Week 3 press report

Isle of Man Junior Development – fresh shoots flourish.

Two teams have been entered this season to introduce to the local Senior league the combined crop nurtured in the Junior League by Maggie Mulhern and Malc Lewis at the NSC and by Tim Baker in Ramsey. Logistics dictate a format whereby the two alternate so that one week all six players come from one centre then the next week from the other.

This was the week for the boys from the North to go to town. And that they surely did !

All six Junior Development players from Ramsey, all school year eight (under 13) were making their league debut.

Junior Development 1 took 4 points from Travellers winning the doubles plus two from Carl Blatcher and one from James Colgan.

Junior Development 2 amazingly scored a team win over Copy Shop C by six points to four

with two wins each for Wael Kassam and the Koske twins, Marcus and Calvin.

It was not only in their own matches that they made their presence felt. In between playing they were everywhere in the hall, soaking it up and providing strong support when their mentor was putting it into practice in his top division match.

 

Around the room there was plenty to be seen.

Paul Nelson battling to put two on the board for his struggling Travellers against Breakaway,

coming through against Darren Smethurst 14-12 : 17-15: 7-11: 5-11: 11-8

and beating Mason Mclarney 9-11 : 11-9 : 11-8 : 11-5

Champions Copy Shop A dropping down from first to fourth, replaced by the “B” team who beat them 7-3.

Father losing to son as Kevin lost to Sean Dewry in that fixture.

Graham Macfarlane getting his 75th birthday celebrations underway before the clock struck with a convincing win over a much younger opponent (name withheld). The rapier like backhand was as always devastating but it was the combinations for which Magnall also had no answer, with backhand, forehand and intra point anecdote all delivered with impeccable timing.

Travellers B distancing themselves from Travellers C with a 10-0 scoreline but not before Jackie Gill had defended valiantly to extend Steve Ellis-Pearson in an epic encounter.

Marc Townsend, for Foxdale, winning all three against Strathallan’s Mclarney, Horne and Briercliffe.

John Magnall

Author: via Isle Of Man Table Tennis Association
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