Yorkshire Squash League: Barnsley see off struggling Pontefract to edge towards Premier title

Barnsley moved another step closer the Allam Marine Yorkshire Premier Squash League title this week with a hard-fought 18-7 victory at lowly Pontefract 2nds.
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Despite lying second from bottom, the home team pushed Barnsley all the way to their sixth consecutive triumph, with George Wileman and British Junior Open under-13 champion Sam Todd scoring 3-2 wins over Ashley Davies and Josh Greaves.

Straight-games successes by newly-crowned Italik Yorkshire closed champion Tom Bamford and world No 48 Millie Tomlinson over Matt Godson and Ben Hodgetts proved crucial as English under-19 champion Patrick Rooney took a game off world No 44 Declan James at first string.

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Barnsley now stand 16 points clear of Hallamshire with six rounds left, after they suffered a shock 17-8 home loss to Sheffield rivals Abbeydale.

The visitors halted Hallamshire’s eight-match winning sequence thanks to wins by Adam Murrills (3-1), Nick Wall Jnr (3-1) and Oli Turner (3-0) over Chris Fuller, Jack Alcock and Dan Lawrence.

Mark Fuller and Alex Cutts guaranteed the home team some reward from the derby fixture by beating Matthew Broadberry 3-1 and Adam Turner 3-2.

The title race now appears to be between Barnsley and Hallamshire, as third-placed Pontefract are 42 points behind the Sheffield club on 150.

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They also registered a tough away win this week, by a 17-10 margin at Dunnington, with Alex Hodgetts, Lewis Doughty and Adam Taylor their match-winners against Gareth Lumsdon (3-1), Matt Marshall (3-2) and Matthew Stephenson (3-1).

Danny Hockborn and Ed Shannon ensured the gap between the third and fourth-placed teams is only four points by beating Taminder Gata Aura 3-2 and Sam Wileman 3-1.

There was another away triumph at Hull and East Riding, where Chapel Allerton were 18-7 winners via victories for former world No 3 Simon Parke (3-0), Dom Hamilton (3-2), Ross Williamson (3-0) and Michael Graham (3-2) over Harry Falconer, Glyn Saunders, Paul Norton and Nathan Kaiser.

Yusef Forster underlined why he has been awarded a place in the qualifying competition of the forthcoming Allam British Open by overcoming Declan Christie 3-1 at third string.

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The sole home winners in the YPSL this week were Queens, who defeated bottom side Heaton 18-7.

James Earles, Matt Sidaway, Connor Sheen and Sarah Campion secured the victory by beating Julian Tomlinson 3-0, Stuart Macgregor 3-2, Isaac Rawcliffe 3-0 and Phil Bowker 3-2.

Matthew Powell notched Heaton’s solitary success by defeating Campion’s husband, England assistant national coach David, 3-1.

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