ONLY three matches were played in the first round of the Division One knockout competition – the Brian Gittins Cup – as most teams benefited from a bye.

One of those matches was conceded by Wingates, who gave Little Lever B a walk-over into round two.

The top match was between the team on the top of the Premier Division Ramsbottom A, and basement club Heaton A.

Both teams fielded a substitute player along with two regular players.

For Ramsbottom this was Graham Young, who played alongside Mick Moir and Andy Jackson while Heaton’s two regulars Steve Barber and Paul Ward were joined by Duncan Kay.

In a match that went down to the wire, the Heaton team, on 93.5 points start, saw their lead gradually eroded but, they held on to scrape home with a six- points victory, scoring 372 points against Ramsbottoms 364 in what proved to be the closest match of the round.

Hilton B’s Allan Tomlinson and Ian Wheeldon received a 72.5 start against Little Lever C, but Paul Tatlock, Ric Simmons and John Hutchings pulled this back and moved ahead in the seventh set to win the match by 36 points.

In the George Yates Shield for Second and Third Division teams, of the five scheduled matches three were played, Hilton D receiving a walk-over from St Catherine’s C, and the match between Farnworth SC and Irlam is outstanding The closest match of the round was between Hilton E and Hilton C. The E team’s John Barker, Jean Smart and Adele Spibey received 58.5 points start but, by the fifth set, the C team’s Alan Bradshaw Tony Eardley and Len Walker had made up the deficit and moved ahead.

From that set the games were much closer, with the E team finishing with 365.5 points and the C team on 376 to give them a win by 10.5 points.

The St Paul’s Peel trio Geoff Rushton, Ian Westmoreland and Mick Murray on 107.5 points start recorded comfortable 80-points win over BEN A’s Mike Heaton, Rod Hall and Phil Calvert. St Paul’s kept ahead in all the sets to score 437.5 points against BEN’s 357.

The Hilton I team of Mihn Lee, Andrew Morey and Malcolm Rose scored an even more comfortable win by 125 points over their H team. They received 44.5-points start from Malcolm Wilcock, Tony Mason and George Berry who failed to win games to make up the deficit.

This resulted in the I team scoring 423 points and the H team 298.

In the Ron Hindle Memorial Trophy for Division Four teams Heaton F’s Colin Roberts, Phil Beales and Dave Jones entertained Harper Green’s James Storey, Peter McMinn and Tim Cromarty.

Harper Green were given a 57.5-points start, but Heaton only managed to pull back 24 of these resulting in a 33 points win for Harper Green.

Bolton Lads & Girls Club A, represented by Josh Duffy, Alex Furmage and Ray Isherwood beat Brass ,who only fielded two players, by 97 points.

Hilton J, who also only fielded two players, lost to the Ladybridge C trio of Andy Scully, Colin Gregory and Robin Llewellyn.

Second round draw (to be played week starting January 24) Brian Gittins Cup: Coburg v Hilton A, Standish v Ladybridge A, Radcliffe CC v St Catherine’s B, Flixton CC v Heaton A, Nomads A v Nomads B, Little Lever A v Burning Desire, Little Lever C v Little Lever B, Heaton B v Wharton.

George Yates Shield: Hilton G v Heaton E, Hilton F v Farnworth TTC B, Little lever D v Ladybridge B, St Paul’s Peel v Hilton D, Heaton C v Hilton C, Farnworth TTC A v Heaton D, Farnworth SC/Irlam Steel v Hilton I, BEN B v Meadow Bank.

Ron Hindle Memorial Trophy: Ladybridge C v Hit & Hope, Bolton Lads & Girls Club B v Boyzone, Harper Green v St Catherine’s D, Farnworth TTC C v Bolton Lads & Girls Club A.

RESULTS Brian Gittins Cup: Heaton A bt Ramsbottom A, Little Lever C bt Hilton B, Little Lever B walk-over.

George Yates Shield: Hilton I bt Hilton H, St Paul’s Peel bt BEN A, Hilton C bt Hilton E, Hilton D walk-over.

Ron Hindle Memorial Trophy: L&G C A bt Brass, Harper Green bt Heaton F, Ladybridge C bt Hilton J.