NEWSOME Sports Club failed to make the most of home advantage when two of their teams fell to defeat.

Both the B and C teams were beaten by their main Division III league challengers.

Newsome C, who sat proud in third place two weeks ago, failed to overcome Lockwood Con D and slipped down to seventh on 57 points.

Lockwood, who clinched a 7-3 win, strengthened their grip at the top and are now 12 points clear.

Newsome B, who before their match with Kingsmith Eng D enjoyed the luxury of being two points ahead of their opponents, were thoroughly outfought and outplayed.

This was despite the fact that three of the sets went to four and a further three to a deciding fifth game.

Nevertheless, there was much for both teams to be pleased with.

Newsome’s Roy Cooney fought every inch of the way and in his first set was 7-1 up in the fifth game before Ron Powell staged a magnificent fightback to take the game 11-8.

Again, in his second set he had chances but was edged out by a rejuvenated David Wood who clinched the set 13-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9.

In the encounter with Bob Manby, his opponent, as always, fought well.

Time and again he gets within striking distance of the finishing post but like Cooney, has difficulty crossing the line.

He beat Powell in the second game 13-11 and against Wood he took the first game and lost the second 13-11 having been 10-8 to the good. He then lost the third 15-13 having also led 10-7.

For Newsome, unfortunately, Bob Gibbs was the only player to have any success. He found Wood too much of a handful in his first set, but later took Stuart Waring to five before losing 11-6. Finally, in the penultimate set of the evening he beat Powell in a five-game thriller.

Newsome C had their moments of glory despite a 7-3 defeat. Jason Dyson, a much improved player, inflicted a loss on Rod Wright in three straight games, while Khuran Gohir added the scalp of Geoff Heywood to his CV when he beat him in five games.

Together they overcame Geoff Heywood and Gerry Kerr in an excellent doubles by 11-8, 10-12, 4-11, 11-8, 11-8, but it was Kerr who had the most to shout about.

He won all his sets, dropping only one game in his bid to lead the division’s averages.

Brooks C, strengthened by the return of Jim Irving are making a late challenge, having won three and drawn one of their last five matches to climb from ninth to third place.

Division I: Brooks B 7 (Ellis 3, Schofield 2, Sykes) Brooks A 3 (Senior 2, Crosland), Scissett A 5 (Morley 2, Leach, Womersley) Woodfield Park B 5 (Knott 2, Sykes 3), David Browns A 4 (Bailey, Taylor 2) Woodfield Park B 6 (Moorhouse, Knott 2, Belk 3).

Division II: Lockwood Con C 8 (Bowen 3, Townend 2, Cockayne 2) Marsh Con D 2 (Martin 2), Golcar Lib B 5 (Tattersley 2, Chatterton 2) Scissett B 5 (Clarke, Rourke 2, Heywood 2).

Division iii: Newsome SC C 3 (Dyson, Gohir) Lockwood Con D 7 (Kerr 3, Heywood 2, Wright 2), Newsome SC B 1 (Gibbs) Kingsmith Eng D 9 (Powell 2, Waring 3, Wood 3), Brook C 7 (Hullah 2, Irving 3, Astwick) Kingsmith Eng E 3 (Smith, Knight, Thorpe), Newsome SC A 10 (Johnson 3, John Vaughan 3, Jonathon Vaughan 3) Brooks D 0, Brooks C 6 (Hullah 2, Irving 3) Kingsmith Eng F 4 (Cook, Shaw 2, Woodhead).

Greens Handicap knockout second round: Golcar Lib B 394 David Brown A 446, Lockwood Con A 398 Marsh Con D 368, Brooks B 341 Lockwood Con B 379, Kingsmith Eng F 418 Woodfield Park A 378, Kingsmith Eng C 423 Scissett WMC A 410, Lockwood Con D 435 Marsh Con C 459, Woodfield Park B 470 Kingsmith Eng D 475.