Ballymoney aim for top three finish

Table tennis

Belfast and District League

BALLYMONEY slumped to their third successive defeat 7-3 against AK07 from Annahilt.

It was a match that produced some high quality table tennis but the breaks all seemed to go the way of AK07.

Mark McGuiggan lost 11-8 in the 5th set against John McFall in the opening match and this set the scene.

Dawid Sulkowki restored parity against the evergreen veteran Jack Cash winning 3 sets to 1. Brian Orr was out played against his old rival Peter Clarke and went down 3-0.

The doubles saw another 3-1 defeat with Orr and McGuiggan being outplayed against Clarke and McFall.

The other matches won were Mark defeating Jack Cash 3-1 and Dawid edging John McFall 11-8 in the 5th and deciding set.

Wednesday 17 February saw a change in fortunes for the team.

Cookstown were the visitors and Ballymoney recorded an emphatic 10-0 win to restore confidence. Mark McGuiggan and the two Sulkowski’s all played to a high level with only the final doubles going to a fifth set.

Only one match remains and Ballymoney are now only playing for pride however a win away to Glenburn could see the team finish in the top three.

Ballyclare League

Ballymoney 1608A hosted last placed team Knockagh A last week and slumped to their first Ballyclare league defeat of the year 6-4.

Brian Orr and John Fall collected the four singles against Peter Moffett and Ian Calvert.

Gary McClelland lost out in 5 sets yet again in both his singles.

Up and coming Thomas McCann was given his first taste of the Premier Division standing in for Mark McGuiggan and lost out to father and son Harry and Gary Ferson. With the match at 4-4 Ballymoney failed to win either doubles and fell to their first defeat this season. This leaves the team trailing Ballymena Academy and the Polish Sulkowski’s but will still have a chance to reverse fortunes as the teams meet another 2 times in the coming weeks with the 1st encounter in Ballymena on 2nd March.

In Division 2, Paul McGuiggan’s battling “B” team were up against 120 Old Boys and ended up with yet another 5-5 draw. The visitors demonstrated extremely poor sportsmanship and were lacking in table tennis manners which added an edge to the match.

Ballymoney star performer Mark Lynn won his three singles and lost out narrowly in the deciding doubles whilst leading 5-4. Aaron Douglas and Paul McGuiggan added one singles each and Ruth McGilligan failed to win against the three Belfast men whom had bats as old as themselves!

Cardiff Grand Prix

Brian Orr will be travelling as the non playing captain of the Northern Ireland Team competing in the prestigious Cardiff Grand Prix.

The squad includes Ulster Number I man, Paul McCreery and Number 1 lady Lui Na. Rasharkin’s Mark McGuiggan also makes the squad in his second Grand Prix event this season. The event takes place on 27th and 28th February at the National Sports Stadium in Cardiff.

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