Forres squash team rally well against Inverness in Highlands and Islands league

FORRES resumed their HISA (Highlands and Islands Squash Association) league campaign with a trip away to the Highland capital of Inverness, writes Billy Montgomery.

The Moray side made the trip to Inverness Tennis and Squash Club with the Inverness C team their opponents for this match.

Neil Martin was first on for Forres to face experienced campaigner and opponent Bob Kass.

Martin took an early lead adapting well to the hot courts and lively bouncing ball. His accuracy and consistency had Kass on the back foot as he sealed the first game 11-7.

Martin kept the ascendency from here on in , although Kass was never out of it just lurking a couple of points behind.

The Forres player took the next two games 11-9, 11-9 to seal the deal on a solid 3-0 victory and get his team off to the best of starts.

Billy Montgomery was next on for Forres to play Invernessian Erin Jones.

'Monty' was all akilter in the first game as he struggled to find a response to this young ladie's raking drives and attacking energy as he was soundly whacked 11-5.

However the Forres player regrouped, adapting better to the hot courts, he took the second game 11-7 and the third 11-6.

He disappeared in the fourth and his lethargy was put to the sword by Jones 11-3.

The decider saw Jones take an early lead as her opponent tried hard to get back on her tail but Jones was finding all the shots and nicks now and swept to victory 11-6 taking the match 3-2.

Forres now looked to Robbie Watson to get them rocking and rolling again against Alastair Kirkland.

The first game was tight as Watson played some blinding squash in phases but Kirkland's consistency saw him nick it 11-9.

The second game was similar but Kirkland was finding the soft hands to finish better and took this one 11-7.

Watson came back fighting in the third and now his snappy drives and early takes were reaping rewards as he pressed home to win out 11-8.

The Forres player was right back in it but Kirkland could see the finish line too.

The fourth was tighter and went to extra points. A close call went against the Forres man as he lost out 13-11 and Kirkland breathed a sigh of relief to take the match 3-1.

Forres were now 2-1 down in matches but 6-6 on points. They needed their number one seed Graeme Spreng to win out against Scott Fairfoull to bring them back on terms and win out on points.

Spreng started with gusto zipping the ball with intent and accuracy as he took the upper hand in this game to win out 11-6.

The second game was tight but Fairfoull was finding his range and Spreng was just outdone 11-9.

Back came Spreng in the third, winning 11-8 to nose ahead 2-1.

Spreng was now getting sucked into a bludgeoning hard hitting driving match and Fairfoull was edging this contest.

The next two games were close but Fairfoul did enough to take them both 11-9, 11-9 and pip the Forres man to take the match 3-2.

The Forres team headed home from Inverness having been pipped at the post by the slightest of margins, 9-8 on points 3-1 in matches, in consolation it doesn't get any closer than that.