Last night at the Village Hall ,Taverners played the return fixture against the Falcons eager to repeat the 5-5 draw in the first half or possibly sneak a win to narrow the gap between ourselves and Torbay Academy 2.
However, at the end of a competitive and enjoyable evening, Taverners were well beaten by 7 sets to 3 so we were unable to advance our cause.
This time round, Falcons were a slightly stronger team with Wojtek Cyron and Keith Haslam in their lineup backed up by the "veteran" captain that is Louis Wiltshire!
I haven't played Wojtek for a couple of years and we both had mixed success in our earlier encounters. It is quite clear though that Wojtek has improved a lot during the interim period with even better movement and more willingness to attack. He has also played a number of matches in Exeter Division 1 this season and this has obviously improved his game.
Keith has also improved significantly this season. Although inclined (as we all do!) to give away "cheap" points, Keith seems to quickly dismiss the errors from his mind and can attack and defend in equal measure to retrieve the initiative. Both Wojtek and Keith were unbeaten with Wojtek "Player of the Match". Both players have made great progress this season as their league averages can testify!
Two sets stood out yesterday evening. Firstly, Martin and Keith played an excellent set of table tennis with Martin coming back to square the set 2-2 only to narrowly lose the final leg. A very good quality set which I think both players enjoyed! The Doubles was also of high quality with both pairs attacking relentlessly playing the same way as each other. Colin and Martin edged home 11-7 in the fifth and therefore gaining a welcome point for Taverners.
I enjoyed the evening despite the loss because of the friendly atmosphere between the two teams, the competitive nature of the sets, sportsmanship and banter - all resulting in a good evening of table tennis.
Geoff
