Shoulder-to-Shoulder League Archive
Final results for Division 2 in the season 2010-11
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31/03/11: Dalkeith v Pathhead B: Dalkeith could only field 3 shooters for this match – reason unknown – so Champions Pathhead had a bit of a walkover. Top scorer for the depleted home team was Dave Cummings (which probably came as much as a surprise to him as anyone else) with 188. Best for the visitors was Stephanie Geddes with 195. Pathhead took all the Matchplay points to overtake Redcraig.
04/04/11: Dalkeith v Pathhead B: A special dispensation was given to allow this match to take place after the official end of the season on 31st March due to the unavailability of suitable dates caused by matches being rearranged because of the bad weather at the end of 2010. Dalkeith took the points comfortably in quite a high-scoring match, their top scorer being captain Steve Newlands with 191. Best for Prestonpans was Angus Paterson on 187. Steve will be kicking himself – one point better and he would be in a shoot-off for the best average award, and a 193 would have won it for him.
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The season has now concluded and Pathhead B are confirmed winners of Division 2 and they also take the Matchplay trophy. David McConnell of Redcraig wins the award for the best average with 5.00 with Dalkeith’s Steve Newlands second with 5.05.
Pathhead B now meet Selkirk (winners of Division 1) in the Champion of Champions match, to be held on a neutral range in April sometime (still to be arranged).
The organiser would like to thank all the participants for their forbearance, cooperation and understanding during the difficult weather we experienced in November and December. We got through it all eventually.
Match results —
League Table —
| Place | Team | Shot | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Agg | Avg | MP |
| 1 | Pathhead B | 11 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 592 | 53.82 | 68 |
| 2 | Redcraig | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 825 | 68.75 | 62 |
| 3 | Dalkeith | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 985 | 82.08 | 40 |
| 4 | Prestonpans | 11 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1051 | 95.55 | 22 |
(The disparity in number of matches shot is due to the unshot match between Pathhead and Prestonpans where Pathhead received a walkover. The Wons and Losts are correct.)
Click on each team to see its detailed record for the season:
Dalkeith Pathhead B Prestonpans Redcraig
Click here to see the individual averages for this division (pdf file).
Previous match commentaries:
14/10/10: Prestonpans’ first match in this league for some years resulted in a fairly comprehensive loss to their visitors Dalkeith, last season’s underachievers in this division. I’m sure the newcomers will improve, so a good scrap for points this season is in prospect. Top score for the ‘Pans was Angus Paterson with 190, and joint top for Dalkeith were Dave Thornton and Steve Newlands, both on 189. The visitors took the Matchplay points six to two.
21/10/10: Dalkeith hosted Pathhead B in a ‘home’ match for both teams (they share the range), and must have been boosted by their away win against Prestonpans the previous week. However, it was not to be as they slumped to a heavy defeat against the league newcomers shooting their first match, with none of the team improving their score from the last match. The visitors all shot fairly steadily and took the points quite comfortably, also winning 6 Matchplay points 6 to Dalkeith’s 2. Pathhead B’s top scorer was Dougie Duff with 191, and top man for Dalkeith was Dave Thornton with 186.
25/10/10: Redcraig’s first match saw them entertaining their East Lothian visitors in the shape of Pathhead B, and they took the points with the second-best score seen in this division so far. The visitors had bettered that score in their previous match, but couldn’t repeat the feat and allowed Redcraig to take the lead in the league despite having shot only one match. Top home scorer was John Cranston with 191, while joint best for the visitors were S Geddes and I Forrest, both with 190. It was 4-all in the Matchplay stakes.
04/11/10: Redcraig entertained Prestonpans last night and duly took the points with a similar score to their last match, with the visitors failing to do themselves justice. I’m sure they will improve with more experience in the competition. Top scorer for Redcraig was Kevin McConnell on 196, and top for the visitors was Angus Paterson on 186 (88 and 98 – this must be in line for the mythical prize for the best improvement). Team captain Angus also won his side’s only two Matchplay points, against the home captain.
08/11/10: Prestonpans produced their best score so far on their first visit to Pathhead, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough as the home team took the points comfortably with their best score too. The visitors took two Matchplay points courtesy of their top scorer, Alan Gundlach, beating Pathhead’s lowest scorer with 190. Top for Pathhead was S Geddes with 194.
11/11/10: Dalkeith’s visit to Redcraig proved a bit of a disaster for them as none of their team managed to shoot to their potential, going down heavily to a home team who all shot steadily. With all teams now having shot three matches, Redcraig are the only ones to have won them all and take the outright lead in the division. Top scorer for the home team was David McConnell on 193, with Steve Newlands once again topping Dalkeith’s list with 190. The visitors’ only consolation was to take away two Matchplay points.
18/11/10: Dalkeith, fresh from their big loss to Redcraig, were looking for a morale-restoring win against visitors Prestonpans, themselves looking for their first win of the season so this match was shaping up to be a keen contest It turned out to be very close, but Dalkeith achieved the victory they needed and kept the ‘Pans in last place in the league, still searching for that first win. The home team’s top scorer was Dave Thornton with 189, whereas Angus Paterson’s steady193 topped that by some margin. The Matchplay points were shared 4 each.
13/12/10: .Pathhead B hosted Dalkeith at their shared range after snow difficulties had prevented access to the range itself over much of the last three weeks. Both teams must have had difficulty getting their game out of cold-storage as the match was a low-scoring affair, with the home team coming out top. At least one shooter on each side was significantly off form, so they cancelled each other out. Top scorer for Pathhead was Dougie Duff with 192, and top for Dalkeith was Steve Newlands on 190. The Matchplay points went 5-3 in the home team’s favour. Snow willing, these two teams meet again in three days time in one of the matches postponed from earlier in the month.
16/12/10: .The repeat match duly took place, with Pathhead B again hosting their tenants Dalkeith as the away team. Unfortunately for the visitors their best game seems to have remained in cold-storage as they couldn’t manage to improve on their performance of earlier in the week. Pathhead definitely have warmed up though, with a massive 23 point improvement and took the points comfortably. The whole team shot consistently, losing only one Matchplay point when the two top-scorers from each team tied on 190 – Dougie Duff for the home team and Steve Newlands again for the visitors.
20/12/10: Pathhead’s third home match in a week was a disappointment all round as their visitors Prestonpans failed to appear. Rule 14 was applied and the home team were awarded the points by default.
10/01/11: .Prestonpans certainly don’t have their troubles to seek as only 3 shooters turned up for their home match against Pathhead B, who naturally secured the victory and all the points except two in the Matchplay league. They are well ahead on points as they have shot a lot of matches, but Redcraig haven’t lost a match yet and could be the ones to watch here. They shoot against each other next week in what should be an interesting match. Top scorer for Prestonpans was Alan Gundlach with 187, while top for the visitors was Steph Geddes with 192.
17/01/11: .Redcraig’s attempt at pulling back the big points deficit behind Pathhead (due to the East Lothian team having shot more than twice the number of matches so far) fell agonisingly short when they shot their first away match of the season there, with the hosts winning by only six points. Both teams shot above their averages, but Pathhead held it together a little better to take the points. The Matchplay points were shared 4-all. Top scorer for the home team was Ian Forrest with 193, while the best for the visitors was Captain David McConnell on 192. This keeps Redcraig firmly in second place with a bit of a mountain to climb, Despite having a better average and four matches in hand, losing to the leaders hasn’t done their cause any good. However, time will tell and it could be close come the end of the season.
20/01/11: Dalkeith v Redcraig. Redcraig put their title challenge back on track with this narrow away win against Dalkeith, who had their best score since the opening match of the season. It was in vain, though as the visitors sneaked through by only 3 points. Top score for Dalkeith was Steve Newlands with 191, the same as Redcraig’s top man David McConnell – both captains leading from the front. It was 4-all in the Matchplay.
03/02/11: Prestonpans v Redcraig: On the wildest, wettest, windiest night of the year (so far), the Redcraig team braved the storms and was blown along the City Bypass to take on Prestonpans. The home team put up a good fight, putting in their best score of the season despite having to draft in a 14-year old substitute at the last minute, but went down to the visitors who shot to about their average. This win keeps Redcraig on track to press for the league title, but they probably still need Pathhead to trip up somewhere. The remaining two matches between these teams will be crucial. Top scorer for Prestonpans was Alan Gundlach with 186, while Kevin McConnell topped the visiting team’s list with a fine 195, including a 99, the best card of the night by some way (and only the second in the league so far – he got the other one too). He currently tops the Division 2 averages, but cannot afford to miss any more matches if he wants to win the award for that. The Matchplay points were shared 4-all
14/02/11: Prestonpans v Pathhead B: League-leaders Pathhead arrived at Prestonpans’ cosy range in the expectation of increasing their lead against a home team without a win so far. They weren’t disappointed despite posting a slightly below-average performance. Prestonpans were a little hampered by one of their team coming straight from hospital after a suspected heart-attack as there was nobody else to take his place. Commendable dedication, but he was understandably the low-scorer in his team. The top scorer for Prestonpans was Angus Paterson with 192, but top on the night was Pathhead’s Steph Geddes on 194 (including only the third 99 of the season). The visitors completed the whitewash by taking all eight Matchplay points, and now have a big lead there too.
24/02/11: Prestonpans v Redcraig: Second-placed Redcraig kept up their challenge to leaders Pathhead by this convincing win against Prestonpans, who have still to win a point. Redcraig are four points behind with two matches in hand and a slightly better average, so the two remaining matches between those two teams will be vital. Top scorer for Prestonpans was Angus Paterson with 186, and best for the visitors was David McConnell on 195, both captains leading from the front (again) The Matchplay points all went to Redcraig to complete the whitewash. The favourite for the mythical prize for the best improvement between the first and second cards now passes from Angus (+10) to Ilka Ramsay of Redcraig for starting with 80 then shooting 91 on her second card (+11).
28/02/11: Pathhead B v Redcraig: The first of Redcraig’s must-win matches against the leaders Pathhead resulted in disappointment after their trip along the Bypass this time. Both teams put in slightly below-par performances, but the home team came through with the points quite comfortably to stretch their lead at the top of the table. Redcraig can still overtake them, but Pathhead would have to lose both their remaining matches and Redcraig would have to win their last four. Don’t rule it out. Bruce Forrest was their top scorer with 192, and best for Redcraig was Andy Hay with 193, well ahead of the rest of his team, all of whom can shoot a lot better. Andy took his team’s only Matchplay points to avoid a whitewash.
03/03/11: Prestonpans v Dalkeith: Dalkeith’s six-week break since their last match did not do them any harm as they shot their best score of the season so far to beat win-less Prestonpans. That’s two ‘PB’s in a row now, but this improvement in form is coming too late in the season to do them much good for their league position. If they keep this up though they could do some damage to Redcraig’s challenge – they meet twice in the next fortnight. Top scorer for the home team was again Angus Paterson with 194, and for Dalkeith Steve Newlands topped their list with 191. The Matchplay points were shared 4-all.
10/03/11: Redcraig v Dalkeith: Dalkeith kept up their challenge for second-spot by beating Redcraig away by a very close margin in a low-scoring match. Only two points in it. Most of the home team’s shooters can usually do better so they kinda threw it away. For the first time this season none of the Redcraig team could score better than 190, and their top scorer was David McConnell on 189. Best for Dalkeith was Steve Newlands with 194. This result hasn’t helped, but Redcraig can mathematically still win the division: they have to win their three remaining matches (Pathhead, Dalkeith & Prestonpans) and overhaul Pathhead’s aggregate, and Pathhead would have to lose their last two (Redcraig & Dalkeith). The Matchplay points were shared 4-all (getting to be a habit with Dalkeith – 4 points in their last three matches). Kevin McConnell missed this match for Redcraig so is no longer eligible for the award for top average in the division. That accolade could be heading towards his dad David instead provided he shoots in all three of his team’s remaining matches.
14/03/11: Redcraig v Pathhead B: This division is turning out to be a bit of a nail-biter. After leading for much of the season, are Pathhead going to stumble over the line or trip up and let Redcraig take the honours? Last night’s match between the two front-runners saw Redcraig take a huge step up by beating the leaders very comfortably with their best score of the season so far. They are now only four points behind with two matches to go. Pathhead have one more match but crucially Redcraig now have a 19-point lead on aggregate. If Pathhead win or draw their last match against Dalkeith then it’s all over, but if not, Redcraig have to win their last two to take the title. Top scorer for Redcraig last night was David McConnell with 193 (and the whole team shot much more steadily than last week), and best for Pathhead was Dougie Duff with 188. The home team took all the Matchplay points too, and are closing up on Pathhead there too. It’s gonna be close! David McConnell now leads the Averages list but he must shoot in the last two matches in order to take the top average award for this division.
17/03/11: Dalkeith v Redcraig Bite your nails no more. Redcraig lost this vital match because of a missing team member. It would have been a convincing win had he shot, but the outcome is that Pathhead B cannot now be overtaken, so are now the champions. Bit of an anti-climax, and this writer has no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate situation. Top scorer for Dalkeith was Dave Thornton with 185 while top for the depleted Redcraig team was John Cranston with 191. The Matchplay points were shared 4-all.
24/03/11: Redcraig v Prestonpans: Redcraig took all the points in a bit of a one-sided contest on their home turf. They manage to field a full team this time, but their guests rather handed the match to them after producing their lowest score of the season. This completes Redcraig’s programme for the season, and they have secured second spot in the division. Their top scorer in this match was Kevin McConnell with 192. Top shot for Prestonpans was 14-year-old Charles Guest making his second appearance in the team and showing all his older team mates up with 182. Redcraig took all the Matchplay points to take a narrow lead over Pathhead there, but as Pathhead still have one match to go (against Dalkeith), that title is still up for grabs. David McConnell of Redcraig looks set win the award for the best average in this division despite being third in the list – the two shooters above him have not shot sufficient matches to qualify (you’re only allowed to miss two matches). However, fourth-placed Steve Newlands of Dalkeith still has two matches left to catch him. He needs to drop no more than 8 points over those matches. If there is a tie then a shoot-off will take place.