Stephen Mulliner won the European Championship

[<<] [>>] by Stephen Mulliner at Jersey CC
28th September 2009 (AC - Championships)

The 2009 FEC Championship was held at Jersey Croquet Club on 18-20 September.

Perhaps the best contest of the event was the semi-final between James le Moignan and fellow Jerseyman, Gavin Carter. In game 1, GC went to 4-b in turn 4, JLM hit the long lift and went to 4b (no attempt at a TPO) and GC hit the long lift and finished. It was good quality stuff. In game 2, GC was first to 4-b and this time James did go for and get an adventurous TPO. However, Gavin eventually hit and extracted a 3b break, survived a nasty moment before 2b (he needed to hit a sweaty 8-9 yarder) and finished.

In the best-of-five final, the hoops were set to contact plus a micron or two but this did not interfere with break-making. Gavin did not take croquet in games 1 and 2 but hit in turn 4 of game 3 to reach 4-back. Unfortunately, he bombarded Stephen's K from near the peg to 2 yards N of C1 when trying to cut-rush partner to the E boundary. A TPO followed shortly and, after a few turns of fencing and wiring, Stephen extracted a 3-ball break from hoop 4 and finished.

Fergus McInnes brought a touch of class to the Plate by beating the early leader, Cliff Jones, in the final by 16tp.

Stephen's win means that the "Mulliner Sequence" remains intact. There have been three complete sets of three years of Mulliner wins followed by two years with other champions and Stephen has won again in 2008 and 2009. On this basis he "should" win in 2010 and then have no chance until 2013!

Norwegians Roar Michalsen, Birge Stene and Borge Bringsvaerd and Czech Petr Barta (junior) were warmly welcomed (welcomed back in Roar's case) and were awarded handicaps of 4, 8, 8 and 5 respectively by the FEC handicapping committee.

Blocks
Stephen Mulliner ENG beat Elizabeth Medway JER +26
Cliff Jones WAL beat Simon Carlsson SWE +11
James Le Moignan JER beat Birger Stene NOR +26
Rodolphe Dourthe FRA beat Richard Griffiths JER +9(t)
Tony Le Moignan JER beat Roar Michalsen NOR +24sxp
Phil Cordingley ENG beat Fergus McInnes SCO +24tp
Gavin Carter JER beat Borge Bringsvaerd NOR +25
E John Davis LUX beat Lucas Azcona SPA +26tp
Stephen Mulliner beat Fernando De Ansorena SPA+25
Cliff Jones beat Elizabeth Medway +24
James Le Moignan beat Petr Barta junior CZE +21
Rodolphe Dourthe beat Birger Stene +25tp
Tony Le Moignan beat Richard Sowerby JER +15stp
Phil Cordingley beat Roar Michalsen +25
Gavin Carter beat Kevin Garrad IOM +24tp
E John Davis beat Borge Bringsvaerd +26
Simon Carlsson beat Stephen Mulliner +13
Fernando De Ansorena beat Elizabeth Medway +7
James Le Moignan beat Richard Griffiths +12tp
Petr Jun Barta beat Birger Stene +11
Tony Le Moignan beat Fergus McInnes +26tp
Roar Michalsen beat Richard Sowerby +3
Gavin Carter beat Lucas Azcona +23tp
Kevin Garrad beat Borge Bringsvaerd +26
Cliff Jones beat Fernando De Ansorena +14tp
Simon Carlsson beat Elizabeth Medway +26
Rodolphe Dourthe beat Petr Jun Barta +25
Richard Griffiths beat Birger Stene +21
Phil Cordingley beat Richard Sowerby +26tp
Roar Michalsen beat Fergus McInnes +10
Kevin Garrad beat E John Davis +1
Lucas Azcona beat Borge Bringsvaerd +20
Stephen Mulliner beat Cliff Jones +4tp
Simon Carlsson beat Fernando De Ansorena +24
James Le Moignan beat Rodolphe Dourthe +26tp
Richard Griffiths beat Petr Jun Barta +20
Tony Le Moignan beat Phil Cordingley +4tpo
Richard Sowerby beat Fergus McInnes +8
Gavin Carter beat E John Davis +26tp
Kevin Garrad beat Lucas Azcona +4(t)

Last 16
Carter G beat Sowerby R +19tp
Griffiths R beat Jones C +7(t)
Cordingley P beat Garrad K +21
Le Moignan J beat De Ansorena F +22
Carlsson S beat Barta P +17
Davis J beat Michalsen R +25tp
Mulliner S beat Stene B +25
Le Moignan T beat Azcona L +26tp

Quarter-finals
Carter G beat Griffiths R +21
Carter G beat Griffiths R +3(t)
Le Moignan J beat Cordingley +17tp
Le Moignan J beat Cordingley +17
Davis J beat Carlsson S +1(t)
Davis J beat Carlsson S +7(t)
Mulliner S beat Le Moignan T +26tp
Mulliner S beat Le Moignan T +5

Semi-finals
Carter G beat Le Moignan J +17tp
Carter G beat Le Moignan J +14otp
Mulliner S beat Davis J +26tp
Mulliner S beat Davis J +10tpo