While another Longbridge team was in action at Halesowen, a second squad travelled to Rushall for a challenging away fixture in the 7400 Rapidplay competition.
The evening proved to be a difficult one for Longbridge, with Rushall securing victories in both rounds. Despite the disappointing results, there were still some encouraging performances and several closely fought games throughout the match.
Longbridge vs Rushall, Round 1, 2½–1½
The first round ended 2½–1½ in favour of Rushall. Stephen Woodhouse secured Longbridge’s only victory of the round with an excellent win against Steve Whatmore on board three. Peter Lawrence added a valuable draw on board seven, while Gavin Cartwright and Carmelo Tirado Simarro were unable to convert their games into points despite battling hard against strong opposition.
Round 2, 3½–½
The second round saw Rushall extend their advantage, winning 3½–½. Peter Lawrence once again showed great resilience, earning another draw to remain unbeaten across the evening. Unfortunately, Longbridge were unable to add any further points, with Rushall claiming victories on the remaining three boards.
The final score may suggest a comfortable night for the home side, but the ratings showed just how evenly matched the teams were on paper. Rushall entered the match with a combined rating of 7038, compared to Longbridge’s 7031, making it one of the closest rating match-ups of the season. On this occasion, Rushall proved more clinical when opportunities arose and were able to convert their chances into points.
A special mention goes to Stephen Woodhouse for Longbridge’s sole victory of the evening and to Peter Lawrence, whose two hard-earned draws provided stability on the lower boards against tough opposition.
While the result was not what Longbridge had hoped for, away matches against strong teams are always valuable experiences. The squad will take lessons from the evening and look to bounce back in the coming fixtures.
Final Scores:
- Match 1: Rushall 2½–1½ Longbridge
- Match 2: Rushall 3½–½ Longbridge
Every match provides another opportunity to learn, improve, and represent the club, and Longbridge will be eager to return to winning ways in the next round.