LINCOLNSHIRE squash champion Lisa Tamplin was left with mixed feelings after battling to a good win in the Grimsby & District Three-Man League.
Tamplin, a member of Chichester Road-based Cleethorpes Squash Club, lifted the women's title at the recent county showdown in Boston.
Back on league duty, Tamplin and her husband, John, were both individual winners for their team, Preston Auto-Electrical.
However, it was not enough to win the overall match, as their opponents, Ocean Blue, prevailed 10-5 in the Division One clash.
On first at number three for Preston Auto Electrical was Lisa Tamplin, right, against Nick Snowden.
Tamplin started slowly and struggled to find her rhythm and Snowden took full advantage, taking the first game 15-6.
Tamplin fought back in the second, playing some excellent line and length and levelled the match by taking the game 15-8.
The third game was crucial and, at 15-15, it could have gone to either player but Tamplin just edged it, 17-15.
The fourth was just as close, but Tamplin closed out the match, taking it 15-10 to record a 3-1 win.
Up next was John Tamplin against Mike Jackson.
The first game was very intense as both players jostled to take control, but it was Jackson who grabbed it 15-9.
The second game was just as close, with both players working each other to all four corners of the court, but again it was Jackson who took it with the same 15-9 scoreline.
In the third game, Tamplin played some exquisite squash, romping to a 15-6 win.
He then followed this up with an even more emphatic 15-4 win in the fourth game.
In the fifth, Jackson was beginning to run out of ideas as Tamplin pilled on the pressure to take the game 15-9 – cementing a great comeback to win the match 3-2.
And so the overall outcome would come down to the result of the game between number one players Mark Stephenson of Auto Electrical and Danny Morrison of Ocean Blue.
On paper this looked like a close affair but Morrison was the most focused right from the off.
Stephenson tried to dictate the game, taking the pace off the ball, but Morrison was equal to it – driving Stephenson to the back corners of the court with some tight line and length.
Morrison took the first game 15-5 and then kept up the pressure in the second game employing the same tactics. This paid dividends as Morrison took it 15-10.
In the third game Stephenson's calf began to tighten as Morrison remained relentless. With Morrison leading 10-5, Stephenson had to concede the game, and with it the match, 3-0.
In Division Two there have been two Appleby Frodingham club derbies both featuring AFSquash4. In the first of these games AFSquash4 lost out 10-4 to AFSquash6
At third string 6's Simon King worked hard against 4's Marc Taylor and his unorthodox style paid dividends frustrating the "home" player. Although both players were nervous Taylor made a few more unforced errors at key times that cost him the match (15-17, 15-8, 15-11).
A closely contested match at second string pitched 4's Stuart Lister against the experienced John King. With both players vying to impose their own style and pace the match ebbed and flowed but it was invariably either King's effective back hand or Lister's dogged determination that won each point. Lister took the first two games on the tie-break 17-15 and then King the third 18-16. The fourth was close but Lister kicked on strongly from 9-9 to take the game 15-9 and the match 3-1.
A pacey match at number one with Peter Hindmarsh taking on AFSquash6's Daz Brand. Both players were volleying at every opportunity and driving the ball to a good length. Hindmarsh took the first game 15-12 and Brand the second game 15-9. Brand started to look the stronger in the third game, driving the ball hard and low and some particularly effective cross-courts whilst Hindmarsh mixed the pace and played some accurate drops and effective boasts to counteract. Brand won the tie-break 16-14 following an unforced error by Hindmarsh that gifted the game to his opponent. Brand got his nose in front in the fourth game and held on to win the game 15-11 and the match 3-1 securing a 10-4 win for AFSquash6
In their second derby match AFSquash4 recorded a 0-3 win over AFSquash5
AFSquash5 aka "Team Soulby" didn't have their best night against club opponents AFSquash4. At third string Lucy Soulby started very slowly against Marc Taylor losing the first game 15-4. Still recovering from a knee injury and not as mobile around court as she will be when fully fit, Lucy started the second game in a more determined manner and the quality of her shots began to win her some points. Taylor reacted well to the pressure and worked hard to ensure he kept ahead in the second and third games running out the winner 15-7, 15-7.
At second string Millie Soulby just didn't get started against 4's Stuart Lister and rarely showed the movement and determination that has kept her high in the England rankings for her age group. Lister played well and without being tested made no mistakes running out an easy winner 15-2, 15-1, 15-4.
A different story at first string as Nick Soulby made 4's Peter Hindmarsh work hard for his points. The match, contested at pace, was decided by the better quality shots, timely drops and tighter lengths with Soulby deservedly taking the first two games 15-9 and 15-8. The third game was tighter with Hindmarsh took an early lead which he narrowly held to serve for the game at 14-12. However a determined Soulby aided by an unforced error from Hindmarsh finished the game with a beautiful drop on the backhand that left his opponent stranded on the "T" winning the game 16-14
