Match Report Week 24
The Table Tennis League entered it final week and remarkably the Division One title is still not sewn up, Penmaen A leading Lodgers G by a mere two points. Penmaen still have to play Graves Park B, so there is a solid eight points there, while Lodgers G have a difficult task at Graves Park A, where if they are lucky they also may get eight points. That scenario would leave Penmaen champions by two points.
However the Division Two title is sorted, Penmaen C handing the accolade to Lodgers B. Penmaen scraping a 6-4 win over Lodgers H and two nights later being held to a 5-5 draw by Lodgers F, meant that Lodgers B only had to turn for their match against Wrangle B.
Penmaen match against Lodgers H was one of those close encounters with first one team and then the other taking the lead.
Boyd Smith put Lodgers on the board needing five to beat a battling John Shortland but Penmaen hit back, Chris Cooke enhancing his reputation beating Simon Raistrick, while Dave Smith gave his team the lead beating Steve Marshall, both these game being tight five setters. Penmaen extended the lead to two, Cooke making short work of No.6 ranked Boyd Smith but Lodgers hit back, Marshall getting his name on the board, beating Shortland in three straight. Raistrick put Lodgers on level terms beating No.5 ranked Dave Smith, (good win this), but Penmaen shook this off taking the next two putting them within touching distance of victory. Lodgers were not out of it yet, Raistrick having to work hard to overcome a battling Shortland leaving the doubles the decisive game. Bit of an anti-climax considering how some of the earlier games had gone, Dave Smith and Cooke overcoming a lack lustre pair of Marshall and Raistrick 11-7, 11-5, 11-9 for a 6-4 victory.
Two night later Penmaen C saw their faint hopes of becoming champions snuffed out only managing to draw 5-5 with Lodgers F.
Lodgers F who have had a good run in to the end of the season saw Penmaen open the scoring, Chris Cooke beating Ian Gorrie quite comfortably. David Kime quickly levelled beating Shortland and Steve Harker put Lodgers in the lead with a narrow victory over Dave Smith. Kime extended the lead even further, narrowly beating Cooke 11-9, 8-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-6 but Smith forgetting about his earlier defeat blasted past Gorrie. Lodgers bounded on Harker beating Shortland and :Penmaen looked in deep trouble, However in a rousing finale Penmaen took the last three singles of the evening, leaving the result reliant upon the doubles. A tight encounter saw Lodgers rise to the occasion, Kime and Harker narrowly beating Cooke and Smith, thus ensuring an equal share of the spoils.
In the meantime Lodgers put the seal of approval on the title with a game to spare, beating Wrangle B 7-3. No.2 ranked Tim Day was the star of the show winning his singles beating Cliff Davey, (back in the acting captains role), and Tony Hall quite comfortable but being made to fight all the way by Tim Sampson. Pete Truepenny had to be content with one narrowly beating Davey while Vic Clements chipped in with two, beating Davey and Sampson but having no answer to Tony Hall who picked up his second of the night. With only the doubles remaining Lodgers put the icing on the cake, Clements and Day beating Hall and Sampson 08-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9.
Division One is more or less sorted and it just depends how the results pan out in the last few matches for the minor placings.
Graves Park B playing two matches in quick succession had mixed fortunes, beating their D team 9-1 but losing 0-10 to championship chasing Lodgers G.
9-1 might sound like a resounding win but it was clearly not the case, all of Mick Dodes’ games going the full distance, Mick seeming to fade in the fourth and fifth set each time. Paul Matshull pushed Mick Maltby and Mike Freeston all the way but having no answer to David Graham who breezed past him in three straight. Dave Walters never managed to get to grips with any of the B lads, but surprise, surprise Matschull and Dodes found a bit of form in the doubles to beat Freeston and Graham and avert a whitewash.
Not a surprising result against Lodgers G, the Park working very hard pushing some of the Lodgers players all the way, Mick Maltby in particular, taking ends off Mark Hulme and Gary Hill but being well beaten by Kelvin Clements. Mike Freeston gave Clements and run for his money while Dave Graham played some good Table Tennis for no reward.
Lodgers G who I think by now have given up any hope of landing the title had a very difficult fixture against Stickney.
Lodgers started the stronger, Kelvin Clements beating Paul Hartnett, while Mark Hulme added to the lead beating Vince Lozynsky 11-8, 11-8 11-3. Andrew Benjamin redressed the balance with a good win over joint No1. Gary Hill but the respite was brief, as Lodgers strode on, Hulme making short work of Hartnett while Clements claimed the scalp of Benjamin. Hill made the score 5-1 before Stickney added their second Benjamin having no trouble at all with Hulme. The next game was probably the best of the night Hill scraping home at the death against Hartnett while Clements tidied up the singles with a fairly easy win over Lozynsky. The doubles were far from straightforward as Hartnett and Benjamin shook the Lodgers pair of Clements and Hulme, narrowly taking the second endbut the Lodgers pair settled down to ease home in the next two, making the final score 8-2.
Graves Park Nomads completed their season with two crushing defeats losing 2-8 to both Graves Park A and Wrangle A.
The match with Park A was fairly one sided Tris Clow being the only Nomads player to offer any resistance beating Nick Langley and taking Phil Brooks to five. For the A Rob Smith had no trouble while Nick Langley and Phil Brooks despatched Mark Sargeant and Harry Paul quite easily but there was a sting in the tail; Clow and Sargeant teaming up For Nomads to take the doubles, adding a bit of gloss to the score.
The two teams who were promoted last season, met in their last match of the season, Wrangle running out 8-2 winners. I would think it fair to say that of the two Wrangle have had the better season and despite finishing bottom but two, they have done enough to remain in Division One.
The Park got off the mark in some style, Tris Clow beating Sam Cooper and despite Dave Coulson levelling the score, making short work of Mark Sargeant, Walt Bridges regained the lead beating Dennis Pattrick 15-17. 11-5, 11-9 11-8. Nomads thought it would be a good idea to finish the match whilst they were in the lead but Wrangle had other ideas, Cooper Coulson and Pattrick all going on to win their remaining singles and completing the night with success in the doubles.
Stickney completed their season in fine form beating Graves Park D 10-0 to send them (the Park) down to Division two next season and I don’t know if there will be any reprieve this time.
Straightforward result only Dave Walters and Paul Matschull showing any resistance, Walters taking Lozynsky to five while Matschull despite beating Lozynsky 11-5 in the first end faded in the next three going down 9-11, 8-11, 8-11.
R E S U L T S
Division One
Graves Park D 1 Graves Park B 9; Graves Park B 0 Lodgers G 10; Lodgers G 8 Stickney A 2; Graves Park A 8 Graves Park Nomads 2; Graves Park Nomads 2 Wrangle A 8; Stickney 10 Graves Park D 0; Wrangle A 1 Penmaen B 9.
Division Two
Penmaen C 6 Lodgers H 4; Lodgers F 5 Penmaen C 5; Wrangle B 3 Lodgers B 7; Sibsey B 1 Penmaen D 9; Graves Park F 7 Sibsey A 3; Lodgers E 3 Lodgers F 7.
Mick Williams