For the second time in two matches our A-Team was severely depleted, and Stowmarket were no doubt delighted to see that, expecting as they no doubt did that they would be facing a hammering. Depleted we may be, but we did not go down without a fight. And special mention must go to Phil who did an excellent job on top board, giving us a fighting chance. After the first round the score was level, but as the second round was drawing to a close it seemed just 1½ was all we were going to get. Needing that extra half a point to take us to a play off John persevered, trying to squeeze a win out of a drawn position, if he could just avoid the checks in a queen and pawn ending with only minutes left. He managed to do so in a rather unique fashion by placing his queen en-prise.

While we have won both the division one and division three rapid play cup trophies, we have not yet won the division two trophy. And this season it is the only one of the three that we are still left in.
  This victory tonight puts us straight through to the final, where we will face Bury St Edmunds B on May 6th, who we dispatched 3-1 in the league back in November. Rapid play of course is a very different kettle of fish in which just about anything can happen, so we will need all the help Caïssa can offer and no injuries to any of the team.

We went to Felixstowe with a mountain to climb, starting with a 2-0 deficit before even a pawn was pushed. And with only 1½ points from the first round, Jamie commented that all we need is a 3-0 result from the second round and we'll be through. Well we got that 3-0 result thanks to a sudden lapse that must have been contagious as all three of us dropped a piece during the opening phase of each game and in spite of strenuous efforts to recover the end was never really in doubt. Still, we did manage to get half a point more than last year, which is some sort of improvement, especially considering we had a full team then.