U18 Super Series round 2 review (8th November) - Leeds Gorse and Boswells at the double 

Played at the Netball and Badminton Centre (boys) and Sir David Wallace Building (girls), last season’s respective champions continued to reign supreme. 

Other teams, however, especially in the boys’ competition, saw fluctuating fortunes, with some teams pushing on from their round one performances and others dropping back. 

In the boys’ section, top-ranked Leeds Gorse were drawn against sixth-ranked Future Stars and won out with a degree of comfort they did not go on to enjoy in their other two matches (25-18, 25-21).

The Boswells School were runners-up last time but came up against newly-promoted Deep Dish Crystal Palace, who shocked their opponents with the first of three excellent performances. 

The seventh-ranked side won the third set and fought off a Boswells fightback in the second to close out the third and get off to a flyer (25-20, 23-25, 15-11). 

It was also not to be the greatest start from Newcastle Staffs who finished third in the last round, as they were drawn against a Richmond Falcons that powered to a 25-17, 25-17 success. 

The final match in the first set saw another upset as newly-promoted Exeter Storm, the lowest ranked team in eighth, nicked the first set against fourth-ranked AST Academy and then pulled away in the second (28-26, 25-18). 

In the two matches featuring the winning teams from the first games, Leeds Gorse were pushed by Deep Dish but eventually came up trumps (25-21, 25-20), while Richmond accounted for Exeter by exactly the same margin. 

Boswells had few problems in disposing of Future Stars in the first of the two matches between the first-game losing teams, winning 25-21, 25-16. 

But Staffs had to work much harder to sneak past AST, eventually winning 18-16 in the decider, after trading sets, to ensure their Super Series place for another round – at their opponents’ expense. 

The gold medal match proved to be a fantastic encounter that was full of entertainment and drama. 

Leeds looked to be in cruise control after taking the first set 25-22, but the Falcons were easy winners of the second 25-18. 

The Londoners looked to have the measure of the South Yorkshire side in the decider – and even had match point – but Gorse showed their class and experience to turn things around when it mattered, clinching a 18-16 success. 

The bronze medal match was no less exciting, with Deep Dish rounding off an excellent day by hitting back from a set down to secure third spot with a 17-25, 25-19, 15-11 triumph. 

The match for fifth and sixth place saw Newcastle Staffs edge a close first set and then back it up with the second to close out a 25-23, 25-17 margin of victory.  

Both Future Stars and AST Academy knew they were heading back down to the Gold Pool, but still had pride to play for and it was the former who prevailed in three (27-25, 22-25, 15-12). 

While the boys’ section saw something of a changing of the guard, the top four teams in the girls’ matches remained in exactly the same order. 

Indeed, all four of the first set of matches were won by 2-0 scorelines, led by top-ranked The Boswells School, who proved too strong for eighth-ranked, newly-promoted Willesden Divets (25-19, 25-18), while third-ranked Richmond overpowered sixth-ranked Taunton (25-16, 25-11). 

The game between fourth-ranked Malory Eagles and fifth-ranked Urmston Grammar could have gone either way, but it was the London side who just had the edge in each set (25-23, 25-23). 

Leeds Gorse, ranked second, looked assured in defeating Super Series newcomers South Bucks, ranked seventh, 25-13, 25-17. 

The winners’ games in the second set of matches produced two crackers that could not have been closer. 

Boswells may have been nervous after losing the first set to Malory Eagles 25-22, but they responded by taking the next two by the tightest of margins (26-24, 16-14). 

It was a similar tale for Leeds, who lost the first set 29-27 to Richmond but then hit back to take the next two with contrasting levels of comfort (25-11, 19-17). 

The games between the losing sides were a little more clear cut, with Urmston Grammar confident winners against Willesden (25-14, 25-15) and South Bucks defeating Taunton 25-21, 30-28. 

The gold medal match pitted Boswells against Leeds for the second Super Series running –with the same outcome, the Essex school triumphing 25-21, 25-13. 

A tense bronze medal match saw Malory suffer the agony of again being overhauled after taking the opening set, this time Richmond edging them out (23-25, 25-18, 15-13). 

Fifth and sixth places went to South Bucks and Urmston respectively after those in green won a three-setter 17-25, 25-22, 15-10. 

The battle of the two relegated sides was won by Taunton, who got the better of Willesden 25-20, 27-25.

Images by Jon Cornish

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