No RVH Resistance as John Strawbridge Cup Heads to Queen's
The victorious QUB team: (top row, left to right) Vlad Pucovsky and Calum Leitch, (front row, left to right) Claudio Mendicute, Chris Millar, and John Masterson
After commencing their league campaign in less than entirely convincing form, the Galactico chess superstars of Queen's University Belfast quickly ridded themselves of the "paper tigers" tag, hit top form, and marched unoppossed to surely one of the most comfortable victory margins a team has ever enjoyed in the history of the John Strawbridge Cup.
Both Malone and Bangor Groomsport had until February made pretences of challenging for top spot, but having regained parity with these two sides by Christmas, it was league favourites QUB that then began to really live up to their billing. Millar's Mob eventually ran out as league winners with a 14.5 point cushion ahead of second-placed Malone, and dropped just 3.5 points from the post-Christmas 35 that were available.
There's little doubt that this impressive form leaves Queen's in good shape for launching a strong assault on the uppermost echelons of Division 1 next season. However, Clifton House have again impressed this year, and have unsurprisingly claimed the Silver King for the third time in the club's brief history. Nevertheless, "Los Galacticos" aim to make a small number of astute additions to their panel before breaking the Division 1 dominance of Clifton next season. A return of the Silver King from North to South Belfast now seems long overdue.
