This Is Guernsey

Averages leader Garry Dodd, who with Pete Bretel and Phil Ogier combined excellently throughout the season as Lions A remained unbeaten.(0539147)

LIONS have emerged victorious in three of the four Doric Insurance League divisions following another exciting season of play.

The feat was achieved by Lions A in particular, whose hold on the First Division throughout the whole season has been unprecedented. They ended in impressive form through two 9-1 victories, over Lions B in a re-arranged encounter and also against Whistlers C to finish with an unbeaten record.

Against their B side, Pete Bretel and Phil Ogier were each on hand to win their three singles matches against Paul Hainsworth, Martin Sarre and Second Division reserve Carl Le Tissier.

Bretel did not drop a leg in any of his victories and Ogier dropped just the one against Hainsworth.

They were also to team up to defeat Sarre and Hainsworth in four games in the doubles.

Division One averages’ winner Garry Dodd beat Sarre and Le Tissier in straight and four games respectively, but he was to suffer only his fifth defeat of the campaign to Hainsworth, who edged the match in a deciding game.

In their other 9-1 victory, it was both Dodd and Ogier who each won their three singles matches, both dropping just the single leg to Matthew Stubbington, who prevented the whitewash in an excellent four-set victory over Bretel.

Bretel put the defeat behind him and acquitted himself well by defeating both Andy Gill and reserve Derek Webb in straight games as well as teaming up with Ogier to defeat Stubbington and Gill in the doubles, also in straight games.

Whistlers B finished in second place and also claimed two victories by defeating Whistlers A 7-3 and Whistlers C 6-4.

In the former, Olly Langlois, brother Adam and Jez Powell each won two of their singles matches by defeating Mark Pipet and reserve Josh Stacey.

However, they did not have enough on the night for Alice Loveridge, who continued her good form on the back of the recent gold medal at the Junior Six Nations as she emerged victorious in all three encounters.

In their 6-4 victory over Whistlers C, Olly Langlois was on impressive form winning all his singles matches, defeating Stubbington, Gill and reserve Andy Weeks without dropping a leg.

Adam Langlois added two victories against Weeks and Gill, but he lost to Stubbington deuce in the deciding game.

The Langlois brothers crucially teamed up to defeat Stubbington and Gill in the fifth and final leg to claim the victory.

Lions B clinched a crucial point by earning a draw with Specsavers A.

Martin Sarre and reserve Liam Robilliard both played excellently, each winning two of their singles matches, beating both Neil Hastie and Mark Fallaize.

Hainsworth added a vital win by clawing his way back from a two-game deficit against Hastie to win in five and earn a draw.

Scott Romeril won his three singles matches for the Specsavers side, but was pushed to four tight games by Hainsworth and also by Sarre.

The point has helped the Lions side finish the season on the same number of points as Whistlers C at the foot of the table.

Remarkably both have the same games difference of -90 and cannot be separated.

Lions were aided greatly by the inclusion of reserve Robilliard for the majority of the second half of the season, and he has been a versatile replacement for Tim Le Page, adding vital victories against some strong Division One players.

Robilliard was the key player for his Division Two side, Lions C, although the title just eluded them, with the Whistlers D team of Kay Chivers, Keith Opie and Joshua Stacey edging the league by a single point.

Chivers has been on good form all season, topping the averages for the loss of just two matches and Opie has backed her up well, winning over 70% of his singles.

Junior Stacey also chipped in with some crucial victories to help steer them to the title.

Robilliard finished second in the averages, losing just seven matches, and is evidently a player who will be competing in the top flight in the near future.

Lions G finished their Third Division campaign in the same vein as their A side – unbeaten.

Neil Rabey was the main man for the G side as he topped the averages, losing just two singles matches, and he was backed up excellently by Jack Totty who lost just seven in his debut season in the senior league.

Veteran Maurice Le Page added some victories that helped the side remain unbeaten.

Lions L claimed the Fourth Division title by the narrowest of margins ahead of Panthers B.

Both ended the season on the same amount of points, but Lions’ games difference was considerably better.

Consistency is the defining word for the victors as all three players finished in the top five of the averages.

Junior Reece Ogier finished his debut season impressively for the loss of just six singles matches and his teammates, Jenny Powell and Val Guilbert, lost just eight and 11 singles matches respectively.