The Isle of Man Rifle Association’s Winter League returned last week, although a subdued opening round saw several teams left short of personnel, and scores were generally modest.
A Closely Run Affair
Taking place last monday (October 5), the evening’s closest match saw Laxey edge out hosts Sulby by a single point, 476–475.
John Wood chalked up 97 for the visitors, closely followed by Harry Creevy on 96. For Sulby, Julian Teare, Peter Webb and junior Bob Radcliffe each scored 96.
Castletown Win, Kirk Michael Given Boost
Castletown also claimed a road victory, beating Kirk Michael 469–442. Despite the hosts’ defeat, Richard Kijak took the individual honours with 97, while Nigel Christian topped Castletown’s score sheet with 95.
Beyond the result, Kirk Michael’s evening was a positive one, as the club welcomed two newcomers and fielded a full 1st Division team.
Club shooter Perry Watson said: “It’s the first time in a while that we’ve been able to field a full team, which is a win for us, even if we lost the match!”
“We have two new shooters joining us — Helen Fox and William Gadman, both of whom have only been shooting for a few months and have worked really hard to be match-ready.
She added: “William is just 14 and has shown a real aptitude for the sport. Both posted very respectable scores in their match debuts.”
Port St. Mary Shoot Unopposed
Sandsiders conceded their fixture against Port St. Mary because they were short on shooters.
So as ensure their individual competitors were not disadvantaged, the defending champions shot their opening-round cards at home.
Reigning individual champion Ben Kelly set the standard with 98. Junior Breeshey Cubbon matched him, improving her personal best by an impressive three points and helping Port St. Mary record a team total of 483.
Scores on the Doors
Full results are as follows:
Division 1
Sulby v Laxey
Julian Teare – 96 John Wood – 97
Peter Webb – 96 Harry Creevy – 96
Bob Radcliffe(J) – 96 Gemma Kermode – 95
Mark Cain – 94 Adrian Cowin – 95
Mark Boyde – 93 Andrew Jessop – 93
Total 475 Total 476
Kirk Michael v Castletown
Richard Kijak – 97 Nigel Christian – 95
Perryn Watson – 94 Richard Arthur – 94
Suzanne McKinght – 91 Rhian Masson – 93
William Gadman(J) – 81 Charles Carter – 94
Helen Fox – 79 Robin McFee – 93
Total 442 Total 469
Division 2
Sulby v Laxey
Ben Stevens(J) – 89 Stephen Curphyn – 91
Lizzie Radcliffe – 89 Breeshey Cowin – 89
Will Fenton(J) – 85
Will Quayle – 83
Total 346 Total 180
Castletown Walkover
Ian Arthur – 92
Steve Gardner – 92
Andrew Bell – 90
J.P Bridson – 86
Chris Williams-Jones – 83
Port St. Mary scores
Ben Kelly – 98
Breeshey Cubbon(J) – 98
Hayden East(J) – 96
Les Crowe – 96
Ashley Gardner – 95
Total 483
Tom Pirson – 95
Donna Gardner – 93
Derek Kermode – 92
Kevan Kneale – 92
Luke Ennett – 91
Total 463
Sophie Weldon(J) – 91
Joseph Proffitt(J) – 90
James Kennaugh(J) – 87
Robert Faragher(J) – 78
Total 346
Looking Forward
Next week’s fixtures see Douglas begin their campaign, hosting their stablemates Sandsiders.
The standout tie of round two sees Laxey welcome Port St. Mary, while Kirk Michael make the short trip along the A3 to face Sulby.