May Update

While You Were Working

On Tuesday Nigel warmed up for the evening league match by nipping down the M69 on
another raid in the Heart of England Region, coming home with the
Coventry Open Over 60s Doubles Shield

Play Misty For Me

On a dreich night the intermittent smirr and casual water
was more reminiscent of Autumn in a Scottish glen than Spring in Rutland.
The 4-0 (52-19) result looks like a routine drubbing of the Batchelors, a
poignant shadow of the team which stormed Division 1 in 2011 and finished 2013 only
four points behind the Premier Division champions - halcyon days we thought would never end.
But brothers Paul and John who remain, marshalled some stubborn resistance
and the Collyweston outfit were unlucky not to come away with something from the match.
Highlight of the evening was arguably a two-boule-takeout-and-carreau from the
triple managed rigorously by the tall one. With the Fox & Hounds Originals taking three
legs at Old Black Horse, the Panthers have a two point cushion at the top after matchday four

Top Cats

Settling nicely into Division 2 in the Leicestershire League, Panthers maintained their 100% record
with their first 4-0 of this season in an away match at Belper Arms 2. With Queniborough
Spartans dropping legs at home to Belper Arms 3, and the Thurmaston 3
match postponed, Panthers go three points clear
Meanwhile in the top flight Glenhills 1 are 'doing a Leicester' : with a 4-0 (52-29) demolition of Three Crowns 1, Georgio Ranieri Tate's happy band are the improbable League leaders
by two points. Plough Inn 2 begin a recovery job, after a painful start to
the season, with a creditable 2-2 draw at Axe & Scratch

Escape To Victory

On Thursday evening the Loughborough Panthers
went head to head with the surprise early leaders, Air Hostess 6.
After a slow start and some attritional play the Tollerton team succumbed
13-7 in both legs. In the second round Panthers made rapid progress against a disheartened opposition. But, no sooner had Dave and Mick closed out their game, than the
enemy rallied to 12-12 against Sophie and John ... who held on to secure
a first 4-0 of the season and top spot in the table by three points

That Was The Week That Was ...

... a good week, then, for Panthers in the Leagues : all twelve legs won and top in all three tables

Hot Streak

May Day Monday Magic

Mick, Daniel, Tim, Nigel, John and Sophie all contributed to a convincing 24-16 win for Leicestershire at Wetherby against Yorkshire. A downpour forced an early lunch but did nothing to halt the Foxes' march to victory on what turned into a remarkable day, with Leicester's Mark Selby winning the world snooker title for a second time, 13 minutes after Leicester City FC were crowned Premier League champions

Forwards Sent Back

On Tuesday in Rutlands' Greene King Cup the ORFC Forwards

came to try their luck in the Boot & Shoe cauldron. The Panthers bagged

the two triples games comfortably and Tony and Daniel closed out the tie in

double quick time in their pairs game. Pip and Nigel won comfortably but Tim and

John decided to coach their opposition - a project they accomplished rather too successfully

In the draw for the Round of 16

Panthers get a chance to avenge the Rose & Crown

with the visit of Greetham Viking Traders on the 7th of June. On the

same day the Houghton outfit begin their Plate campaign at the White Lion at Whissendine

Warming Up

Wednesday evening put the "summer" back in the Leicestershire Summer League. Panthers at home trounced the Malt Shovel Old Boys by 48 points to 15, somehow managing to drop a leg but nevertheless going top of Division 2 on points difference from Thurmaston 3 after two matches.
Meanwhile in Division 1 four matches were drawn, opening the door to Glenhills 1 to go top with a second 3-1 win, this time at Plough Inn 2. This clash included a couple of carreaux for a 6 in one end ... but the names of the players involved have been redacted from the official match report

Red Lion Tree Axed

A third 3-1 win in the Thursday Pairs sees Panthers close the gap on early

leaders Air Hostess 6 to one point. In the first set of doubles Rich and Nigel achieved a

'technical fanny' with successively a 3, a 4 and a 6 to win 13-3 while Dave and John won more conventionally 13-8. But the Panthers were once more up against it in round two. Dave and John suffered again on the 'graveyard' side of the piste while Rich and Nigel pulled off a Panthers' trademark comeback from 8-12 down to pinch a win. MVP on the night was Rich whose

pointing under pressure kept the Loughborough Panthers' 100% record in tact

Weather Woes Notwithstanding

Panthers Tame the Red Lion

Wednesday 27 April was another cold evening but Panthers opened their Leicestershire Summer League account with a 3-1 win at Redcaps 1 in their first ever Division 2 fixture. Thurmaston 3 will need to be watched after their impressive 4-0 beating of Belper Arms 1
Meanwhile in Division 1 Plough Inn 2 went down heavily at Glenhills 2 but Glenhills 1 launched their first ever top flight campaign with a 3-1 drubbing of last year's champions, Keyham 1

Points Make Prizes

Thursday evening saw rain added to the climatic inclemency but this did not prevent another 3-1 win for the Loughbough Panthers, this time at Three Crowns, Hathern. Sophie starred with a supreme pointing performance. Panthers are now second in the Thursday Pétanque table with the fancied Mansfield Titchfield Snappers and Air Hostess 5 both failing to repeat matchday 1 wins

Roving in Rutland

Cold Comfort

On a very chilly Tuesday evening in the wilds of Leicestershire, beyond the 'Bermuda Triangle' that is Melton Mowbray, there was a warm welcome from the Sewstern Hounds at the Community Centre, their new venue across the road from the Blue Hounds pub. Lacking somewhat in preparation, Panthers eked out a 2-2 draw with two convincing wins and two narrow defeats. Star player on the night was Pip, who managed to 'take all six' on four consecutive ends
Panthers stay top of the Premier Division on 'goal difference'

Destruction Derby

Meanwhile in their home fixture at Houghton the Rose & Crown defeated local rivals

Old Black Horse A by 3 - 1 and are now joint leaders in Division 1 after three matches

Match Reports : 19 - 21 April

Tuesday evening saw the Fox & Hounds Exton team venture into the Boot & Shoe arena with, disconcertingly, only five players. In the event the opponent pair managed more points than their triple and Panthers closed out a thumping 52 - 6 win without really firing on all cylinders. After two games the Computer is forecasting 63pts (+459) which would be an all-time Rutland League Premier Division record

The Rose & Crown team followed up their opening home win with an away draw at Whissendine Cobblers and now sit fourth in the table one point behind the Whissendine Nailers and surprise package Beach Boys of Barrowden, who only narrowly avoided relegation last session

The Thursday Pétanque League opened this week with Panthers at home to Nags Head 2 in our first Division 1 fixture following promotion last year. In their very first end Mick and Nigel were in danger of going down 5 or 6 but the opponents failed to capitalise - and minutes later it was 13 - 1 to les Oranges. Meanwhile John and Sophie dominated their game thoughout and notched up a 13 - 6. The reverse legs were another story. Allan and Marie got to grips with the graveyard side of the piste and Panthers went down 13 - 9. Mick and Nigel were also struggling ... and at 9 - 8, on for one and with four boules in hand, the Castle Donington side should have taken a second leg. But Simon's usually tenacious play deserted him. Repreived, Mick set up the next end nicely, called the right play - and Nigel grabbed 15 seconds of flimsy fame with a carreau for five and game

April Update