The latest squad rotation saw the mature pairing of Dave Lennie and Neil Staddon at 1, the youthful talent of Alistair Smith with debutant Roger Robinson at 2 and the battle hardened Anthony Jones and Chris Hynes at 3.  An impassioned locker room speech by stand in skipper Dave Lennie sent his fired up troops out into the blazing sun and all the teams won games against their opposite numbers.  Unfortunately none of these games amounted to six in the same set and Mersey went into the second round with ground to make up.  However a pattern had now been established and despite some exciting points and the winning of the occasional game the mighty Macclesfield machine rolled on.  In the final round our number 1 pair pulled back to 4-4 against the youthful Macclesfield third string before the near perfect playing conditions took their toll and the hosts squeezed home 6-4.

Yes, the team had been to hell and back but at these moments one has to remember there are other enduring even greater torments and our thoughts were with absent skipper Jerry Fynn in Disneyland Paris.  As the magnitude of the defeat sank in - our first “nil setter” - stand in skipper Lennie (combining bright red and ashen face at the same time) tendered his resignation.  This was refused on the grounds that he was “doing the food” for the next home game when table toppers Bowdon visit Green Lane on Thursday.  Will they be able to cope with the Mersey backlash?  Any supporters (not of a nervous disposition) welcome to come along and find out.