MIKE Titcombe has reached the final stages of the men’s national U25 singles championship for the first time.

The Westlecot youngster booked his place in the last 16 of the competition with a 2-0 win against Craig Morphet (Carterton) on Wednesday in the Area 14 final staged at Oxford City & County IBC.

In the area final played over the best of three nine-end sets, Titcombe led 8-2 after six ends in the first set but then dropped a count of three.

He hit straight back with a two to clinch the set 10-5 with an end to spare against his former Westlecot colleague.

Titcombe was 4-2 down in the second set after five ends but then reeled off four straight singles to clinch the set 6-4 and win the Area 14 U25 title 2-0 and book his place in the last 16 at City of Ely IBC over the weekend of January 27-28.

There, Titcombe will face Area 4 winner Ben Bywater (Erewash, Long Eaton Notts) or Paul Oke (Sleaford, Lincs) who have yet to play their Area 4 final.

n WESTLECOT Indoor Club enter a very important four-day period following the festive break, starting this weekend.

The Old Town club are due to play in four national team events, with two of them scheduled for today.

The ladies’ team meet Cotswold (Stroud) in the fourth round of the Yetton Plate, while the men’s side are drawn against West Berks (Newbury) in round four of the Denny Plate.

After going out of the main Yetton Trophy and Denny Cup competitions in their opening rounds, the ladies and men’s teams have bounced back in their respective consolation Plate competitions, seizing the second chance offered to them with both hands.

After a bye in round one, the ladies beat Swindon Manor 83-66 and then West Berks 88-66 to reach the last 16.

The men beat Thornbury 87-57, thumped Gloucester 85-35 and Isle of Wedmore 93-54 to reach round four.

Then on Sunday, the mixed team play away against Clarrie Dunbar (Frome, Somerset) in the third round of the national Top Club competition.

Westlecot complete this crucial period on Tuesday when the senior men’s side face Herts IBC (Watford) in the fourth round of the men’s over 60 inter club double rink - one rink at home at Westlecot and the other away.

n A BUSY weekend for Swindon’s two indoor clubs is completed on Sunday when Rodbourne Cheney-based Swindon Manor men return to action in the Wessex League following the festive break.

Originally Manor were due to face Westlecot in a local derby but that fixture was re-arranged for the end of the month as the Old Town Club are involved in the national team competition for the Top Club tomorrow.

Manor will therefore face Rivermead (Reading) instead. This match was postponed on December 10 when heavy snow forced all of the scheduled fixtures in the Midlands and East Regions to be postponed.

Manor currently lie seventh in the 10-team East region table on 26 points with one victory from four games. That is two points clear of their tomorrow’s opponents Rivermead.