Roden bowled over by brill Bowring
Peter Roden has long argued that there are better sides playing outside the Furrows Shropshire Premier League - and now his Bowring side have proved it.
Peter Roden has long argued that there are better sides playing outside the Furrows Shropshire Premier League - and now his Bowring side have proved it.
They grabbed the Premier place of Donnington Wood by beating them by 30 chalks in the play-off on the big green at St Georges last night.
What many had billed as a game that was too close to call was, in truth, all too easy for the Worthington Mid Shropshire League champions.
"Just not good enough," was Donnington skipper Alan Meredith's reaction as the biggest crowd of the season - well over 350 - dispersed after watching a Bowring side packed with former Bell Boys take the current Wood side apart.
Single figure wins by Dave Bicker - ironically against Meredith, the man who had pipped him to the Wood captaincy for this season - and Roy Bradburn in the first four put the ambitious Wellington club in charge, 26 shots to the good.
And Donnington's big following had little to cheer as both Fred Watkins and Nigel Simpson saw decent leads go to waste as the Premier side suffered a middle four whitewash to slip 44 behind.
It was only then that Meredith's men gave him a glimmer of hope, coppers winner Andy Newman using his knowledge of the green to win 21-9 and Simon Gerrard getting up 21-13.
But that only cut the deficit to 24 with just two games left on - and that's when the absence of former county man Chris Worthington, unable to get away from Royal Naval duties, really hurt Donnington.
It was left to Steve Worthington, Bowring's replacement for the unavailable Dave Ellis, and Steve Cox to seal their dream of promotion to the promised land.
Memories of their 2002 play-off defeat to Childs Ercall were erased for good and many will feel that Roden, a founding father of the Premier League in 1994,Êwill beÊback where he belongs next year.
But Roden was quick to dedicate the night to Bowring stalwarts like secretary Graham Hughes, chairman Dave Deakin and the club's long serving first teamers, saying: "We have given them a night to be proud of.
"We came out all guns blazing and got a good start.
"In these kind of games you've got to get in front and then shout the back four home."
His plan worked to perfection - and Bowring simply wanted it more.
