MATCH REPORT 3 FEBRUARY 2016

TOWER B MAINTAIN MOMENTUM CLOSELY PURSUED BY PEEL A

In the Second Division of the DLP Adapted Bathrooms sponsored Isle of Man Table Tennis League top-placed Tower B won 6-4 to maintain their five point gap over Peel A who did well to overcome their up and coming Peel B club-mates by the same score. Travellers D called up their coach Paul Nelson who inspired them to an 8-2 victory over their C team club-mates.

Third-placed Travellers B needed another Juan Moore hat-trick to subdue relegation zoned St Ninian’s for whom Matt Harvey is continuing to move up the averages. Copy Shop B retained fourth-place by narrowly beating the bottom-placed Surestrike Ramsey C much strengthened by the recent signing of Chris Holmes. He has won all six of his singles and so joins his unbeaten club-mate Tim Baker at the top of the averages.

There were no other league matches this week as the second round of the Division One Grand Prix took place at Centre 21 on Sunday and this will be reported on separately.

DIVISION TWO

Surestrike Ramsey B (4) Tower B (6)

The divisional champion Tim Baker made it twelve hat-tricks in a row for fifth-placed Surestrike B and he and his daughter Kerenza also won the doubles. Steve Curtis, David Parsons and Dario Mazzotta maintained top-placed Tower’s momentum with two points apiece against Kerenza and Jack Craik, although recent returnee Parsons had a bit of a taxing time as Craik pulled back a two set deficit but capitulated 7/11, 11/13, 11/4, 11/8, 3/11.

Peel B (4) Peel A (6)

MYG table tennis coordinator Malc Lewis survived a final set tie-breaker to win his first match 11/2, 11/8, 11/13, 9/11, 13/11 against Nathan Evans from sixth-placed Peel B.

It also proved to be a hat-trick decider as Lewis went on to beat Sasha Thomas and Harry Walters while Evans claimed the scalps of Maggie Mulhern and Andy McLarney. The next two matches went to the A team. Then Thomas tip-toed past Mulhern and in the final singles Walters won a gruelling five setter against McLarney who immediately bounced back to take the doubles with Lewis.

Travellers C (2) Travellers D (8)

Travellers’ coach Paul Nelson substituted for the D team and he and Mike Dunning both hit hat-tricks.

David Buck grabbed another point by beating Jackie Gill and later joined Dunning to win the doubles thus helping his team leap-frog their club-mates to go into seventh-place. Adrian Tinkler and Alan Harding both battled to beat Buck; Harding needing a tense tie-breaker 11/5, 8/11, 4/11, 11/6, 12/10 to break his duck.

Travellers B (6) St Ninian’s (4)

Juan Moore’s eighth hat-trick this season was built upon by third-placed Travellers B. His team-mate Colin Barron lost in four close sets to fast improving Matt Harvey but added two more points for Travellers and then assisted Moore to win the doubles and the match. Harvey, Matty Kelly and Phil Hennessy each beat young Jack Mathieson-Nelson who had clawed his way back against Hennessy only to lose 8/11, 4/11, 12/10, 12/10, 7/11.

Copy Shop B (6) Surestrike Ramsey C (4)

New signing Chris Holmes secured his second hat-trick in a row but it was insufficient for bottom–placed Surestrike C to skittle out their fourth-placed opponents.

Rob Sim and Kevin Drewry picked-off both Frank Feeney and Billy Cain and then cleared up the doubles to secure the win. Fraser Dorling, Copy Shop’s new signing, rebounded from his loss to Holmes to fell Feeney but was edged out by Cain 11/6, 7/11, 11/4, 7/11, 10/12.    

MALCOLM LAMBERT