Ian Wright Cup Final

Cup Final Report

As predicted Poult Wood 4 Squash Team turned up ready to fight for this cup final clash, with Maidstone 1 on home ground and both teams agreeing to play on a Saturday night this was always going to be the team match not to miss.

Both teams turned up with plenty of family and friends to support their respective teams, Maidstone squash club members also showed up to lend their support to the home team and creating a club atmosphere that has not been seen in the club for a number of years.

Maidstone’s Phil Fray playing Gareth Cross kicked the evening off with 2 epic games, the first game went to 14/16 the second 16/18 then disaster hit with Phil pulling up with a major calf injury and unable to continue the game meaning that Phil lost the 3rd game 1/15

Meanwhile Tom Williams (Maidstone) was on court 2 battling with Oliver Marsh (Poult wood) by Toms own admission he didn’t really get started and after showing fighting spirit in the first game was always playing catch up, losing in straight games 13/15, 8/15 and 9/15

Mike Watson (Maidstone) was up against Harry Matthews (Poult wood) with the pressure on to get a win on the board, Mike was up against Harry who was determined to grind out another win for the visitors to put the cup out of reach of Maidstone. A valiant effort by mike was too no avail as he went down 8/15, 12/15, 15/12 and 11/15 with mike losing the match 3-1

Next up was George Fray (Maidstone) playing Craig Cooper in a 5 game thriller, this game ebbed and flowed to the end, George could not settle into his game, sporting fancy new strings in his racket and changing his rackets a couple times during the game and eventually winning 12/15, 15/4, 7/15, 15/12 and 15/10 to secure Maidstone’s only win of the evening.

Poult Wood 4 played well to take the Ian Wright Cup but rest assured Team Maidstone will be back to fight another day.

This was Tom Williams last appearance for Maidstone squash team for the foreseeable future, as he takes up a new job in Coventry and residence in Warwick, all the team members from both Black Lion Squash and Maidstone Squash Club thank him for his commitment to team squash and wish him well for the future.

On behalf of the Squash club committee a "Big Shout Out" should go out to the “Fray Family” Phil for sorting the match out on a saturday night, the free buffet to all supporters, Mrs Fray running the bar, and the coach load of supporters across 3 Fray family generations to the club for what was a truly great evening and a fantastic advert for Maidstone squash Club in general,

“THANK YOU”

As you will see if you scroll down past the “Road to the Final” and the official results, a couple of photos of the bar area taken on the night which we hope will be the first of many similar nights to come.