Londoner Alan Chan was inconsolable after chucking away victory against arch rival Steve Parker who stared defeat in the face, dismissed it and notched a sensational comeback victory at the Jersey Squash Festival in St Hellier.
“I virtually beat myself,” admitted Chan, team captain of Nomads who went into the festival heavily fancied. “I was two games up and 7-3 up,” he added, “then the wheels came off. I’m distraught. I need shooting.”
Parker’s fighting spirit thrilled a packed house as he finally shed his early nerves, regained his composure to pull of  an odds-beating win.
“Mate,” he said, “I’m ecstatic. I was almost paralysed with nerves in the first two games. I’ve never experienced anything like it. But to come back from that position is pretty uplifting. Had I been watching the match as a neutral I would have felt sorry for Alan. He was gutted. But hey, this is war and I’m in it to win it.”
Parker’s win capped a 5-0 team win for City Squash who demolished Nomads 15-5 with Greg Fox, John Fallows, Steve Oliver and Lee Horton completing the rout.