SHEPHERDS have suffered two early season defeats in the York Badminton League men's first division.

After being whitewashed by Railway Institute they went down 6-3 at Rowntree.

Russell Binns and Richard Pauw top-scored for Institute with three straight wins for 90-17, while Phil Grant and Mark Barker headed the Rowntree averages with 90-49, taken in straight sets.

Tadcaster 86 made it three wins from three matches with a 9-0 victory over St John's in which Phil Zealand and Leon Young sparkled with three straight wins for 90-8.

In a close men's two match there was a 5-4 win for Railway Institute Tuesday/Thursday 'A' at Selby Jubilee 'A'.

Ian Sinker and Wasten Siallagon did the damage for Institute with three wins for 90-47. Their return included the match-winning eighth game when they beat Jubilee's top pair, Pete Lund and Neil Richardson, 9 and 3, to seal the team triumph.

Clifton 'C' used home advantage to beat RI Tuesday/Thursday 'C' 7-2 in men's three at St Peter's School.

Martin Bell and Phil Sinton amassed 90-26 in three wins for Clifton, while team-mates Mark Screeton and Stuart Robertson were also unbeaten as they notched up a 90-31 return.

Shepherds 'A' hit good form to beat Pocklington 'A' 8-1 in mixed two.

Dave Simpson and Chiara Secchi won all three in straight sets for a total of 90-29.

Barry Johnson and Sue Percival took Pocklington's consolation with an 11 and 13 victory over Lisa Metcalfe and Sean Ogley.

York University Staff Club 'B' fought out a closed mixed four match with Clifton 'C', edging a 5-4 home win.

Gary Turner and Sue Scott set the standard for the YUSC with three wins for 104-77. Lim Eng Kiat and Li Zhang clinched the match with an 8 and 9 victory over Simon Christian and Kate Wilson.

Riverside 'B' started their mixed five season with an emphatic 8-1 home win over Pocklington 'B'. Nigel Stainforth and Tracy Maddison topped the home averages with a return of 90-46.

Bob Atkinson and Sheila Fixter earned Pocklington's consolation with a 17-15 15-13 success over Kwai Mo and his partner.

Market Weighton 'B' visited Scarthingwell in mixed six and won 5-4 but lost 6-3 at home to Pocklington 'C' in their next match.

Carol Gilpin and Tim Beales swung the Scarthingwell match Market Weighton's way with three wins for 110-72.

Mark Burrows and Catherine Hyde top scored for Pocklington by taking all three in straight sets for 92-43.

Selby Jubilee 'C' opened their account with a 9-0 thumping of Scarthingwell in which Alex Dawson and Lynne Redman were untroubled on their way to three Jubilee wins for 90-25.

Updated: 11:09 Thursday, October 23, 2003