TOWER PROMOTED BUT MAY BE DEMOTED
Travellers A finished in the season in style eight points clear of the previous champions Copy Shop in Division One of the Fun 88 sponsored IOM Table Tennis League. At the other end of the division Tower A amassed just seven points and therefore will meet the runners up of Division Two in a demotion/promotion play-off.
Tower’s B team were crowned champions of Division Two so they will automatically be promoted. Their closest rivals Surestrike Ramsey B will be looking to join them and that would be at the expense of Tower’s A team. Peel B who finished last will have to play the runners up of Division Three to decide if they stay up or go down.
In the Third Division the title is Surestrike Ramsey C’s to win, four points in their last match against fourth placed Tower C will be enough. Second placed Travellers D and Copy Shop C will fight it out for the runners-up spot. However, only Travellers are close enough to catch the current league leaders. At the bottom Surestrike Ramsey D will have their play-off against whoever comes second in Division Four which is yet to be decided.
Peel C secured the title in Division Four. Copy Shop D & E will battle it out for second spot, but the E team have a four point advantage and look likely to be in the play-off against Surestrike Ramsey D.
DIVISION ONE
Surestrike Ramsey A (2) Travellers A (7)
Liam Chan managed another hat-trick for Travellers who had been confirmed as champions the previous week. Braces from both Malcolm Cummings and Mark Johnson extended their winning margin to eight points. Adam Teare beat Cummings in four sets and Johnson in five to for fifth placed Surestrike.
Strathallan A (6) Tower A (2)
Bottom placed Tower turned up a player short while Strathy soon found themselves down to two players as Andy Patterson rushed off to be with his wife Karen who was producing baby Eliza. (Congratulations from us all at the IOMTTA.) Strathallan made sure to concede no more points with Mason McLarney and Julian Briercliffe both collecting the remaining points against Graham McFarlane and Steve Curtis
DIVISION TWO
Tower B (7) Peel A (3)
Mike Bayley started the fixture with a hat-trick before Dave Parsons claimed a brace followed by a solo point from Matt Crabtree. Malc Lewis picked up two for Peel along with a point from Maggie Mulhern. The result confirmed Tower as the champions and Peel finished in mid-table just 18 points behind.
Copy Shop B (1) Surestrike Ramsey B (9)
Surestrike pulled out a huge win which gave them a place in the divisional play-off thanks to hat-tricks from Chris Holmes and Tim Baker who has gone the entire season undefeated. The pair also bagged the doubles. His daughter Kerenza played her part by winning two vital points but Rob Sim won a consolation point for Copy Shop which enabled them to finish fifth in the league.
Peel B (1) Travellers B (9)
Third placed Travellers secured a comfortable win with hat-tricks from Paul Mathieson-Nelson and Colin Brown followed by a brace from Tommy Cowin who went on to secure the doubles alongside Brown. Harry Walters notched up a point for bottom placed Peel which was not enough to save them from the demotion play-off but it left Travellers an agonizing one point away from the promotion play-off place.
DIVISION THREE
Travellers D (4) Surestrike Ramsey C (6)
Maurice Campbell started second placed Travellers off with two wins followed with a point each from Jackie Gill and Adrain Tinkler.
Top placed Surestrike Ramsey C pulled it back with a Wendy Hogan hat-trick, Frazer Dametto obtained another two then a win from Frank Feeney. Hogan and Dametto went on to pick up the doubles and complete the comeback which gives them every chance of gaining promotion next week.
Tower C (8) Surestrike Ramsey X (2)
For fourth placed Tower Dave Callow collected three points followed by two each from Barry Jenkins and Mike Chapman. Jenkins and Chapman also combined to take the doubles. Dave Bufton secured a brace for Surestrike Ramsey X who will finish in sixth spot.
Surestrike Ramsey D (4) St Ninian’s A (6)
Daryl Yardley earned another hat-trick for sixth placed Surestrike along with a win in the doubles with help from Alex Yardley. Fifth placed St Ninian’s brought it back with Matty Kelly, Ken Hegarty and Archie Walter all obtaining two points to pick up the win.
DIVISION FOUR
Peel C (8) Copy Shop E (2)
Tiernan Garvey secured three points followed by braces from Louis Faragher and Callan Reed. Faragher and Garvey also claimed the doubles for the league champions Peel. Cameron Dudley earned a point for Copy Shop along with Leo Doyle who snatched one 12/10 in the fifth set against Reed. Those two points may be enough to see the Copy Shop side compete in the divisional play-offs.
Surestrike Ramsey E (0) Copy Shop D (10)
A clean sweep for third placed Copy Shop with Kitty Thomas, Libby Quaggin and Pat Halliwell all securing hat-tricks before Thomas and Quaggin combined to clinch the doubles. Thomas Morris came closest to causing an upset but eventually was edged out 11/6, 11/6, 10/12, 11/13, 12/10 by Halliwell.
St Ninian’s B (2) IOM JD North (8)
Glenn Callow and William Dalugdugan both achieved full houses along with a win from Charlie Callow for sixth placed JD North. Glenn and Dalugdugan also notched up a win in the doubles. Thomas Coleman and Luke Hegarty collected a point a piece for fourth placed St Ninians.
IOM JD 1 (6) IOM JD 2 (4)
William Shooter and Sam Preece both obtained braces followed by a win from Jake Levine. Preece and Levine also bagged the doubles which enabled bottom placed JD1 to record their first win of the season. In response Oliver Ashe claimed a hat-trick before Lauren Allwright pinched a point for seventh placed JD2.
JUAN MOORE
Photos: Malcolm Lambert
