Fluffy Toys Maintain Unbeaten Start In Division One

Despite not playing their strongest side yet this season DTH Redlands Fluffy Toys still sit proudly at the top of Division One with a 100% record. Their latest triumph saw them just manage to edge out club colleagues The Roosters by a 6-4 margin. Last season's Player Of The Year Peter Cowburn led the way for the Toys with an impressive hat trick and was well supported by Steve Walker who managed two wins with Dennis Learad who was playing up from Division Two going home empty handed. For The Roosters Tom McIntosh had a fabulous win over the previously unbeaten Steve Walker whilst also beating Learad and with both Piotr Sliwa and Rick Harris also beating Learad the Roosters went into the doubles rubber at the end of the evening needing to win it to snatch a draw. Sliwa and McIntosh started well against the Toys Cowburn and Walker winning the first and third sets to lead 2-1 but Walker and Cowburn turned on the style in the next two sets to comfortably win them both to finally win the doubles by 3 sets to 2 and the match 6-4.
Elsewhere in Division One another player was having a good night and recording a very impressive hat trick. In yet another close match Andy Lee of Ryton Park Adders hit top form against MBE sweeping all before him by beating Mick Bell, Dave Marsh and Mark Stanfield to help his side to a 6-4 victory. He was well supported by Mike Nocivelli who beat both Bell and Marsh with Matt Lemon also beating Marsh to ensure all three points went to the Adders. Mark Stanfield with two wins, Mick Bell with one and the doubles made up the 4 wins for MBE.
Division Two continues to fascinate with 9 out of the 14 games played so far ending with a 6-4 scoreline! Not to buck the trend both Manton Tigers and DTH Redlands Joggers both enjoyed 6-4 wins with the Tigers inflicting the first defeat of the season on Stanley Street 'B'. For the Tigers Paul Allison continued his unbeaten run with another hat trick and he is now the only player in the division to have a 100% record, his team mate Bill Bateman chipped in with two wins before the pair of them teamed up to take the doubles in straight sets to clinch the overall victory. For Stanley Street Matt Williams, Paul Linfield and Kyle McIntosh all beat the Tigers Phil Hall with Linfield adding a further win against Bateman.
DTH Redlands Joggers were up against Manton Sports and mainly had Lea Dickinson to thank for their close win as she remained unbeaten on the night with both Lewis Comley and Matthew Mudd battling well to each chip in with a solo win against much more experienced opponents in Alan Wilson and Keith Smith. As often is the case with 6-4 results it came down to the doubles set played at the end to determine the outcome of the match with Dickinson and Comley teaming up to comfortably beat Smith and Fisher 3-0 to ensure all 3 points went to the Joggers.
Other Division Two Result: Global Marble 'B' 3 Ryton Park Eagles 7.
Division Three's 'Performance Of The Week' was undoubtedly Stanley Street C's win over previously unbeaten and title favourites DTH Redlands Tarr Babies in what was a fabulous advert for table tennis in our area with a special mention for the fantastic spirit in which the match was played by all the junior players involved. For Stanley Street 'C' the three Riauba brothers Orestas, Valentinas and Martynas were up against the Tarr Babies trio of Kieran Tutter, Daniel Cutts and Josh Nelson with Orestas putting in a great individual performance with an impressive hat trick and with Martynas adding two further wins against Nelson and Tutter it left the match tantalisingly poised at 5-4 in  Stanley Street C's favour. It was at this point that the Tarr Babies played their trump card in drafting in the experienced Jack Tarr to play in the doubles with Daniel Cutts and when they led 2-1 against Orestas and Martynas it looked like a master stroke but back came the Riauba brothers to win the next two sets to clinch the doubles 3-2 and with it a fabulous overall victory.
Other Division Three Results: Ryton Park Cougars 6 Ryton Park Dragons 4, Stanley Street Cypriots 4 On-Line Elks 6, Ryton Park Dragons 1 DTH Redlands Rookies 9.