2010 WSSL: Studs clinch league top spot

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Peter Cohen reports:

Not only was this the final match before the playoffs, it was also the match that could define the season for the Studs. Four points would likely see them finish top and avoid WHOREFC in the semis, but five would guarantee it – a tough ask against an Academy side with a proven mix of youth, experience and undoubted quality.

The Studs set to work quickly in the first rotation, Rob Desmond and Spencer Chapman holding John Reynolds and Sam Matthews to 7, while Gareth Hoskins and Ewan Thompson were more clinical, taking Julian Black and Josh Butler down to 3. Round two saw the confidence of the Academy youth players soar; inspired by Reynolds and Black, Matthews and Butler (both 15) stepped up their game, often dominating top step and controlling from the back. However, the Studs’ experience ensured they took a 5-0 lead as they took both second round matches and then made quick work of Butler and Matthews in round three. On the other court, Reynolds and Black against Desmond and Hoskins was always set to be the tie of the fixture, and it didn’t disappoint in a gripping 15-13 Academy win – fitting for the final match in league stage competition.

Spencer Chapman, Studs captain was delighted with the result but sent a warning out to semifinal opponents One Love; “The team was awesome tonight, to finish top of the league, it’s just fantastic. We had a tight game (3-3) against One Love in the league, but I’d say there’s some unfinished business there"

This result also sets up the semifinal that everyone wanted; Katona v WHOREFC. Both teams have been quality throughout the season, but Katona edged out their rivals in the league in a 4-2 win, sparking inflammatory remarks from both camps as the possibility of a rematch in the semis became apparent. Katona’s Peter White was first to comment as the news came through; “Worried about that bunch? Out of the question, I’d definitely expect to win again.”

Whoever wins through, the playoffs are set to be the Fives event of the summer and all spectators are welcome. Studs v One Love, Weds 4th August, 7.15pm. Katona v WHOREFC, Weds 11th August, 7.15pm.

One Love not enough for WHOREFC in 5-1 romp

WSSL Match 20: In a match where the only meaningful outcome was playoff position, both sides made their intentions clear from the start with some aggressive fives combined with a refusal to concede at any stage. The result was an enthralling encounter featuring two 15-14 matches, while the 5-1 overall victory propelled WHOREFC into second place.

The first round went WHOREFC’s way; Ed Hewens and Simon Baring closed out 15-13 against MVP contender Alex Cybulski and Matt Stonebridge, while Mike Skjott and Simon Warren Thomas had a more comfortable15-6 against Arun Kalra and Raj Patel. One Love fought back in the second round, Kalra and Stonebridge combining to defeat Hewens and Warren Thomas 15-14, but WHOREFC took the other game leaving the score 3-1 going into the final round. Despite Cybulski and Kalra taking Hewins and Skjott to a 15-14 sudden death showdown, WHOREFC won both to secure their 5-1 win.

Will Skjott, WHOREFC captain was pleased with the outcome, but still wary about his playoff chances “We’ve done enough to secure second or third, dependent on what the Studs do on Wednesday. Hopefully they have a shocker against the Academy and help us out”

Alun Meredith, architect of One Love’s successful Superleague campaign, commented “Happy with that and the boys were fantastic - if we play like that in the next round it doesn’t matter who we get, we’ve proven our quality.”

In MVP news, Cybulski’s points haul has seen him climb to 5th, well placed for an assault on the leading Katona players in the next round, although Billy Dennis will take some catching. Mike Skjott kept his remarkable 100% record intact and has now won 12 matches in a row, while high-flying team-mate Simon Baring has won 9 in a row.

Studs secure qualification with 3-3 draw, Gangsters gone

WSSL Match 19: The Gangsters went into this match knowing only a victory would be good enough to have a hope of qualifying; the Studs had other ideas, taking half the points in a 3-3 draw, securing their own qualification and leaving the Gangsters wondering what might have been.

It was unfortunate that Gangster captain Anita Ganguly had to withdraw through illness on the day of the game, leaving her replacement’s games null and void and effectively handing the Studs a 3-0 lead before the game started. With qualification secure, the emphasis was on quality play and Gareth Hoskins, Rob Desmond, Justin Byam Shaw and Ian Mitchell showed why the Studs deserved their place in the finals with a mix of power, touch, constructive matchplay and tactical awareness. The Gangsters last minute stand-in, Pete Cohen, went in at top spot, pushing the likes of Ant Theodossi and Ryan Perrie further down the order, which explains why despite the Studs quality they didn’t make any further inroads although all the matches were well contested.

The Studs are now second in the league with a game to play, with One Love in third and WHOREFC in fourth. Although these three, along with Katona, have guaranteed qualification, they will be keen to avoid fourth spot, which sets up a semi-final with first place.

Hoskins said after the match “I’m delighted we made it as a couple of weeks ago it looked a bit touch and go. There had been a lot of talk coming from them (Gangsters) before the match about how they were going to eliminate us, and so to be the team that ends their campaign – yeah, they had it coming.”

In contrast, Ant Theodossi appeared crestfallen after his side’s downfall, stating “Put bluntly, I’m gutted”

Just two matches remain before the excitement builds even further for the playoffs; look out for your playoff preview guide here next week.

WHOREFC blow playoff race wide open

WSSL Match 18: Skjott’s WHOREFC put qualification back in their own hands with one game to go, trouncing Superleague underdogs Four4Fives to push Gangsters down to fifth. Four4Fives' relative inexperience allowed WHOREFC to leave out a couple of big names, but Nick Bunyan, Mike Skjott, Simon Baring and Hugo Tobias were clinical in ensuring they took the six points they needed, and moved the ball around well to stay on top throughout the clash.

Despite the win, Bunyan was critical of his team’s form at the start of the season, clearly feeling that WHOREFC should already be home and dry;

“The result against Katona especially was disappointing; assuming we qualify, I want them in the playoffs to show them what we can really do.”

Katona captain Peter White last week stated he would relish another crack at Skjott’s crew, and Bunyan’s latest comments will only raise the tension between the two camps further. Meanwhile, the Gangsters have slipped back outside the playoffs and will be fighting for survival tomorrow in the biggest clash of the tournament so far as they take on the Studs in a potential Superleague eliminator.

Katona in 6-0 cruise to playoffs, Academy out of contention

WSSL Match 17: The Academy became the second team to be eliminated from playoff contention as Katona booked their spot in a 6-0 win that also saw them reclaim top spot in the league.

The closest game of the evening was Peter White and Luke Stradwick of Katona beating John Reynolds and Julian Black 15-14 in a quality match up, while Kerry White and Billy Dennis made easier work of the youth players Chris Wheeler and Josh Butler, holding them to 4.

Katona captain Peter White was pleased with the win, although refused to be drawn on his side’s chances for the title:

“We’ve played well so far and qualification has been deserved, but let’s not get carried away, there’s going to be some very tough competition in the knockout stages as we’ve already found out over the past few weeks. Don’t ask me who I’d rather play next, but if WHOREFC qualify I’ll be happy with that.”

3-3 thriller sees One Love safe, Gangsters under pressure

WSSL Match 16: It’s the business end of the tournanment, and the added pressure brought out the best Fives to date as One Love snatched a 3-3 draw from the Gangsters to become the first team to secure a playoff place.

The opening exchanges set the tone for the match as the Gangsters’ George Campbell and Ben Sinclair came under fire from a scrapping One Love pair in Alex Cybulski and Matt Stonebridge. The One Love boys just about held on to win 15-11, while the Gangsters’ Ryan Perrie and captain Anita Ganguly brought the scores level with a 15-12 win over Arun Kalra and Alun Meredith.

The second round points were also shared, Kalra and Stonebridge beating Campbell and Ganguly to 11, while Perrie and Sinclair turned on the style to beat Cybulski and Meredtith to 8. At 2-2, the remaining points were crucial not only in the match, but in the overall superleague rankings. Campbell and Perrie made no mistake in defeating Cybulski and Kalra 15-4, but the Gangsters were denied a 4-2 result by a dogged 15-14 win by Stonebridge and Meredith over Sinclair and Ganguly, leaving the match tied at 3-3, and One Love top of the league.

Team captain Alun Meredith admitted; “we weren’t expecting anything going into this match so to come out with three points is fantastic, the team was brilliant today”

This result leaves the Gangsters with a must-win tie against the Studs if they are to have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs, and with reports that Chapman’s team have been fired up by the war of words coming from the Gangster camp, this one ought to be another Superleague classic.

Studs in stunning Superleague surge!

WSSL Match 15: The Studs had a slow start to the league, with two draws out of three matches, but with their latest 6-0 steamroller at the expense of Four4Fives, Spencer Chapman’s outfit now find themselves in second place, leaving the Gangsters reeling in fifth.

The first round saw Justin Byam Shaw and Jeremy Hindle take on Pete Cohen and James Caplin, in what turned out to be the tightest game of the night. Hindle and Cohen were exchanging blows at the back to take the scores to 9-9, until the guile of Byam Shaw steered the Studs pair to a 15-10 win. Chapman and Ewan Thompson made no mistake (literally) to defeat Rowe and Wootliff to zero, and the Studs took a 2-0 lead. The rest of the games, although hard fought, were never in doubt for the Studs as they closed out the fixture shortly after 9pm.

Despite the 6-0 scoreline, Chapman was full of praise for Four4Fives;

”They made it difficult for us, Cohen is always hard to play against but the rest of their team (Caplin, Rowe, Wootliff) have improved at an amazing rate. We’ve got the Gangsters next, which could be a decisive match in the league, and we’ll need to maintain our form. I’m confident we’ll get the result we need.”

Ryan Perrie of the Gangsters was in a bullish mood in response to Chapman’s claims;

“Yes we’ve had a couple of poor results, and yes we need to step it up, but it’s simply not in doubt. We are going to qualify for the playoffs and if that’s at the expense of the Studs, then so be it.”

Fighting talk indeed from both sides, but whoever comes out on top, it looks like we are set for a thrilling finale to the Superleague.

Tight at the top!

WSSL: Matches 12, 13 and 14: What a week in the Superleague, with the Academy and One Love scoring impressive results against One Love and Katona respectively, and WHOREFC building on their late surge with a 6-0 win.

Gangsters 2-4 The Academy

Katona 3-3 One Love

WHOREFC 6-0 The Academy

With only 7 matches left in the league, every point from here on in is crucial. Katona look to have secured a play-off spot with 19 points, although they only have one game remaining. One Love, currently in second, are by no means safe on 17, as they are yet to play the chasing pack of Gangsters and WHOREFC. The Gangsters, after leading the Superleague in the early stages, have now slipped to 4th, and are only in the playoffs on points difference over the Studs, who have a game in hand. It’s looking dangerous for Ganguly’s team and they’ll need a couple of good wins to keep their title aspirations alive.

All eyes will be on the remaining group stage fixtures as they unfold throughout July, and as ever you can keep track of the league and MVP Race here . Billy Dennis is the first player to break 200 points in the MVP and leads the Race – can he hold on to it from his Katona team-mates K. White and P. White, or will Cybulski, Perrie, Bunyan, Patel or Hoskins also chase him down… we will find out soon!

One Love assert their playoff credentials in 5-1 skirmish with Four4Fives

WSSL Match 11: With the Studs still celebrating Monday’s rise to second in the Superleague, One Love rang the bell for closing time with a 5-1 win over Four4Fives, a result that saw the Studs relegated back to third.

The scoreline doesn’t reflect just how tight this game was; Alex Cybulski and Raj Patel needed to remain calm at 13-13 against Pete Cohen and Freddie Rowe to take the first set, while Ash Lumbard and Alun Meredith had it easier against James Caplin and Jeremy Wootliff to see One Love go two love up.

Wootliff and Cohen combined in round 2 to bring the score back to 2-1, with an excellent 15-6 victory over Meredith and Patel, but One Love picked up the other set to make it 3-1 with 2 to play. Despite Caplin and Cohen then taking Cybulski and Meredith all the way 15-13, One Love closed out both sets to finish 5-1 and take that second place spot.

The Gangsters will also have a close eye on the next couple of games involving The Academy, as wins for Reynolds and co. could see the early favourites slip out of the playoffs altogether.

Studs in thrilling 3-3 comeback to continue Superleague charge

WSSL Match 10: In one of the contenders for match of the season, a late Studs rally from 3-1 down saw them take the final two points to storm into second place, overtaking the Gangsters. Meanwhile, Katona extend their lead to four points, although the chasing pack have a game in hand.

The first round pitched Katona’s Peter White and MVP leader Billy Dennis against Laurie Brock and Justin Byam Shaw. These four expert percentage players had a gruelling battle, Katona eventually pulling clear at 15-9. Meanwhile, Gareth Hoskins and Spencer Chapman of the Studs took on Luke Stradwick and Kerry White in another close contest; Hoskins’s finishing made the difference to allow the Studs to pull level at 1-1.

Round 2 went Katona’s way; winning both matches but with some stunning matchplay from both teams. White and White beat Hoskins and Byam Shaw to 14 in a set that stayed level on points right from the start, while Stradwick and Dennis beat Brock and Chapman to 9.

At 3-1 down, it would need something special from the Studs, and in the knowledge an extra point would take them clear into second place, both pairs fought hard for their team. Brock and Hoskins scored an excellent 15-7 upset over P. White and Stradwick, while Byam Shaw and Chapman made sure of their game to bring the overall match score level at 3-3.

Halfway through the Superleague and it’s starting to really hot up. Katona are winning the league and the MVP Race but have played an extra game. Will they be caught?

High class WHOREFC too much for Gangsters

WSSL Match 9: In a top vs bottom of the table clash, the high flying Gangsters were confident of an easy win over WHOREFC – too confident as it turned out, with Ryan Perrie in particular regretting his pre-match trash-talking while staring down the face of a 6-0 reverse.

The first round saw Ant Theodossi and Ben Sinclair take on Seb Cooley and Mike Skott, with Ryan Perrie and Anita Ganguly up against Nick Bunyan and Simon Baring. The Gangster pairs were simply blown away by a WHOREFC squad keen to bounce back from their awful Monday result against the Studs, and found themselves 2-0 down for the first time this season.

In round 2, Bunyan and Skjott combined to destroy Theodossi and Ganguly 15-2, while Perrie and Sinclair of the Gangsters put up a fight to collect 12 points against Cooley and Baring – not enough to stop WHOREFC taking a 4-0 lead.

Both matches in round 3 were taken by WHOREFC, gaining their first win of the league and leading some to believe they can go the whole way if they maintain this form. Have the Gangsters peaked too soon? With three matches to go they will need to do better.

Studs in 6-0 slam of WHOREFC

WSSL Match 8: With WHOREFC having two fixtures this week against leading teams, they had to spread their squad thinly and it showed as they came up against an Aston House Studs team keen to stake a claim for a play-off spot.

In the first round, Gareth Hoskins and Jeremy Hindle were pushed hard by Nick Bunyan and Harry Turnbull, though they took the game 15-10, while Laurie Brock and Spencer Chapman easily overcame Hugo Tobias and Will Skjott. The second round saw Hoskins and Chapman combine to defeat Tobias and Turnbull to 8, while Brock and Hindle were solid in ensuring the Studs took a 4-0 lead. The final round all went the Studs way, securing all 6 points and third place in the Superleague.

One Love storm up the table after comfortable win

WSSL Match 7: One Love took on a depleted Academy team that suffered from losing John Reynolds, Julian Black and Lev Gurdenli. Three Youth Academy boys filled in and put up an admirable fight, but Cybulski, Bhattacharya, Meredith and Patel were just too experienced and continued their winning streak to take the match 6-0.

One Love are now well positioned after just two games to take a play-off place, although they will face much tougher matches in the coming weeks.

Katona smash Four4Fives for 6

WSSL Match 6: Katona were rather more Waitrose than Iceland as they turned on the style in a 6-0 drubbing of Four4Fives.

Eager to bounce back from an earlier defeat by the Gangsters, the first round was extremely one sided with Katona setting up chance after chance, with a high kill ratio. In the second round, Freddie Rowe and Peter Cohen of Four4Fives put up a hard fight after adapting to the tempo of Billy Dennis and Luke Stradwick, but with the match at 10-10 Katona pulled away to win. Meanwhile, Peter White and Kerry White easily defeated James Caplin and Jeremy Wootliff on the other court, although the Four4Fives pair went down fighting hard until the end.

In the final round, Katona secured their 6-0 win with ease, leapfrogging the Gangsters to take the lead in the Superleague. Billy Dennis is now 9 points clear in the MVP race.

Gangsters edge past Katona in high quality clash

WSSL Match 5: Some had billed this fixture to be decisive in the final Superleague standings, and although it’s still too early to make that call, the Gangsters have put themselves in the box seat by beating Katona 4 games to 2 in a match dripping with quality. It was Katona that took the early lead, Peter White and Billy Dennis blasting out of the blocks to defeat a shellshocked George Campbell and Ryan Perrie 15-6. In the other game, Luke Stradwick and Kerry White produced a true upset to send Ant Theodossi and Ben Sinclair down in a 15-14 thriller.

It was the perfect start for Katona, but the Gangsters rallied hard in round 2, with Campbell and Sinclair squeezing past Stradwick and Dennis 15-13, and Theodossi and Perrie smashing White and White with an uncompromising 15-4 win.

The Gangsters had found their form now, and with their slow start behind them, they were perhaps favourites to go on and win from 2-2. This they duly did, Campbell and Theodossi took P. White and Stradwick to pieces 15-3, and Perrie and Sinclair were equally aggressive in their 15-4 win over Dennis and K.White.

The Gangsters now lie 3 points clear at the top of the league, and the MVP Race is now joint headed by Sinclair and Perrie, both on 89. Don’t write off Katona though, they looked dangerous even on the back foot and are likely to finish the league strongly.

The Academy off to a flyer despite 54 for Four4Fives

WSSL Match 4: With John Reynolds and Julian Black boosting the Youth Academy team (also Josh Butler, 15 and Chris Wheeler, 17), Four4Fives were going to have to work hard to post their first score of the league. In round 1 Reynolds and Butler combined to defeat Cohen and Wootliff, while Black and Wheeler defeated Caplin and Rowe taking the The Academy a 2-0 lead. Round 2 saw Rowe and Cohen put in an outstanding performance to defeat Black and Butler, securing Four4Fives first point of the campaign, while Reynolds and Wheeler beat Caplin and Wootliff to maintain the 2 point advantage, at 3-1.

Katona on top as Kerry conquer Skjott's squad

WSSL Match 2: Team Katona posted a 5-1 Victory over Will Skjott’s WHOREFC (Skjott, Seb Cooley, Nick Bunyan and Simon Warren-Thomas), although they had to fight hard in every game. Peter White and Billy Dennis of Katona made a good start, defeating Cooley and Warren-Thomas 15-10, while Luke Stradwick and Kerry White (both Katona) beat Nick Bunyan and Will Skjott 15-12.The next round saw Katona take their chances, winning both games, until the final match where the WHOREFC pairing of Seb Cooley and Nick Bunyan destroyed White and Stradwick 15-4 with some devastating matchplay, to pick up a crucial league point.

Six of the best for Gangsters in Superleague opener

WSSL Match 1: The first Summer Superleague fixture took place at Westway last night with both Four4Fives (Pete Cohen, James Caplin, Angelo Caporali, Freddie Rowe) and the Gangsters (Anita Ganguly, Ryan Perrie, Ant Theodossi, Ben Sinclair) keen to post a good start. The first match (A&C v A&C) saw Cohen & Caplin push Theodossi and Sinclair to the end, with the Gangsta pair closing the match out 15-10, while at (B&D v B&D) Perrie and Ganguly won with ease. The scorelines for A&B vs A&B, and A&D vs B&C were heavily one sided towards the Gangsters, although it was good to see the largely inexperienced Four4Fives outfit gain confidence through the evening. The Gangsters have to fancy themselves for a high play-off position after this result, although it’s likely that team Katona, WHOREFC and the Aston House Studs – along with the Reynolds boosted Academy and the university team One Love will all be looking to shoot them down when they clash over the coming weeks.