Ashby Baggers Host a Thrilling Pre-Qualifier Night Ahead of UKCL Qualifier 2

On Saturday 16th November, Ashby Baggers kicked off a thrilling weekend of cornhole action, hosting a fun-filled night of bag throwing as a prelude to the UK Cornhole League (UKCL) Qualifier 2, held on Sunday.

The evening’s competition saw Ashby Baggers’ own Alistair Pettitt and Tony Gavan take home the top prize, defeating fellow club members Andy Clayfield and Charlie Lomax in a tightly contested final. This victory set the stage for an exciting Sunday of competition at the Ashby Sports Centre and Lido, which marked the second UKCL event hosted at the Ashby venue this season.

Ashby Baggers’ Standout Performances

Leading the charge for Ashby on the day was Charlie Lomax, who finished an impressive 3rd overall. Despite losing only three matches—each to the tournament winner, Liam McGrath—Charlie advanced to the semifinals, defeating several top players along the way. He triumphed over 4th-place finisher Jared Neusch twice, 5th-place Alistair Pettitt, and also battled past fellow Baggers Dale Unwin, Tony Gavan, and Chris Webster.

Alistair Pettitt, achieving his best result of the season, also had a standout day. He won the "Battle of the Brothers," beating his younger sibling Nick 21-14, and completed a "Just Board It" double. Alistair overcame both halves of the podcast duo, Joshua Heiser and Graham Davies, as well as victories over fellow Ashby members Mike Gregory and Mark Pallet.

Mark Pallet secured 7th place, finishing as the third-highest Ashby performer of the day. His highlights included a victory over last season's number 1 player, Daniel Lilley. Mark also defeated fellow Baggers Mike Gregory, Nick Pettitt, Ben Gregory, Matthew Barrows, and Andy Clayfield.

A Strong Showing from Other Baggers

Ben Shaw, Ashby’s hero from the last event, placed joint 9th alongside Nick Pettitt. Ben secured a win and a loss against Ashby’s Tony Gavan, as well as victories against 3 out of 4 Bury Baggers players. His only loss came against tournament runner-up Jonathan Chivers. Nick Pettitt quietly made his way into the top 10, defeating Chris Webster, Jon Wishart, and securing a notable win over Bury's Joshua Heiser in the elimination rounds.

Jon Wishart and Ben Gregory, who had teamed up on Saturday night, both finished joint 13th on Sunday. Ben had his highest finish of the season, with a win over his father Mike, and victories against fellow Ashby members Matthew Barrows. However, he stumbled in the qualifying rounds against Tony Gavan and Mark Pallet. Jon, after losing his first match to runner-up Jon Stynes and Nick Pettitt, climbed back from 25th place to finish 13th. He achieved wins over Ashby’s Mark Hutchinson, Paul Melia, Dale Unwin, and son-in-law Tony Gavan, before narrowly falling to Bury’s Micah Davis.

Mixed Results for the Rest of the Field

Tony Gavan, Adam Knight, and Mark Hutchinson all finished in 17th place after a mixed bag of results throughout the day. Meanwhile, Dale Unwin and Mike Gregory ended up in 25th place. Father-and-son duo Paul and Matt Melia, Chris Webster, Matthew Barrows, Roy Akers, Austin Pettitt, and Andy Clayfield finished jointly in 33rd place.

Looking Ahead

With UKCL Qualifier 2 behind them, the Ashby Baggers are already gearing up for the next challenge. Tuesday night saw the team back at the club, preparing for the build-up to Round 3, as they set their sights on Bury St Edmunds for the final qualifier of the season.