Win for Aith in first big clash

THE FIRST match of the John Leask and Son first division badminton league was played in Brae.

Aith A 6, Yell B 3

Aith started well when Morag Fox and Gordon Keith beat Jason Jamieson and Jackie Guthrie 21-12, 21-17.

In the second mixed match Yell balanced the score when Stephen Clark and Diana Jamieson beat Julie Keith and Craig Nicolson in two sets.

In the third mixed Caroline Keith and Paul Hamblett regained the advantage when they beat Owen Strachan and Belinda Anderson 21-15, 21-16.

In the level doubles Morag and Julie had a close game against Jackie and Diana. Yell took the first game 21-17 but in an even closer second the visitors won 21-19.

Gordon and Craig took on Jason and Stephen and the game started well for Yell as they took the first set 21-15. Aith responded with a 21-10 win in second. The third set was a point for point affair and could have gone either way but it was Gordon and Craig who got the two-point advantage at the end to win 21-18.

Julie and Caroline were up against Belinda and Diana who took the first set 21-15, but Aith battled for the next set and just clinched it 21-19. In the third set there was no telling who was going to win. This was certainly the best game of the night. The Yell lasses dug in hard, because winning this game would level the score at three-all, keeping the hopes of an overall win alive, but it was not to be as Caroline and Julie won 21-19.

Unfortunately the second Aith women’s and second Yell men’s teams conceded their matches due to injury.

In the third men’s Stephen and Owen were against Paul and Craig. Long rallies were played but it was the Aith pair that set the game and settled down for a 21-15, 21-10 win to give Aith the overall 6-3 win.