Tranmere Lions 8 v 15 West Kirby Marine Lakers

Report by Rob Marland (West Wirral Snakehips – @WWSnakehips)

Lions – Marshall, P. Devlin, C. Devlin

Marine Lakers – Utley, Doyle, Walker

Heading into their final game, the Marine Lakers knew they were playing for pride (rather than a trophy, which they now had no chance of lifting). Meanwhile, the Tranmere Lions needed a win to stay in contention. Utley was unable, in his own words, to “shoot in a straight line”, but Doyle picked up the slack and came away with three points. At the end of the first, it was tied 4-4.

Doyle fancied his chances with the foot-game early in the second, but both of his hoofers were blocked by the effortlessly manly Paul Devlin. It was a quarter of blocks and intercepts but few scores, although Utley finally managed to squeeze a point out of the prism with his trademarked pea-roll shot. It was 7-6 to the Marine Lakers at the close of the half.

At the start of the third Utley totted up another two quick points, his dislocated knee now a distant memory. Later in the quarter, Doyle notched up a nifty one-pointer, chased down his own rebound, struck out for a second point in as many seconds, and instantly went into full body cramp. What will this man not do for the sport he loves?

The Marine Lakers went into the last quarter with a 12-8 lead (though a scoring error incorrectly credited them with 13 points on the day). The Lions led a valiant charge in the final minutes, but there was no stopping Pete Doyle. He led his team with 9 points and a whopping 10 blocks/intercepts, simultaneously preserving the Lakers’ dignity and dashing the Lions’ hopes of raising Der Goldene Volf trophy.