Ross-on-Wye Ladies A team took to the road on Thursday evening on an unseasonably cold night to play against Madley in an away fixture.

Play was due to commence at 6.30pm, but one Ross player patrolled Hereford town centre before finally arriving at 6.45pm, narrowly avoiding any sanction for the misdemeanour of tardiness.

Third pair, Gaynor Raine and Sarah Drake, had a tricky start against Madley’s second pair, losing the first set 0-6. Raine and Drake then played with villainous determination in the second set before having it pickpocketed from their grasp by 4 games to 6.

Second pair, Rosie Farr and Brenda Saunders, also had a close encounter against Madley’s third pair but lost a well fought battle 2-6, 4-6.

First pair, Val Oliver-Davies and Ellie Buescher, took on Madley’s first pair and played with great conviction with Oliver-Davies striking some arresting volleys and smashes resulting in a 6-4, 6-1 win for Oliver-Davies and Buescher.

With the match poised at 1-2 all was still very much to play for. Farr and Saunders had another difficult match but showed wonderful resilience and determination before being sent to the gallows with a score of 3-6, 2-6. Raine and Drake tried to escape the intercepting net play demonstrated by Madley’s third pair but couldn’t break free from the long established formation and got sent down 3-6, 3-6.

Oliver-Davies and Buescher lost the first set against Madley’s second pair but were in hot pursuit and managed to clinch the second set 7-6. A judgement call was made to play a match tie-break in place of a full third set due to fading light and despite Oliver-Davies and Buescher being desperate to secure a win they narrowly lost 8-10 resulting in a 1-5 overall match score.

A well-earned tea was enjoyed by all before Ross ladies headed back to home soil.