Table Tennis Report by Malcolm Wenn
With just three matches to go Copy Shop A are now seven points ahead in Division 1 following their 6-4 win over their closest rivals Ramsey A. At the other end of the table just two points separate Arbory A, Travellers A and Foxdale A in their battle for survival.
Copy Shop’s B team are virtually guaranteed promotion to Division 1 next season after another impressive performance while it is all to play for in Division 3 with Peel B and Peel C level on points.
Division 1
Ronan McDonnell again led the way for Copy Shop A with 4 wins in their match with Ramsey A while Brian Crellin chipped in with two singles and a hand in the doubles. Darren Smethurst came closest to spoiling McDonnell’s night by taking the first game 11/5 but then missing out 10/12 11/13 in the next two before succumbing 5/11 in the fourth. Crellin beat Mason McLarney in five but lost to Adam Teare in four games.
Liam Chan looked to be heading for a hat-trick for Arbory A against Tower A. Having beaten sub Steve Curtis three straight he beat Tim Baker 11/7 in the fifth game and took the first six points in the final end with John Callow but Callow staged a remarkable comeback to win 11/9 as Tower came back from 4-1 down to take the match 6-4.
Four sets went all the way in the Travellers A and Breakaway A match and Malcolm Cummings was involved in three of them. It was third time lucky for him against Steve O’Hare. Having lost in five on the two previous occasions Cummings prevailed 11/7 in the vital decider this time. He was 2 games to 1 up against hat trickster Paul Corran but he lost both of the last two games 9/11. In his other singles he let a two game lead slip but recovered to defeat Chris Kewley 11/8 in the fifth. Kewley must have the ‘Indian Sign’ over Gary Shilling. Last time it was 11/9 in the fifth this time it was 12/10 again in the final end.
Two of our top youngsters Rebecca and Will Bayley won four vital points for Foxdale A in their tussle with Strathallan A. Rebecca beat both Julian Briercliffe and Haydn McLarney over five games while Will saw off Briercliffe and Andrew Horne. Neil Quane substituting for Foxdale very nearly added to their total but lost to McLarney 11/6 9/11 12/10 5/11 7/11.
Division 2
Malcolm Lewis returned to form as Peel A gave leaders Copy Shop B a run for their money. Lewis beat Adam Davies 11/8 in the fifth but he couldn’t repeat that feat against Sean Drewry and Danny Hamill. Drewry won 11/8 6/11 5/11 11/7 14/12 while Hamill triumphed 11/6 11/5 9/11 11/13 11/8. Drewry outlasted Maggie Mulhern to win by three games to two but he was outmanoeuvred by Les Wilson who won 11/4 12/10 14/12.
Tower B and Travellers B shared the points in a match in which all players recorded at least one win. The first three sets all went to five games with Graham McFarlane and Steve Curtis defeating Steve Ellis-Pearson and Malcolm Wenn respectively while Colin Brown set Travellers on their way against Dave Stevenson. Travellers recovered from 5-3 down to snatch a draw thanks to Brown defeating Curtis and a surprise win for Wenn against McFarlane.
Mike Bayley continued his impressive form with four wins as Foxdale A overcame Tower C. Bayley beat Paul Callow 11/8 13/11 7/11 14/12 while the latter defeated Neil Quane in five close games and Dave Callow came from two games down to beat Andy McLarney.
Fresh from their success in the Divisional doubles Nigel Beattie and Tommy Cowin plus their Salmon River Spinners team mate Colin Barron inflicted a whitewash on Travellers C. Ten games were decided with scores of 11/9 or at deuce but only one of these went Travellers’ way.
Division 3
The last time Breakaway B and Ramsey B met young Ben Christian produced one of the shocks of the season by beating Chas Grills. He couldn’t manage that again but he gave Marion Forrest a real fright before losing 6/11 in the fifth game.
19/17 was one of the game scores as Matty Evans outlasted Mahmoud Hassan on his way to four wins for joint leaders Peel B against Fortress. Andreas Gutzold also remained unbeaten while Will Cross came from 2 games down to defeat Pat Halliwell and then beat Karen Hassan in four very close games but lost to Mahmoud Hassan.
A good team performance by Oliver Cain, Kevin Drewry and Chris Aspden for Copy Shop C enabled them to share the points with joint leaders Peel C. Chris Holmes confirmed his status as the top ranked player in this division with three wins plus the doubles with Ashley Reid.
Division 1
Ramsey A 4 (A. Teare 2, M. McLarney 1, D. Smethurst 1), Copy Shop A 6 (R. McDonnell 3, B. Crellin 2, J. Coulthurst, Dbls); Tower A 6 (T. Baker 2, J. Callow 2, S. Curtis 1, Dbls), Arbory A 4 (L. Chan 2, M. Tamarov 2, K. Chan); Travellers A 3 (M. Cummings 2, P. Nelson 1, G. Shilling), Breakaway A 7 (P. Corran 3, S. O’Hare 2, C. Kewley 1, Dbls); Foxdale A 4 (R. Bayley 2, W. Bayley 2, N. Quane), Strathallan 6 (A. Horne 2, H. McLarney 2, J. Briercliffe 1, Dbls).
Division 2
Peel A 3 (L. Wilson 2, M Lewis 1, M Mulhern), Copy Shop B 7 (D. Hamill 3, S. Drewry 2, A. Davies 1, Dbls}; Tower B 5 (G. McFarlane 2, D. Stevenson 2, S. Curtis 1), Travellers B 5 (C. Brown 2, S. Ellis-Pearson 1, M. Wenn 1, Dbls); Tower C 3 (P. Callow 2, D. Callow 1, M. Forsyth), Foxdale B 7 (M. Bayley 3, N. Quane 2, A. McLarney, Dbls); Travellers C 0 (M. Campbell, J. Gill, A. Harding), Salmon River Spinners 10 (C. Barron 3, N. Beattie 3, T. Cowin 3, Dbls).
Division 3
Breakaway B 3 (S. Callister, B. Christian, A. Faragher, walkovers 3), Ramsey B 7 (C. Grills 3, M. Forrest 3, Dbls); Fortress 1 (M. Hassan 1, P. Halliwell, K. Hassan}, Peel B 9 (M. Evans 3, A. Gutzold 3, W. Cross 2, Dbls); Peel C 5 (C. Holmes 3, A. Reid 1, O. Mitchell, Dbls), Copy Shop C 5 (K. Drewry 2, O. Cain 2. C. Aspden 1); Peel D v Peel E - Match not played.
Please come along to support our young players at the:
6 Nations Junior & Cadets Table Tennis International
9th, 10th & 11th March 2012 at the NSC
