Report submitted by County Coach Gavin Stephenson:
On Sunday the 16th of October, Cumbria boys under 17 hosted the first round of the junior inter-county tournament at Carlisle Squash Club. Cumbria’s squad:
Keane Appleton, James Wilkinson, Adam Goad, Joesph Broadley, Adam Gill and Ross Singleton
Cumbria got off to a good start, beating Durham and Cleveland 3-2. Hindered by a illness that would plague number 1 Keane Appleton throughout the day, Cumbria needed to scrap all the way down the order, Adam Goad showing true fighting spirit which drove the team on to an excellent win.
Next up, were pre-match favourites Yorkshire. Cumbria chose a good time to turn in their performance of the day, again pulling out all the stops to win 3-2 against the squash powerhouse of the north.
Due to results elsewhere, despite 2 wins out of 2, Cumbria had to beat Northumbria in the final match of the day to progress to the second stage in the promotion group. However, some tired bodies, although pushing themselves to the limit, could not stop a strong Northumbria side winning and knocking Cumbria down to 3rd place by just 2 points.
It was a momentous effort by Cumbria’s boys over the whole day. Adam Goad’s 3 wins out of 3 leading the charge and James Wilkinson and Ross Singleton in particular, showing a level of sportsmanship that is sadly often lacking in junior sporting events.
Coach Gavin Stephenson, ably assisted by assistant Mike Lowrey praised the team and they determination over the course of a gruelling day. Behind the scenes, John Crighton and Sue Appleton ensured the event ran smoothly for all.