FOLLOWING Gean O’Neil’s exploits for Jersey in the British Isles women’s championships at Les Creux last week, it was Allan Quémard’s turn to shine, at Llandrindod Wells in Mid Wales yesterday, as he notched up two fine wins in the equivalent men’s event.
‘AQ’ blasted his way into the last four of the British Isles outdoor singles championship with a wonderful 21-18 quarter-final win against the English singles champion, Paul Allenby, from Yorkshire, writes David Rhys Jones.
He also played a key role in Jersey’s exciting last-gasp victory over Scotland in the quarter-finals of the fours - and the result of his day’s work means he is currently playing in today’s fours semi-final against Guernsey in which, late this morning, Jersey were leading 11-7 after 11 ends.
Drawn to play the Scottish champions in the fours quarter-finals, Derek Boswell, Steve Hind, AQ and David Le Marquand were involved in a gruelling battle with Willie Beaton, his brother David and son Kevin, and Graeme Bremner, from Aberchirder.
The Jersey quartet trailed 12-8 after 13 ends, and were still 14-12 adrift with three left to play - unlike the women, who have curtailed matches to 18 ends, the men’s association have kept with the traditional 21-ends format.
Increased focus on the last three ends saw Jersey score a single on the 19th followed by a double on the 20th to take a 15-14 lead into the last end, and held a firm grip throughout.
Excellent play by the Jersey front end set up a good position, and although the Scots moved the jack, Jersey took the shot with a well-placed tactical back bowl, and Le Marquand was content to block the Scottish skip’s road to the jack.
‘That was as hard a game as we’ll get,’ said lead Boswell.
‘There was absolutely nothing to choose between the sides from start to finish, so we were delighted to win.’ When he returned to the green for the singles last night, AQ must have thought he was out of luck when he lost shots on the first four ends to trail 5-0, but he scored eleven shots without reply on the next seven ends to lead 11-5.
Everything seemed to be going well as he forged ahead to 17-9 after 19 ends, but the tall Yorkshireman - an unorthodox six feet five inches left-hander - collected two singles and a full house on the 22nd, and closed to 19-18 after 25 ends.
So it came as a great relief to AQ and his supporters when he got home with two singles at the end of a marathon 27 ends encounter.
Quémard is scheduled to meet Ireland’s former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Martin McHugh for a place in the singles final, later today.
In the U25 singles quarter-final match, 15-year-old Jamie MacDonald was unlucky to be on the wrong end of a 21-19 scoreline when he met Guernsey’s Matt Le Ber.
Article posted on 28th June, 2004 - 12.00am
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