FORREST E dropped their first points of the campaign after a thrilling 9-9 draw with Westhoughton E in Section C of the Bolton Badminton League.

League leaders Forrest went into the game with a 100-per-cent record but the opening games were shared, Forrest’s second couple, Lauren Colman and Jack Hamer, winning the first game, 21-17, and Louise Vernon and Geoff Everitt taking the second, 21-13.

Westhoughton’s second couple, Gill Moar and Dave Edwards, then claimed both games comfortably against Shardha Jadav and Mark Allen, 21-5, 21-6.

When the third couples met the games were again shared, Forrest’s Lindsey Tait and David Travis claimed the first, 21-17, and Chloe Everitt and Anthony Hughes took the second, 21-13.

When the first couples met their games were also shared, Westhoughton’s Vernon and Everitt wining the first, 21-13, and Jadav and Allan claiming the second, 21-16.

In the games involving the second couples, Westhoughton’s Moar and Edwards dug in to claim two close results, 21-17, 23-21, against Colman and Hamer.

Going into the level doubles, eighth-placed Westhoughton were ahead 7-3, and looked to be coasting.

The first pair of ladies’ games were shared, Westhoughton’s Everitt and Vernon claiming the first, 21-19, and Forrest’s Tait and Jadav taking the second, 21-14.

The first pair of men’s games was also shared, Forrest’s Travis and Allan taking the first, 21-16, and Westhoughton’s Hughes and Everitt claiming the second, 21-18.

Going into the second pair of ladies’ games Westhoughton had reached the draw position, however, Tait and Colman closed the gap by winning both games, 21-15, 21-18, against Everitt and Moar.

It was down to the last men’s games to decide the final score, and Forrest’s Travis and Hamer were a determined pair and claimed both, 21-11, 21-13, against Hughes and Edwards.

Elsewhere in the section, fourth-placed Roe Green hosted Sharples C and the opening games went to the visitors when Eileen Beeney and Nick Hitchen claimed both games, 21-17, 21-19, against Roe Green’s Debbie Batchelor and Adrian Beardow.

Roe Green’s Jaki Hurst and Jack Armstrong then claimed both games, 21-12, 21-18, against Linzi Casey and Adrian Smith.

The match continued to see-saw between the teams and when the third couples met, the games went in Sharples’ favour, Marion Anderson and Christian Elcock claiming both, 21-14, 21-18, against Christina Manning and Kam Cheung.

In the clash of the first couples, two close games were shared, Batchelor and Beardow winning the first, 21-19, and Sharples’ Casey and Smith taking the second, 24-22.

When the second couples met Roe Green’s Hurst and Armstrong took both games, 22-20, 21-16, against Beeney and Hitchen.

At the conclusion of the mixed games, the score was 5-5 and the first pair of ladies’ games was won comfortably by Manning and Batchelor, 21-10, 21-13, against Anderson and Casey, edging their team ahead.

Roe Green’s first pair of men’s games put their team in the draw position when Cheung and Beardow claimed both, 21-12, 21-14, against fifth-placed Sharples’ Elcock and Smith.

Roe Green clinched the win with the second pair of ladies’ games, Manning and Hurst taking the first, 21-19, and Anderson and Beeney winning the second, 21-15.

Sharples continued in competitive spirit and shared the final men’s games – Elcock and Hitchen winning the first, 21-18, and Cheung and Armstrong taking the second 21-19.