DESPITE avoiding defeat in Kent and winning one of their home rinks, Atherley slipped out of the Ryman Denny Plate 81-75 to Angel.

David Bishop, Matt Smith, Derrick Fulker and Mick Barrett grabbed a last-gasp 17-17 draw at Tonbridge after seeing their 15-9 lead become a 17-15 deficit on the 20th end.

Their fellow travellers of John Fhithyan, Jim Farmer, Dink Mintrum and Billy Groves also finished all square on 23-23 - again leading 16-9 but ultimately hitting back for the draw with a final-end single against Liberty Trophy skip Matt Aers.

In Southampton Luke Young, Alan Gauld, Iain Bunday and Jody Bright got off to a 10-0 flyer at five ends and they extended the margin to 19-7 by the 15th before being trimmed back to 24-16.

However, the other contest at Hill Lane proved decisive with Tom Bishop, Peter Line, Dave Edmonds and Denny Graydon behind just 10-7 at ten ends but eventually crashing 25-11.

l Atherley were the last Hampshire side left in the plate - and the county's interest in the entire Ryman inter-club championship is over as East Dorset fell 86-75 to Wey Valley, Surrey, in the last 16 of the main competition.

l Richard Shelley rattled up a monster 49-6 win against junior international Lucy Beere when Victory polished off Isle of Wight 99-55 in the Egham Trophy.

The Portsmouth club face East Dorset in the zone final.

l Shelley and Victory, however, came off second best when they played Moonfleet in the Leonard Denny Trophy. Shelley went down 26-15 at home and Steve Robertson lost 20-11 at Weymouth in Victory's 46-26 exit.