PARK remain handily-placed to get up among the leading pack in Section B of the Bolton Badminton League after beating Markland Hill D 10-8.

It was a hard-fought tussle between Park, who are sixth, and their visitors, who are two places below them, with the result hanging on some nailbitingly close games.

There are only two points separating Park and third-placed GMT, with the former having games in hand on the teams above them.

They got off to a good start when their first couple, Amy Larcombe and Gareth Fairclough, proved too strong for Angela Brown and Chris Ball, winning 21-13 and 21-15.

Markland Hill’s Susan Webber and Stefan Halsall claimed the second pair of games, 21-17, 21-5, against Tina Boyes and John Boyes.

The third couples shared their games, Markland Hill’s Kath Spillane and Richard Truslow taking the first 21-14, and Kelly Anderson and Jonny Mistry winning the second 21-17.

In the clash of the first couples, Park’s Larcombe and Fairclough managed to hang on to take both games, 23-21, 21-17, against Webber and Halsall.

The second couples shared their games, Markland Hill’s Brown and Ball taking the first 21-15, and Boyes and Boyes claiming the second 21-16.

At the end of the mixed games Park had edged ahead 6-4.

The first pair of ladies’ games was shared when Markland Hill’s Spillane and Webber dug in to take the first 25-23 and Anderson and Larcombe took revenge by claiming the second 21-14.

The first pair of men’s games were also shared, Park’s Mistry and Fairclough winning the first 21-16 and Truslow and Halsall taking the second 21-16.

Park’s Anderson and Boyes then claimed the second pair of ladies’ games, and the match, 21-18, 21-5, against Spillane and Brown.

Although Park’s ladies had achieved the win for their sixth-placed team, the determined pair of Truslow and Ball fought to the end to claim the final pair of men’s games, 22-20, 24-22, against Mistry and Boyes.