Surrey's Luxfords St George's Hill and newcomers Energie Fitness Redditch avenged defeats earlier in the season in tonight's (Tuesday) eighth round of the Premier Squash League (PSL) to keep alive their hopes of reaching the end-of-season play-offs in the prestigious England Squash league sponsored by Towergate tlc.

Essex's Daryl Selby clinched the decider for St George's Hill against Sussex visitors PNH Properties Chichester in Group B, while the West Midlands derby in Group A between Redditch and University Sport Birmingham again saw the top strings battle it out for victory, with the Worcestershire home team's Jonathan Kemp recovering from a game down to beat Birmingham's Joey Barrington in four.

Elsewhere Benz-Bavarian Duffield and PCL Whitehall Security Surrey H&RC maintained their unbeaten runs - the defending champions from Derbyshire crushing former champions Nottingham 4-1 away from home and the Croydon club winning by the same margin at UniSport Guildford.  The wins ensure that both Duffield, from Group A, and Surrey H&RC, from Group B, are certain to make to the play-offs for the second successive year.

Just two days after tasting defeat in the women's British National Championship final in Manchester, Birmingham's Laura Lengthorn-Massaro went down 4-9, 9-4, 9-2, 10-8 in the opening match in Redditch to the home team's Jaclyn Hawkes - the New Zealander repeating her win over the England international earlier in the season. 

Honours thereafter were shared throughout the evening, with the University side drawing level when Stephen Coppinger beat Adam Stevenson, and Redditch again forging ahead through a Jaymie Haycocks victory over Jonathan Harford.

Top strings kemp and Barrington were left to contest a decider when the visitors' Mohamed El Shorbagy, a 17-year-old Egyptian based in Somerset, beat Australian Scott Arnold 10-8, 9-6, 5-9, 9-6.  Barrington, also from Glastonbury in Somerset, took the opening game, but left-hander Kemp, the world No25, bounced back to win 8-10, 9-3, 9-4, 9-4 in 39 minutes to seal the win for Redditch.

"It was a night of really good and exciting squash," said Redditch team manager Bett Dryhurst.  "It was a true local derby, fought out in a good spirit - and it's time we deserved a breakthrough like this," added the British O55 Open champion.

Redditch have reduced the gap in third place in Group A behind University Sport Birmingham - but Duffield have extended their lead at the top of the table to 30 points following their win over a weakened Nottingham team.  Cheshire's Andrew Whipp was Duffield's only loser, but twice fought back to level his match before Welshman Jethro Binns clinched a 9-7, 14-16, 9-7, 4-9, 9-5 victory.  In the top string clash, Australian Stewart Boswell beat Irishman John Rooney 10-8 9-6 9-4 to secure his third successive win since joining the Duffield squad.

After originally being announced as the fourth string for visitors Pontefract, it was as top string that Trinidadian Colin Ramasra arrived at Esporta Oxford, leading the considerably under-strength Yorkshire club squad.  The home side marched to a convincing 4/1 win - with only Kristen Johnson stumbling, failing to exploit a two-game advantage before going down 9-4, 11-9, 5-9, 7-9, 6-9 to Pontefract's Sam Wileman.

But a packed house in Weybridge enjoyed watching the drama unfold as Luxfords St George's Hill entertained PNH Properties Chichester.  Surrey University student Rachel Willmott opened proceedings for the home team - and enjoyed her first win in ten league appearances when she beat the Sussex club's Susannah King 9-4, 5-9, 9-4, 9-1.

The tie was evenly poised when top strings Daryl Selby and Alex Gough faced each other in the decider - with Welshman Gough, fresh from appearances in both the 'Open' and O35 event in last week's British Nationals in Manchester, taking a  two game lead.  But Selby refused to give in, forcing the match into a fifth game decider before clinching victory in a 6-9, 5-9, 10-8, 9-3, 9-7 scoreline after 76 minutes!

Also fresh from success at the National Squash Centre - where she won the women's title for the first time - Alison Waters received a presentation from UniSport Guildford team manager Ian Robinson after cruising to a 9-6, 10-8, 9-3 win over Stephanie Brind in their home tie against PCL Whitehall Security Surrey H&RC.

But that was the home team's only success as the visitors stormed to a 4/1 win - in the final match, the squad's number one Peter Barker overcoming a dislocated toe injury to beat Guildford's Stacey Ross, also suffering with a shoulder injury, 9-3, 3-9, 9-7, 9-5.

RESULTS: 8th round, Tuesday 19 February 2008

     Group A:
Nottingham 1  Benz-Bavarian Duffield 4
  John Rooney lost to Stewart Boswell  8-10, 6-9, 4-9
  Jethro Binns bt Andrew Whipp  9-7, 14-16, 9-7, 4-9, 9-5
  Eddie Charlton lost to Peter Billson  9-7, 7-9, 9-11, 7-9
  Lewis Walters lost to Shaun le Roux  9-7, 3-9, 7-9, 8-10
  Sarah Kippax lost to Laura Hill  5-9, 6-9, 10-12
Esporta Oxford 4  Pontefract 1
  Scott Handley bt Colin Ramasra  9-4, 9-6, 9-2
  Rob Sutherland bt Adam Taylor  10-8, 9-5, 9-2
  Kristen Johnson lost to Sam Wileman  9-4, 11-9, 5-9, 7-9, 6-9
  Thomas Phipps bt Daniel Siddall  9-5, 9-7, 9-3
  Madeline Perry bt Lauren Siddall  9-2, 7-9, 9-7, 9-5
Energie Fitness Redditch 3  University Sport Birmingham 2
  Jonathan Kemp bt Joey Barrington  8-10, 9-3, 9-4, 9-4 (39m)
  Scott Arnold lost to Mohamed El Shorbagy  8-10, 6-9, 9-5, 6-9
  Jaymie Haycocks bt Jonathan Harford  11-9, 9-3, 9-6
  Adam Stevenson lost to Stephen Coppinger  4-9, 0-9, 5-9
  Jaclyn Hawkes bt Laura Lengthorn-Massaro  4-9, 9-4, 9-2, 10-8

  Group B:
UniSport Guildford 1  PCL Whitehall Security Surrey H&RC 4
  Stacey Ross lost to Peter Barker  3-9, 9-3, 7-9, 5-9
  Stephen Meads lost to Davide Bianchetti  9-11, 5-9, 3-9
  Jesse Engelbrecht lost to Ben Ford  3-9, 7-9, 8-10
  Alex Ingham lost to Steve Richardson  5-9, 9-3, 9-7, 2-9, 6-9
  Alison Waters bt Stephanie Brind  9-6, 10-8, 9-3
Luxfords St George's Hill 3  PNH Properties Chichester 2
  Daryl Selby bt Alex Gough  6-9, 5-9, 10-8, 9-3, 9-7 (76m)
  Joe Lee lost to Tim Vail  6-9, 9-7, 2-9, 6-9
  Neil Hitchens lost to Peter Genever  9-7, 4-9, 5-9, 10-8, 4-9
  Jason Barry bt Oliver Pett  9-6, 7-9, 9-2, 9-7
  Rachel Willmott bt Susannah King  9-4, 5-9, 9-4, 9-1


9th round fixtures, Tuesday 4 March 2008
     Group A:
Esporta Oxford v Nottingham
Pontefract v Energie Fitness Redditch
University Sport Birmingham v Benz-Bavarian Duffield
      Group B:
Luxfords St George's Hill v UniSport Guildford
PNH Properties Chichester v Probuild Bristol

PSL TABLES (after 8th round)
(best viewed in ‘Courier New’ font)
                                 Ties       Matches     Games     Pts
                               P   W   L    W    L     W     L
   Group A:
Benz-Bavarian Duffield         8   8   0   32    8   103    47   143
University Sport Birmingham    8   5   3   24   16    88    63   113
Energie Fitness Redditch       8   3   5   21   19    77    70    92
Esporta Oxford                 8   4   4   18   22    70    83    90
Pontefract                     8   2   6   13   27    54    91    64
Nottingham                     8   2   6   12   28    54    92    64

   Group B:
Surrey H&RC                    7   7   0   26    9    86    45   121
PNH Properties Chichester      6   4   2   17   13    65    57    85
Probuild Bristol               6   2   4   14   16    60    60    70
Luxfords St George's Hill      6   2   4   13   17    51    63    61
UniSport Guildford             7   1   6   10   25    42    79    47

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