big hitters by the slender margin of 10-9.
John's 3-1 victory gave Tavistock number one Andy Gauler the chance to play knowing that team victory was assured. Andy was up against old rival Mike Owen who has won the majority of their battles.
On this evening Andy won in straight sets. The 3-0 margin hid what was a hard fought game but for a change the vital breaks and decisions went in the Tavistock man's favour.
This victory should ensure Tavistock will finish in at least fourth position and if Exmouth slip they could even sneak into third.
Tavistock Squash Club is looking to attract new players at all levels. Qualified coaching is available to beginners and juniors. Anyone interested in playing contact Malcolm Tripp on 01822 615239 or Andy Gauler on 01822 617714.