Sunday evening’s Recreational Cup competition certainly produced many thrills with a number of new faces along with the usual regulars. Three sections of three teams met with the top team in each section qualifying for the semi-finals along with the “best” runner up.
Section one games saw Jayne Cafferty’s Nae Fear defeat Amanda Howie’s Tay Pearls 21-5; 15-9 and Kayleigh Johnston’s newly formed Crieff side 21-8; 21-15 to top their group. The Crieff versus Tay Pearls match was a real ding dong affair with the Strathearn side taking the first set 21-12 only for Pearls to pull back level in the second set 21-8. It was Crieff who won the third set 15-2 in the hope of qualifying as best runner up.
Section two kicked off with Ian McGrath’s Motley Crew taking on Michael Donaldson’s Kinross McDuvels with the Kinross side narrowly edging victory by two sets to one. McDuvels then overcame a stuffy St Juan side led by Julia Kruzynska 21-12; 21-17 to secure their semi-final place. The game between Motley Crew and St Juan saw the Crew scrape through as the “best runners’ up” winning by two sets to love.
Section three saw Strathallan’s Jonny Ireland lead his squad of four boys and four girls onto court for their first competitive match of the new season against Aberfeldy. Experience told as the Breadalbane side went on to win 21-10; 21-16. Aberfeldy then overcame Heather Wilson’s Kinross High School side by two sets to love to seal their slot in the semi-final draw. The remaining match between school sides Strathallan and Kinross High saw the Stratthallan side come out on top, also winning by two sets to love.
The semi-final draw saw Aberfeldy take on Motley Crew with Ian McGrath’s side doing enough to overcome the Breadalbane side to reach the final. In the other semi-final between Nae Fear and Kinross McDuvels was a tightly contested affair with Nae Fear taking the early lead only for the Kinross side to come back to win the first set 21-17. The second set was even closer being poised at 19 points each before the Kinross side won the next two vital points.
The final opened with Kinross taking an impressive 9-2 lead only for Motley Crew to come back into things before running out of steam with Kinross lifting the silver cup 21-15; 21-13.
This Sunday sees the Recreational League sides meet back at Perth College for the opening round of league fixtures for the season.