Week 13 of the Fun-88 sponsored Isle of Man Table Tennis Association league proved to be unlucky for some at the NSC last week.

None more so than in the battle between two island under-18s where Arbory B’s Amit Lanin lost 5/11, 8/11, 11/3, 11/9, 10/12 to Travellers B’s Will Shooter.

Travellers A’s lead in Division One was eroded by two points as second-placed Ramsey A took full advantage of playing bottom-placed Tower B.

In Division Two, Peel A crept one point ahead of Travellers C but, at the foot of the table, Ramsey C are now 31 adrift.

The top-of-the-table clash in Division Three resulted in only the third defeat of the season for second-placed Travellers E.

DIVISION ONE

Travellers A (7), Arbory A (2)

Sonja Shaw and Arbory’s play-up player Mike Levine had no joy against the leaders, but Jason Quirk did well to purloin their points against Liam Chan and Malcolm Cummings.

Scott Lewis maintained his unbeaten run, not dropping a set against the third-placed side.

Tower B (0), Ramsey A (9)

It was an early night for these two. Neither Dario Mazzotta nor Sam Sen won a set, although Steve Curtis delayed Duncan Alexander and Chris Holmes by making it to the fourth.

British League player Becky Taylor was peerless, winning all her matches in three swift sets.

Arbory B (2), Travellers B (7)

John Shooter and his son Will were hat-trick heroes for fourth-placed Travellers B.

Arbory B edged away from the drop zone with both Amit Lanin and Dan Levine defeating MYG coordinator Malc Lewis who then focused on encouraging future star, young Liav Lanin playing up for Arbory.

Tower A (3), Strathallan (6)

KEB golf professional Andy Patterson stymied seventh-placed Tower’s Ken Mitchell (1), Mike Bayley (2) and luckless Simon Radcliffe who had been borrowed from their B team.

Wayne Taylor added two further points for fifth-placed Strathy and Andrew Horne chipped in another.

Keeran Chan’s hat-trick kept Travellers C within one point of League Two leaders Peel A last week (Photo: Malcolm Lambert)
Keeran Chan’s hat-trick kept Travellers C within one point of League Two leaders Peel A last week (Photo: Malcolm Lambert) (Malcolm Lambert)

DIVISION TWO

Ramsey B (2), Peel A (7)

Wael Kassim’s late withdrawal left the hosts a player short.

Lisa Lord, playing up, took a set off Ken Hegarty but Ramsey’s points came from wins by Adrian Slater who bemused both Hegarty and John Taylor-Burt, but Stu Perry smashed past Slater’s scary spin.

Arbory D (3), Travellers C (6)

Travellers’ Keeran Chan top-spun his way to a hat-trick.

Paul Mathieson-Nelson survived a tight tussle with JP Banaag, only to lose 10/12 in five to rival Malcolm Lambert.

Banaag and Lambert beat David Buck who consigned young Liav Lanin to an energetic, pointless night.

JRTE Marketing A (7), Desmond’s Douglas A 2

Emphatic hat-tricks from Brian Crellin and Darren Smethurst left third-placed Russell Kent and Neil Ronan with a consolation point apiece.

This was gained from Paul Mitchinson who clung on to take JRTE’s other point with a last-gasp, 11/9 final-set victory over Richard Hill.

Ramsey C (1), Arbory C (8)

Darren Shaw and Geoff Burchill both drew a blank, but Keith Herrington’s baffling long pips flummoxed Rob Wright and so earned a solitary point for bottom-placed Ramsey C.

Dave Bufton and Kevin Drewry helped move Arbory C away from relegation worries with three apiece.

DIVISION THREE

Travellers D (3), Travellers E (2)

Despite conceding more than 100 years, Maurice Campbell and Mike Chapman won the doubles in straight sets to secure victory against their second-placed club-mates.

Campbell was undefeated but Chapman ran out of puff against the youngsters Henry Weaver and Eban Moore.

Ramsey E (3), Travellers F (2)

Fourth-placed Ramsey’s Saul Tumblety beat Sydnie Weaver in straight sets and then Rhys Bufton in a fantastic five-setter 8/11, 11/9, 16/14, 10/12, 11/8.

Third-placed Travellers took the doubles and Weaver won her match against Teddy Clayton who had beaten Bufton.

Travellers G (5), Ramsey D (0)

Thomas Taylor-Burt was taken to a fourth set by the evergreen Pat Halliwell, but she and team-mate Tony Sewell made no further headway against Travellers G’s ever-improving youngsters Taylor-Burt and Max Doyle.

Fixtures: three club derbies - Arbory A v B (Division One), Arbory C v D (Division Two), Travellers F v G (Division Three).

There’s a top-of-the-table clash between Travellers A v Ramsey A in Division One, plus the intriguing Division Two match involving leaders Peel A v revitalised JRTE Marketing A team featuring former Division One stars Crellin and Smethurst.

- Fridays are practice nights at the NSC and all comers are welcome between 7-9pm. The cost is £5 per adult and £3 for juniors.

MALCOLM LAMBERT