Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowls League
Top three face tough games, Hadley hope to end history, bottom two look for home comforts
Two of the top three meet each other in Shrewsbury where league leaders Meole Brace take on Champions Newport. Newport don’t have the best record at Meole and with their poor away record so far will be looking to turn the tide on the pacesetters. Meole captain Mark Thomas comments “It’s the toughest test so far, a visit from the champions is always a difficult fixture. They are not far behind us so any win would be nice. We are going quite well, fortune has favoured us a little and we are looking forward to a hard fought game.” Second place St Georges would look to take advantage but have a tough game against old foes Castlefields. Games between the two have always been competitive over the years and will be so tonight down Queen Street. Castlefields have been up and down this season and home skipper Keith Walton is looking for any win over a St Georges side that has been in form this season to get their season going again. Away captain Tony Rhodes knows that Castlefields “have been more inconsitent than they would have liked and are perhaps a wounded animal. As an old foe we always get a tasty welcome. I believe that there are points to be had but as the green starts to change to suit them more it will be no easy task. I have full belief in my lot and hope that we build on the positive start we have made.”
Back in Telford and Hadley hope to end their own bit of history. They have never beaten the Bayley since their return to the Flowfit Shropshire Premier League, the only team they haven’t beaten and will hope to end that record tomorrow. Hadley vice captain Rob Burroughs knows “it will be a tough task to end that record but I know the lads will be out to end it. Hopefully the green will have some pace in it as the last twice they’ve come it hasn’t but it will still be a hard game and we will have to reproduce the form of the last two home games to get a good rsult. It will be a highly competitive game and a decent atmosphere so should be a good night.” The Bayley have picked up lately and will fancy their changes of getting an away win at the Huskies to build on their win at Bylet and impressive 11-3 win over Castlefields last week. Another team in good form is Wrockwardine Wood and they will look to keep that up with a visit from Chester Road. But Chester Road are going along steadily this season and have a good record there so will be hopeful of getting a good result from themselves.
The bottom two are both at home this week and will both look for good wins. Archibald Worthington face a Bowring side who have started to struggle a little after their good start to the season. The Archie boys will look for another home win like their last one against Meole Brace but haven’t been at home for a month after their rained off game against Ifton so may be a little rusty. Bylet are at home to Burway, a team that have started the season very well and are up to 5th in the table. This is mainly down to their home form so will look to transfer this into their away matches. Bylet though will be looking for a home win, and the spirit they showed in their last home game against the Bayley.
There’s a North Shropshire clash between two clubs that are coming off poor results last week. Wem USC host Ifton, with Wem coming off one winner at Meole and Ifton coming off a home defeat against Wrockwardine Wood, so both clubs will look to bounce back from those defeats to get a good result.
Friday 22nd May Fixtures:
Meole Brace v Newport
Castlefields v St Georges
Hadley USC v Sir John Bayley
Archibald Worthington v Bowring
Bylet v Burway
Wem USC v Ifton
Wrockwardine Wood v Chester Road