Butcher gives West Worthing the chop - but Bognor meet their match

Bognor’s first team came unstuck when visitors West Worthing III reversed the result from earlier in the season, running out comfortable 4-1 winners.

Bognor’s Dave Meagher was struggling against Steve Cymble going 2-0 down but he managed to pull back the third game only for the West Worthing player to edge home in the next.

The score was 2-9, 5-9, 9-4, 7-9.

Paul Butcher’s fourth-string tie against Dave Clarke proved the closest match of the evening and was Bognor’s only success.

Butcher appeared to be on for an easy win as he rushed to a 2-0 advantage, but was hauled back by Clarke to 2-2 before the final nail-biter which just went Bognor’s way. The score was 9-5, 9-1, 7-9, 7-9, 10-8.

Both second and third-string matches were won in straight games by the visitors with Bognor’s Andy Parker losing to Pete Williams and Steve Carruthers was beaten by Greg Sawyer.

Another five-game match saw Bognor No1 Steve Porter lose the first game to Peter Higgins then find his touch to take the next two.

But he was unable to maintain the pressure as Higgins levelled the match and then cruised home in the decider, the score 7-9, 9-4, 9-5, 3-9, 1-9.

Bognor took six points to West Worthing’s 19.

Bognor’s second team’s plight near the foot of division four west was not helped when they were unable to raise a team for the trip to Bluecoats Sports, Horsham, forfeiting the match and incurring penalty points.