Liam Kirkpatrick has been crowned as the 2025 Sportrap Manx Champion.

That’s after the in-form shooter held off the spirited challenge of Jack Kneen to lift the title in a dramatic play-off at Ayre Clay Target Club last weekend.

An already challenging contest comprising four technical layouts was made even tougher by driving rain and wind at the Blue Point range on Sunday.

But the leading marksmen and women pulled put out all the stops to challenge at the top end of the Sadler Agricultural Supplies-sponsored competition, which attracted an initial entry of 28 participants.

After 100 targets, Kneen and Kirkpatrick could not be separated so a new layout was set up with a shoot-off required.

In a battle that could have gone either way, Kirkpatrick pipped Kneen by two clays to take the title.

A number of island shooting heavyweights made up the remaining top seven, with Jake Keeling securing third place from John Taylor in fourth and joint fifth-placed men David Walton, Marty Kneen and Neil Parsons.

Results: Sportrap Manx Championship 1, Liam Kirkpatrick 83+23; 2, Jack Kneen 83+21; 3, Jake Keeling 79; 4, John Taylor 77; 5=, David Walton, Marty Kneen and Neil Parsons 75.

Another weekend, another 2025 Manx Championship at Blue Point this Sunday with the Down the Line title up for grabs over 100 targets.

The third round of the club’s English Skeet summer league will run at the same time with entries for both closing at 10am.

The month is rounded off with the third round of the Sporting League plus the third and fourth rounds of the Olympic Skeet League on Sunday, June 29.

July fires into life with the fourth round of the Down the Line league plus the Olympic Skeet Manx Championship which take place on Sunday, July 6.

For more information from Ayre Clay Target Club, visit the club’s website at https://ayreclaytargetclub.com/

JAMES DAVIS