MATCH REPORT 14 JANUARY 2015
PAUL MATHIESON-NELSON BRINGS TIM BAKER’S UNBEATEN RUN TO AN END
In the First Division of the DLP Adapted Bathrooms sponsored Isle of Man Table Tennis League ABC Arborists moved to within seven points of Copy Shop A who had a rest week. There were no surprise results so all the teams kept their league positions although Foxdale are now six points adrift at the bottom and just one point separates Travellers A and Zurich Spinners above them.
Travellers B maintained their lead in Division Two and Paul Mathieson-Nelson brought Tim Baker’s unbeaten record to an end in what was undoubtedly the game of the season. Copy Shop B stay in second place but Peel A are just seven points behind with a game in hand. At the bottom Tower C look destined to be demoted and Travellers D are still in the relegation zone.
In the Third Division Surestrike Ramsey C are now just six points clear of Victory Roll Saints and both teams look likely to gain promotion. Despite some score sheet errors the Junior Development squad chalked up their third draw of the season and are now just five points behind Surestrike Ramsey D.
The DLP Divisional Championships take place over the next two weeks and the Harold Wilcock Hard Bat tournament takes place on 4th February. Consequently, league matches are suspended for four weeks and will resume after half-term.
DIVISION ONE
Zurich Spinners (0) ABC Arborists (9)
Nigel Beattie won the first set in his match against John Magnall who then dug in and chopped Beattie out 7/11, 13/11, 11/2, 11/5. That was the first and last set for relegation zoned Spinners who were white-washed by the second-placed Arborists who are just seven points behind Copy Shop A who had a rest night. The match was quickly over so Jason Quirk and Sam Bailey stayed behind to practice their skills whilst Beattie, Colin Barron and Tommy Cowin battled their way home to Laxey.
Foxdale A (0) Strathallan A (9)
Third-placed Strathy remain six points behind the Arborists with this white-wash over Foxdale who are anchored at the bottom of the league six points shy of possible salvation. Andy McLarney took a set off Julian Briercliffe, Ken Mitchell did similar against Andy Horne but Will Bayley came closest to an upset losing 11/7, 5/11, 5/11, 11/8 12/14 to a rather relieved Hadyn McLarney.
Travellers A (3) Breakaway A (6)
Paul Corran returned to register another hat-trick for fifth-placed Breakaway. Keeran Chan added two more points with wins over Dave Stevenson and Stu Douglas. Aaron Faragher lost to Stevenson and Douglas but hung on to pip Stu Mason 2/11, 12/10, 11/2, 5/11, 11/9 thus avenging Mason’s earlier win over Chan which helped Travellers stay one point clear of the relegation zone.
DIVISION TWO
Surestrike Ramsey B (2) Travellers B (8)
The game of the night was undoubtedly the return match between fifth-placed Surestrike’s unbeaten Tim Baker and Travellers’ Paul Mathieson-Nelson who was keen to redress the balance following their battle last October. In a tightly fought attacking game Mathieson-Nelson won 11/8, 9/11, 11/9, 8/11, 11/7 so they have now lost just one match each. Baker went on to beat Gary Shilling and Colin Brown, who is third in the averages, but the top-placed Travellers were too strong for Surestrike’s substitutes Kerenza Baker and Jack Yardley who struggled to win a set.
Peel B (3) Tower B (7)
Another Steve Curtis hat-trick helped Tower move up the table, ably assisted by Simon Radcliffe who also hit a hat-trick and joined Curtis to win the doubles. Nathan Evans, Harry Walters and Sasha Thomas took a point apiece off Yanchun Wang and in doing so they moved Peel B two points clear of the relegation zone.
Travellers D (1) Peel A (9)
Juan Moore Jnr got tenth-placed Travellers D off to a great start winning 11/6, 12/14, 11/8, 11/3 against Matty Evans. After that it was all downhill for Moore, David Buck and Alex Buck as Les Wilson and Malc Lewis hit hat-tricks for third-placed Peel and Evans won his remaining matches including the doubles with Lewis.
Copy Shop C (2) Copy Shop B (8)
An Adam Davies hat-trick for second-placed Copy Shop B was built upon by Rob Sim and Vishal Patel who both beat Pedro Cardoso and Kevin Drewry who got to 5/11 and 9/11 in the deciding set of their matches with Patel and Sim respectively. Malcolm Lambert lost in four sets to Davies but won his other two matches. Copy Shop C lost the doubles and fell back to eighth-place following Tower B’s victory over Peel B.
Travellers C (3) Surestrike Ramsey A (7)
Rhys Yardley wasted no time in registering his straight sets hat-trick and doubles win for third-placed Surestrike Ramsey A. His team-mate Wael Kassim struggled to counter Jackie Gill’s flat batted angled attack and lost 11/3, 5/11, 5/11, 11/8, 11/8 but he beat both Adrian Tinkler and Maurice Campbell who had each taken a point off Carl Blatcher. Gill looked like baffling Blatcher but he survived several match points in their fourth set. Blatcher eventually won that set 16/14 and then he took the decider 11/6.
DIVISION THREE
Peel C (2) Copy Shop D (8)
Fourth-placed Copy Shop D moved up a place thanks to hat-tricks from Zac Walker and Billy Coulter. Kyle Dodd consigned Corin Haddock to a pointless night and joined with Walker to take the doubles. Seventh-placed Peel’s points came from an 11/7, 11/6, 7/11, 9/11, 11/9 win for Tom Noble against Dodd who also lost to substitute Steve Haddock.
Surestrike Ramsey E (3) Victory Roll Saints (7)
Three points apiece and a doubles win 7/11, 11/8, 11/6, 4/11, 11/8 for Matty Kelly and Steve Ryder-Clague saw Victory Rolls Saints maintain second spot and move a step closer to promotion in their inaugural season. Matthew Emison, Fin Hill and Tyler Hannay all defeated Dean Greenland for fifth-placed Surestrike’s hard earned points.
Junior Development (5) Copy Shop E (5)
Junior Development notched up their third draw of the season despite signing the card for a 4-6 defeat. Pat Halliwell scored a hat-trick for three of sixth-placed Copy Shop’s points and Kitty Thomas added the other two by beating Josh and Cameron Dudley who both beat Sophie Sheard. Tiernan Garvey pulled another two back for bottom-placed JD with an 11/9, 11/4, 6/11, 11/13, 11/3 over Thomas and a straight sets win over Sheard. An inadvertent scorecard error indicated that Copy Shop had won the doubles but on enquiry the point was correctly awarded to Cameron and Garvey.
MALCOLM LAMBERT
