Jolly Butcher vs Vine Inn

Match Information

Jolly Butcher 4 – 3 Vine Inn

Promotion hopefuls the Vine Inn went into this match on a high after last weeks defeat of league leaders the Buck Inn, and would have smelled blood knowing they were facing a team bottom of the division without a win so far this season.  It all seemed to be going to plan for the visitors after they took a comfortable win in the gallon 2–0, and then went 3-0 up in the main fixture without losing a leg, but from there the script was flipped and the Butcher stormed back to win the remaining games and claim a memorable 4–3 win. It wasnt just a great comeback and a first win in 13 games this season, but also a neat bit of revenge after that 7–0 Vine whitewash back in Week 2.

Game 1 went to the Vine as Kyran Eyes beat Steve Foster 2–0, and the visitors lead was soon doubled after Billy Sanders claimed a 2–0 win over Tracy Wesemeyer, with a 19‑darter to boot. Charlie Sanders kept the run going in game 3, making it 3-0 overall with a 2-0 defeat of Stephen Flinders, and with the visitors needing just one more game, it really looked like the writing was on the wall for the home side.

From here, I can only imagine it was a bit like a Hulk Hogan moment in the 80s, where on the brink of certain defeat, he’d circle the ring shaking his fists, deliver a defiant finger point in the face of his opponent while advising them of their wrong-doings in life (and lack of vitamin ingestion), before doing a leg drop to claim the win. Or something like that.

Game 4 saw Michael Wesemeyer start the comeback with three tons in a 2–0 victory against George Lewis, and any opposition thoughts of it just being a consolation were dispelled after Darren Moore claimed a deciding leg win over Dave Goulden to make it 3-2. Still with it all to do, the Butcher won another deciding leg in game six to make it 3-3 as Stuart Watson got the better of Nathan Thomson, and suddenly they were within reach of a famous comeback and a first win of the season. So it all came down to a nervous game 7, and the Butcher were not to be denied as Gareth Sullivan capped off a memorable fight-back, with three tons during a 2–1 defeat of Tom Slattery.