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A Team deal big blow to Strand 1's title hopes

(B&D League 2017/18 Week 13) Strand 1's title challenge may well have gone up in smoke after a shock draw against The A Team.

 

  • (Division 1) Strand 1 2.5-2.5 The A Team
  • (Division 2) Bangor 2.5-2.5 Kelly's Heroes
  • (Division 3) Ballynafeigh 3 3.5-1.5 Strand 4
  • (Division 4) Ballynafeigh 4 2-3 Fruithill Ravens

 

 

In a rescheduled match from Week 8, The A team performed excellently to boost their hopes of avoiding the wooden spoon and do major damage to Strand 1's title challenge. The home side might not have been at full strength, but The A Team still needed a couple of excellent individual results to claim the draw: David Ruben (1570) drew with the black pieces against David Hill (1869) and John McKenna (1490) produced the upset of the week as he beat Calum Leitch (1849). The result takes them off the bottom of Division 1 for the first time since Week 1. Kelly's Heroes remain 3.5 points ahead in Division 2 after they drew with Bangor. Bobby Thompson defeated Albert McCarter and Richard Proctor marked his long-awaited return to competitive chess by winning against Paddy Magee; the other three games were drawn. Ballynafeigh 3 jumped into the lead in Division 3 by beating Strand 4 3.5-1.5, while in Division 4 the Fruithill Ravens claimed their first bonus points of the season in a narrow win over Ballynafeigh 4

Standings

Division 1PlayedPoints
Muldoons 1 9 51.5
Strand 2 9 40.5
Strand 1 8 36.5
Civil Service 9 32
Ballynafeigh 1 7 25
The A Team 10 13
Ballynafeigh 2 8 11.5
Division 2PlayedPointsDivision 3PlayedPointsDivision 4PlayedPoints
Kelly's Heroes 9 46.5 Ballynafeigh 3 9 34.5 Strand 3 9 27.5
Bangor 9 43 Strand 4 9 32 Ballynafeigh 4 10 17
Muldoons 2 8 39 Fruithill 8 30 Fruithill Ravens 9 9.5
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