Cleveland League Results 2007/08
| Date |
Opponent |
Them |
Us |
Match Report |
| Oct 1 | Hartlepool | ½ | 5½ | With the bad news of Mr Walton's semi-retirement from chess, we're a major player down in strength. Add to that Fenton's late withdrawal, I thought we'd struggle, but Hartlepool were missing Addison and Smith so we heavily out-graded them and the result showed it. All games were fairly one sided affairs this game ended 90 minutes before all others! |
| Oct 26 | Boro Rooks | 3½ | 2½ | Walton missed this vital clash, we missed him too, we all had to move up a board. Add to this the fact that our top 3 boards arrived 30 mins late, we were always playing catch-up, this resulted in three draws, we'd have scored at least 2/3 in normal circumstances, its a game we could have won and maybe should have won. |
| Nov 6 | Guisborough H | 1 | 5 | It was a funny old match this one. We heavily out-graded them on all but the bottom board, they only had 5 players, but at one point, we were losing the match! On another night the score could have been 4-2 to them! Fenton played a nice bishop sac and Brown, got out of jail in style! |
| Nov 27 | Elmwood H | 1½ | 4½ | Absolutely superb result, its the weakest team we've fielded for a long time, No Simpson, Fenton or Armbruster, Walton played through the pain barrier too, but the boys who stepped in played very well and defeated higher graded opposition! Ray Brown continued his run of checkmating opponents! |
| Dec 4 | Hungarians H (KO Cup) | 1 | 4 | A relatively smooth ride into the 2nd round of the Cleveland Knock Out Cup. Ray Brown continued his impressive early season form. Carter was mashed, Smith was lucky to be gifted a piece, Reddington missed 2 mates before finding the win. |
| Dec 12 | Redcar | 2½ | 3½ | We've used a seasons worth of luck in this game. Carter was losing, he and his opponent scrambled to reach the time control. The smoke cleared and he emerged with a won position! Boxall was dead in the water, but his opponent didn't have the time to win, draw agreed. Simpson and Fenton won in style. |
| Dec 17 | Darlington | 3 | 3 | We had four players unavailable, and as such only had a 5 man team. A draw then was a canny result against a solid Darlo team. Our two 'big hitters' Simpson and Walton scored the wins! It also takes us top of the league!! |
| Jan 8 | Boro Wasps H | 2 | 4 | We lost two games quickly, it seemed all was lost. The 'Simpsonator' struck back immediately, soon followed by Carter 2-2 Fenton's game looked drawn and Walton appeared lost, with some skilful manoeuvring, Fenton ground out a win, and to our and I think his amazement Walton won too! Great result against championship rivals. |
| Feb 12 | Boro Rooks H | 2½ | 3½ | I may be jumping the gun here, but this is the third, maybe even the fourth game in which we have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Luck and therefore destiny appears to be on our side this year! Are we, the perennial runners up about to realise our true potential at long last? (Probably not!) |
| Feb 19 | Hartlepool H | 2½ | 3½ | Yet again, the luck Gods were with us, Hartlepool came with only 4 players and went away winning one and drawing the other three! The double defaults proved invaluable to us, can this lucky streak continue...? |
| Mar 13 | Guisborough | 1½ | 4½ | Played with our Durham (and weakest) team the lads again proved themselves worthy, three nice games from, Reddington, Brown and Carter. A good and deserved win, with no luck involved, (this time!) |
| Mar 18 | Darlington H | 4½ | 1½ | Darlo inflict only our second and heaviest defeat of the season, we can have no complaints either, 3 wins, 3 draws and no losses against higher graded opposition they fully deserved the win. |
| Apr 3 | Elmwood | 1 | 5 | Bouncing back from the Darlo defeat in style, more importantly it puts 3 points between us and the rest (for now) |
| Apr 15 | Redcar H | 2 | 4 | We've been in this league since 1993 and this is the first time we've ever won it, I'm well happy. Well done to all the lads! CHAMPIONS!!!!!! Here is a problem like mate from Jimmy 'the grinder' Simpson |
| Apr 29 | Redcar (KO Cup) | 1½ | 3½ | We are through to the final of the Knock Out Cup for the second season running, we have the end of Carters game and a superbly annotated game from Walton! |
| May 16 | Boro Wasps | 2 | 3 | A five player match, and another win sees us finish the season a whopping 6 points clear at the top! Well done to all the lads. One to go the KO Cup Final against the Wasps. |
| June 2 | Boro Wasps (KO Cup Final) | 2 | 3 | Another closely fought match sees us secure the League and Cup double for the very first time! Its doesn't get much better than this; Cleveland has been conquered! A great achievement, and I would like to thank all of my team mates for their efforts. |
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