Skipper’s injury takes gloss off great match

Monday 17th March 2008, 2:29PM GMT.

Quentin Petit, right, and Stuart Hardy won one of their three doubles. (Picture by Brian Green, 0551265)

THE sight of Ian Coombes-Goodfellow leaving the Rohais Halls on a stretcher and in a neck brace soured what was another closely fought Gilson Cup match on Saturday.

The Jersey captain, whose team won 16-14 to retain the trophy for a fifth year, landed awkwardly on his shoulder and banged his head on the floor when diving to retrieve what seemed like a lost point during the mixed doubles section.

News filtered through during the presentation that he was going for an X-ray. ‘Unfortunately, Ian had that nasty dive. Hopefully [the stretcher and neck brace] is just precautionary,’ said GBA president John Stuart.