Fencing: En garde! Fencers epee to make finals (From Echo)

Fencing: En garde! Fencers epee to make finals

2:40pm Friday 4th July 2008 in Search By Dick Marshall

SPORTESSEX's new sponsorship of fencing for inclusion in the 2008 Essex Youth Games took place at Shoeburyness High School.

And, after a long day of fights in the under-15s boys' event, it was Basildon and Castle Point who emerged as finalists.

Castle Point initially started well. Then Basildon stretched out a 20-15 lead before Castle Point started a comeback which led to an ultimately comfortable 45-31 championship win.

Southend claimed the third spot thanks to a 45-22 win over Epping Forest.

But it was a side of local newcomers from Shoeburyness High School itself that almost caused a tournament sensation in a marathon struggle with Epping for the last semi-final place.

The new boys emerged from the initial fights in the lead, held onto it, and, going into the final fight were still in front.

Epping finally managed a last-ditch comeback to level at 39-39 and then, with only seconds to go, snatched a winning hit as well.

In the girls' event, Southend were again third. In the final, Basildon seemed to have a championship-winning lead, but in the final fight lost it to a mixed team from Braintree and Epping Forest.

Sportessex were the main sponsors of the event.

In addition, the winning team members received fencing kit prize vouchers sponsored by Southend's catalogue production company EC2i Ltd and Docklands company Sharpfibre Ltd.