Northowram G (home) .A: Robert Gee, B: John Wasilewski, C: Raj Panesar
POPPS A (away) X: Peter McMullen, Y: Terry Allington, Z: Chie Hick

We faced another awkward fixture at Northowram, awkward because of the tightness of the venue with three tables crushed into a space suitable only for two & awkward because of the potential of their players. Due to a recent operation, Barbara Gee was not available to play – we wish her a speedy & good recovery. We came, not expecting a clean sweep & perhaps simply hoping for anything we could call a win! This time, things were complicated by Northowram’s three teams all playing without a full compliment, meaning that at least three of their players were playing across three tables! Not a good idea, as it meant games were not played in the usual order, waiting ensued until a specific player had finished a game on another table & it was, consequently, difficult to check our next opponent. Some good table-tennis, but NOT a good evening as a whole!

1: AvX – Robert v Peter: 8-11/7-11/9-11 AWAY WIN
2: BvY – John v Terry: 8-11/6-11/8-11 AWAY WIN
3: CvZ – Raj v Chie: 3-11/11-13/11-5/11-9/7-11 AWAY WIN
4: BvX – John v Peter: 11-7/11-7/14-12 HOME WIN
5: AvZ – Robert v Chie: 8-11/4-11/11-9/3-11 AWAY WIN
6: CvY – Raj v Terry: 4-11/3-11/5-11 AWAY WIN
7: BvZ – John v Chie: 11-8/11-13/4-11/11-6/11-8 HOME WIN
8: CvX – Raj v Peter: 8-11/7-11/2-11 AWAY WIN
9: AvY – Robert v Terry: 1-11/2-11/3-11 AWAY WIN

Result: Northowram ‘G’ = 2 Popps ‘A’ = 7

Steady, easy start for Peter against a distracted Robert: Peter, generally, finding a good early range, won easily.

Just as last time, John was unable to satisfactorily deal with Terry’s consistent & penetrating style.

An excellent hard fought win by Chie over Raj, as she now re-consolidates her game after her New Year home break: still a bit of inconsistency in places but just about ‘getting there’.

A confident win by John over Peter in three games, with Peter somewhat distracted by team G’s organisational shenanigans.

Another excellent win by Chie, over Robert, keeping well focused on each point & beginning to find some consistency in her best shots.

A total whitewash for Terry over Raj, with nothing given on Terry’s part & much less offered by Raj.

A valiant effort by Chie against John, with Chie, again, demonstrating her resilience & ability to fight for every point: the fourth set proved decisive, but a good match for Chie over five games.

A rather poor game for Raj, as Peter easily won points & made few mistakes

A shockingly one-sided game as Terry simply & mercifully obliterated Robert.

A good solid victory for Popps ‘A’. the result being the only important thing after a frustrating & somewhat haphazard evening. Well done team!

On paper this looked easy for the A team, but they have to keep focused for the challenging matches ahead.

Our visitors from the ancient Druid village of Old Town like to keep their old customs. The tribal leader, Jo Sweeney, presented us with a gift of a packet of chocolate buscuits. The A team offering was refreshments of tea or coffee, with a dram of whisky. A very happy time, with much laughter, was had by all.

It was nice to see Chia Hick practicing really hard, after her happy reunion with family and friends in Japan.

The last time we played the experienced MJM team we had supersub Terry Allington playing in place of a sick Terry Wassall. Consequently POPPs came away with a few points. This time would be different! The POPPs B team consisted of the same team as last week, Tom, Joan and Terry W. MJM also had their usual complement of Martyn Halliday, John Wasilewski and Mark Craven. I keep meaning to ask them where their team’s name comes from. Next time perhaps.

Once again Joan was the best and most consistent and determined of the POPPs players. In fact her knock-ups with each of her opponents before each match were some of the most impressive table tennis of the evening! As our American cousins would say, Joan gives good knock-up.

Terry probably played a little better than last Thursday, due to playing again after such a short break, but the result was much the same. He looked to be in with a chance against Martyn losing the first game narrowly 10-12 and winning the 2nd 11-9. But he flattered to deceive and lost the next 2 games only getting 3 and 4 points in each.  He had a good set against John getting respectably close in all 3 games without actually winning one.  Likewise against Mark, going close in 2 games, 10-12 and 9-11, but fading badly and offered little resistance in the 3rd game.

Joan also took a game against Martyn, 11-8, but didn’t score more than 6 in any of the other games. However, she had a great game against John and pushed him close without quite managing to win a game. Likewise against Mark, Joan got to withing 2 or 3 points in each game but just couldn’t summon up the little extra (or even a bit of luck) to get across the line. There is no doubt it won’t be long before she wins another set (her first victory was in a match last November) and see her kick on with the confidence that will give her.

Tom struggled all evening with mobility problems despite battling on bravely. He played some first rate rallies at times but the younger and more agile opposition moved the ball around and left Tom out of position. There were times when he really punished them though and every sign that he has a lot more to offer if he can  sort out some of the ailments holding him back. The spirit is still there and willing!

As usual the match was played in good spirit and I like to feel we brought a little light and joy into the opposition’s lives. They certainly left smiling!

A: Martyn Halliday X: Terry Allington
B: Mark Craven Y: Chie Hick
C: John Wasilewski Z: Peter McMullen

For us, confusion has always surrounded the three Northowram teams, as configurated by the forceful & inimitable Barbara Gee; which team is which, who plays where and when, issues which have clouded our team selection and planning for a not inconsiderable time. But, what the heck! – we still turn up and just simply ‘get on with it’, allowing our current momentum and confidence to dilute our doubts and insecurities. Tonight, our confusion was massaged a little more owing to all three Northowram teams playing at home in a tight space, in the same room and on the same night. An interesting juxtaposition was the appearance against their junior team of our main rivals in the league, Tradesmen 2. An instant concern was the tightness of the space and the liability and inevitability of more than the odd ‘let’ occurring, particularly during one of ‘our Terry’s’ 140-shot rallies! As it turned out, things could have been a lot worse.

AvX – Martyn v Terry: 4-11/5-11/7-11 AWAY WIN 0-1
BvY – Mark v Chie: 9-11/6-11/8-11 AWAY WIN 0-2
CvZ – John v Peter: 10-12/11-6/11-2/11-5 HOME WIN 1-2
BvX – Mark v Terry: 4-11/7-11/3-11 AWAY WIN 1-3
AvZ – Martyn v Peter: 7-11/11-8/8-11/5-11 AWAY WIN 1-4
CvY – John v Chie: 11-4/6-11/11-7/11-8: HOME WIN 2-4
BvZ – Mark v Peter: 7-11/4-11/9-11: AWAY WIN 2-5
CvX – John v Terry: 6-11/3-11/7-11: AWAY WIN 2-6
AvY – Martyn v Chie: 12-10/12-10/4-11/11-3: HOME WIN 3-6

Martyn v Terry: a cool, calm game collected by Terry which set him on the way against an inconsistent Martyn. 2nd & 3rd games slipped into Terry’s ‘bag’ with relative ease.

Mark v Chie: a steady start from Chie, attempting to play herself back into the sport after her ‘home break’: good 2nd game followed by a steady & positive 3rd.

John v Peter: with a similar type of game, Peter found himself slugging it out with John, resulting in a tight game won by Peter, just: 2nd game initiative was taken by John from the start & he pushed into an unassailable position, totally compounded in the 3rd game, leaving him with an easy 4th with Peter totally out of it.

Mark v Terry: a galloping start from Terry, accumulating points with ease, his usual consistency pushing Mark into a corner &, in the 3rd, completely out of sight.

Martyn v Peter: unfocused 1st game for Martyn, allowing Peter to accelerate to the finish; however, in the 2nd, Martyn put his foot down & gave Peter a hard time, although he recovered his composure in the 3rd & completed the job in the 4th.

John v Chie: easy 1st game for John with Chie unable to deal with his spin; John sat back in the 2nd allowing Chie a glimmer of hope, although this quickly faded in the 3rd & 4th as Chie was unable to deal with John’s spin and power.

Mark v Peter: good, positive & comfortable start for Peter, moving into a sprint in the 2nd game, despite Mark working hard but not quite achieving consistency: in the 3rd game, Mark stuck with it up to 9-9, when Peter pushed to the finish.

John v Terry: in a way, NOT surprising, but in another way VERY surprising!: after his confident exploits earlier in the evening, it was astonishing to see John’s game go totally to pieces against Terry. A brilliant win!

Martyn v Chie: close 1st game of cat, mouse & table-tennis, with Martyn just making it home & following up with a similar 2nd game, as Chie forced her shots a little too hard: 3rd game saw Chie in a more accurate & focused mood, running away with the game, but in the 4th Martyn regained his grip & pushed easily to the finish.

All in all, a good night’s work, with Chie working her way back into the game, Peter, when focused, continuing his excellent form & Terry effectively squashing all before him, like an efficient & beautifully formed steam-roller! As we squeezed our way out of the playing arena, we noted that Tradesmen 2 had apparently lost three of their games – positive news for us, for the time being at least. Thank you Northworam MJM for your friendliness, hospitality & good evening’s competitive table-tennis. 16 out of 16 with just 6 to go –

WELL DONE TEAM! – keep it up.

POPPS A: Terry Allington B: Peter McMullen C: John Taylor
SCs       X: Harry Wotherspoon Y: Alwyn Kershaw Z: Roy Oldroyd

We faced our 15th league match of the season with good confidence, yet knowing it would be a tough match. This trio of players, a long-standing & effective trio, embraced a determined & somewhat dour approach. This was the ‘old school’ at work, re-creating traditions from the past, not for the sake of it, not for ‘luck’, but for a deeper, intense & compulsive reasoning, rooted in principle, standards & with a result in mind. The simpler & more naiive response of Popps has always encompassed a willingness to bend to the desires & demands of our opponents. So, on this night, when our opponents began moving our bags & coats from one set of chairs across to the other set, to ensure that both teams would be separated by the scorers chair, we merely raised an interested eyebrow or three, smiled gently & continued to focus on preparing ourselves for the approaching confrontation. Awaiting the starting flag, friendly they undoubtedly were, but smiling they were not! Should we be intimidated or simply cool?

1: AvX – Terry v Harry: 11-8/13-11/9-11/11-4 HOME WIN: Terry moved to the table with a nervy & edgy gait, as Harry snarled his way to the table, fire not quite issuing from his nostrils. A somewhat paranoid starting game from Terry disintegrated into a point for point scrappy contest & at 8-8 anybody’s to win: Harry lost it, Terry didn’t. Adding a powdering of spice & a small sum of determination in the 2nd game moved us on to a match of possibilities, even if they were still hidden behind a wraith of error & missed chances, Terry again edging it, before succumbing in the 3rd to a grimly determined Harry, intent & grumbling on revenge. Spent & blunt with frustration & exhaustion, Harry succumbed to the rising fire in Terry’s belly & fell away to 4-11 in the 4th. A bruising match which had promised much & delivered less.

2: BvY – Peter v Alwyn: 11-8/15-17/11-6/8-11/11-9 HOME WIN: A colliding & mesmirising encounter, swerving across the table before skidding off edges & corners into heartbreak. Tension in the 1st game saw Peter missing the table entirely with too many serves but surviving Alwyn’s cleverness to pinch a win. Craziness erupted in the 2nd game with end of table misses committed wholesale at both ends until Alwyn slid to an unconvincing victory at a silly 15-17. The 3rd swung Peter’s way again as he pushed hard to eradicate basic errors but a disputed edge called in the 4th distracted him enough to allow Alwyn a cruise to the finish. Another close call in the 5th as the game slipped Peter’s way towards the end; an absolutely fascinating & truly great match to watch & much credit & thanks to both players.

3: CvZ – John v Roy: 10-12/9-11/5-11 AWAY WIN: A tight 1st game but Roy took a close win in to the 2nd game & by the 3rd game, John was having difficulty in dealing with Roy’s top spin plus still feeling somewhat under the weather. Roy pursued John around the table, giving no quarter & taking a good win here with John regretting losing his grip on that 1st game.

4: BvX – Peter v Harry: 11-9/11-7/11-5 HOME WIN: An extremely steady 1st game from Peter followed by more focus & physical dominance in the 2nd & 3rd. An excellent win for Peter with an onslaught of wide & fierce shots pulling Harry completely out of position.

5: AvZ – Terry v Roy: 11-7/11-4/11-0 HOME WIN: A quiet & steady start from Terry in the 1st game, improving in the 2nd & devastating & comprehensive in the 3rd. An easy win for Terry with Roy having no answer at all to Terry’s foot-speed & precise placing of the ball.

6: CvY – John v Alwyn: 11-9/6-11/6-11/11-8/4-11 AWAY WIN: Good 1st game for John offering a glimmer of light but 2nd & 3rd games quickly slipped away with Alwyn focusing better on each & every shot. John recovered to win the 4th game but not convincingly & faded badly in the 5th to give Alwyn a very hard-fought but well-deserved and comfortable victory.

7: BvZ – Peter v Roy: 11-8/11-7/11-3 HOME WIN: Roy, obviously disappointed with his calamitously empty defeat against a fully wired-upTerry, showed a sliver of determination in the 1st game but Peter, fortunately, continued with his devastatingly sparkling & athletic form to run over Roy with barely a limp or a gasp of breath, skidding & twisting shots across the table.

8: CvX – John v Harry: 11-13/9-11/3-11 AWAY WIN: Close call in the 1st game with Harry catching John short of accuracy & placement. Switching on more power & guile in the 2nd, Harry quickly & effectively brushed John aside & plunged with great skill & relish into a one-sided 3rd game in which John looked totally non-plussed &, eventually, totally ran out of any answers.

9: AvY – 11-6/11-3/11-4 HOME WIN: Having played more than competently in his two previous games, Alwyn finally ran out of steam, energy & ideas, as Terry buried this tussle deep enough in the 1st game, laid out the top-soil in the 2nd & finally, placed a vase of flowers on top by the end of the 3rd game!

So, fifteen matches without defeat & we’re still hovering thereabouts near the top of our league. Our experienced & committed opponents in this match were an object lesson in how to go about dealing with strong competition & we can certainly learn from their approach. Their grip on a controlled & limited range of shots took us well down the road of consistency for them & patience & focus for us. This time we passed the test but must never under-estimate long-established teams & their knowledge, competence & reliability in dealing with ‘young upstarts’ such as ourselves. Over the next seven games, our concentration must be exclusively in playing to our strengths, with patience, care & without unforced errors, limiting our opponents to as few (if any) wins as humanly possible. Thank you Senior Citizens for a good competitive night & WELL DONE TEAM, yet again.

Popps Hounded 8-1 in ruff encounter

At the earlier fixture, Old Town Hounds beat us 5-4, after your correspondent squandered what looked like a winning lead which would have clinched it our way. However, we had the experienced Derek playing that night, so our match tonight will be a challenge, unless of course Popps ‘B’ manages to play out of its socks. We always like to welcome our country cousins to the sophisticated HT centre where they are often bemused by things like electricity and running water. Will they be initially dazzled by the bright lights of the centre, after playing to old lanterns up in the old Chapel at New Town? We would find out soon. Popps Team: Terry Wassall, Joan Bottomley & Robin Thomas. (Tom still struggling with health issues—we hope he can return to playing).

OTH fielded the veteran Don Coneron, his powerfully-built son, Neil and the ever fragrant Rose Tipton, still wearing the brilliant white top, revealed at a critical stage to distract Popps younger male players. Rose attempted to get to grips with the new-fangled scoring machine and had to be helped by our techno-savvy Joan with her advanced IT background. Joan touched a few buttons, and Hey Presto, the gleaming machine leapt into action, lights flashing like the Hong Kong waterfront after dark. Rose put her abacus back into her handbag, a rough contraption made of pig skin and wattle.

Neil needed to get away early, so matches were played out of order. Your correspondent kicked off against Neil, the beauty being that few notes could be taken with a bat in one’s hand. Neil won 8-11, 8-11 and 6-11, with a much more consistent and steady game and he was unhindered by the occasional flashing forehand from Robin. Terry then took on Don and in G1, Terry had to try to find his form, distended with curry and champagne, after a heavy fortnight of celebrating his 65th birthday. Terry won some good smashes, but Don played safely to win 11-7. Terry retaliated with a vengeance in G2 as Don lost his touch. Terry, like Mubarek, was in charge and won 11-1. Don missed the table in G3; Terry missed a smash, but was marching on relentlessly to win 11-2. Don raised his game in G4 as Terry started to fall apart. At 10-10, Don could have extended the set, but Terry wrapped it up with a useful couple of shots. However, this was as good as it gets as Hounds reeled of a series of wins.

Set 3 saw Joan against Rose, whilst your correspondent’s eyes strayed to a tall female playing on another table. They returned to the matter in hand as Rose’s steady game, mainly back hand pushes, took her to 11-3. In G2, rallies became longer as Joan diligently returned shots, but could not win the eventual point. 11-6. Rose’s serve still looks a bit like a conjurer’s trick as the ball mysteriously appears from somewhere, although I don’t suppose it influenced the result. She moved ahead smoothly but Joan concentrated on returns to level at 9-9! High hopes were premature as Rose settled matters at 14-12, but Joan continues to improve and tries to work out successful strategies.

Terry then embarked on what turned out to be a 5-game set against the younger Coneron. Neil moved into an early lead as Terry failed to deal with his forehand attacks. Terry tried tossing up the ball, but to no avail as Neil achieved a useful fluke. Terry’s final failed smash led to 11-9 to Neil. In G2, Terry was still trying to get his game together, but stayed in touch. Neil messed up his serve, missing the ball completely, his Specs Saver moment, and Terry finished off with a spectacular smash. 12-10 to Terry. Neil then won a marathon in G3, eventually clinching it at 18-16. Both smashed well, both fought hard and there were a couple of flukes. Terry took G4 with some trademark smashes at 11-7, setting us up for a final shoot-out. Terry is not a man to opt for safety and he produced a mix of winning smashes and spectacular failures, but not enough success to threaten Neil, who established a lead and kept it, to win at 11-7.

Neil stayed on the table to facilitate his early departure. Why did he want to get away, after all what could be more fun than witnessing the humiliation of the Popps’B’ table tennis team? Did he have a job as a security man at a rough pub in Old Town? Was he required to hunt the fells for a lost sheep or had he been given an Asbo with a curfew? We could see no tell tale electronic tag on his ankle, so we will never know. Neil moved into a lead at 6-2, but Joan retaliated with some steady returns and got within one point at 9-8. But Neil held it together to clinch at 11-8. A similar pattern emerged in G2, although Joan was engaging in longer rallies, only to lose the final point. Neil won this at 11-8. By this time Don was having his own Specs Saver moment as he struggled to reads the letters on the electronic display. Next time, we will line up one of those cuddly Labradors to help him. Joan produced a dogged display in G3 and with some excellent forehands, won at 11-8. However, Neil was not to be denied in G4 and moved smoothly to 11-4, before departing into the cold night on some nefarious adventure, no doubt.

Neil’s concentration of games meant that your correspondent had been sitting in the cold without a game for what seemed like a couple of hours and had to burst into life against the energetic Rose. She won the first game 11-6 and allowed Robin back into the set to win G2 11-7. She then reeled off 11-4 and 11-7 as he won the odd point with a mad flash at the ball, but generally hit the floor or the net.

Joan then won her first game against Don. She started with steady play as they traded point for point, but she edged ahead to win 11-8. Don missed some early shots, but stayed close and a Joan miss helped him to move ahead to win 11-6. Joan fought like a terrier against the hounds as the game lurched one way and another. Eventually, Don reached 15-13 to win. He won G4 11-9, to take the set, muttering to Joan as he left the table: “You have made a happy man very old”.

Terry lost the first game against Rose at 11-9, but made a better start in G2 with some very effective smashes. Rose placed a number of shots out of Terry’s reach, but he was able to pull away to win 11-6. In G3, Terry was not holding his game together and had his Specs Saver moment when he missed the ball completely. Rose established a useful lead as Terry attempted a mini-recovery. However, a Terry miss let her win at 11-6. However, Terry was not ready to lie down and won G4 at 11-9, finished with a flashing back hand smash. But he was disappointing in G5, as Rose controlled the game with her trademark back hand push. Terry over-hit and the smashes didn’t work as she won the game at 11-4.

The final set between Don and Robin passed swiftly, like an out of control meteorite scudding through the heavens, as Robin, desirous of having his supper to appease his severe hunger pains, hit anything that moved, even winning one game with a succession of hard hit shots. But Don was steady throughout and used his serve intelligently to prevent or immobilise attacks. The result was not recorded as your correspondent collected the money, tidied up the paperwork and escaped into the crisp night air. Don won 3 at around 11-6 and Robin won one at around 11-7. Check out the official report when it comes out.

So, if anything Popps have gone down hill since their last encounter with the Hounds up on the icy slopes of the Pennines. Terry has been unable to practice to recover his bus depot excellence of the past and Robin does not have the defensive game to compete. Nor does he have a consistent attacking game.

Joan alone (sounds like a film title) continues to improve. Hounds had Neil to strengthen their side, while Don & Rose seem to be continually improving. As ever, the match was played with good humour and at the end, the Hounds barked their goodbyes, called in at the nearest lamp post then surged in a wild yapping pack back to their kennels in the hills, for a big steaming plate of PAL. It certainly seems to work for Don.

Old Town Hoods A: George Wood, B: James Rickard, C: Dave Warburton 
Popps ‘A’  X: Terry Allington, Y: Peter McMullen, Z: Derek Greenwood

A bus to the top of the world (well, Calderdale, actually), proved to be an expectation too far, to visit our friends (& foes) at Old Town. A bus to Hebden Bridge & a taxi from there to Old Town, shared with a chatty & crusty, former table-tennis playing local warmed our feet, our cockles & our expectations, on a night much colder than on our last visit no more than two weeks ago. Lights ablaze within its cavernous frame, enough to swallow everyone in its massively hewn embrace, the Methodist Church made us welcome, as always, courtesy this time of the threateningly labelled Old Town Hoods, a team comprising the phenomenally unthreatening Young James, Young George & the marginally older Dave. Intimated as we were by yet another astonishing notice on the board in the playing room, we knuckled down to an intensive & friendly warm-up preceded a match much closer in terms of shot potential than is reflected in the score. Ebb to them & flow to us, left a sea of fluid skills poured into a huge jug of endeavour & what might have been….if only! The notice, incidentally, briefed anybody who cared to read it, on the attractions of a 5-day coaching course at Keighley Table Tennis Centre in June run by an apparently talented Chinese player, a member of the Austrian National Team, no less! So this is what they get up at Old Town – a substantial improvement in their game might be expected. Struggling as some of us do to sustain an intensive 3–hour league match, it somehow seemed to be unnecessary to include the word intensive for a 5 day event – more of a put-down or put-off really!

1: AvX – George v Terry: 9-11/2-11/6-11 AWAY WIN A tight & challenging start for Terry with George matching him throughout the 1st game. An easier 2nd game for Terry as George having revealed his hand in the 1st found no way to react to Terry’s formidable weaponry. Continuing to avoid George’s forehand in the 3rd, the game see’s & saw’d but Terry pushed home an easy winner.

2: BvY – James v Peter: 7-11/3-11/9-11 AWAY WIN Steady & smooth 1st game from Peter with James contributing some decent shots. Peter took the 2nd game more easily with as James faded against Peter’s forehand & in the 3rd, status quo until 8-8 when Peter pushed on to a comfortable victory.

3: CvZ – Dave v Derek: 7-11/7-11/7-11 AWAY WIN Derek started steadily against Dave but was already missing crucial easy shots & until 7-7 it was difficult to find a winner with Dave returning well. In the 2nd game Derek moved ahead but then allowed Dave back into it towards the end followed by a similarly frustrating game in the 3rd. 4: BvX – James v Terry:

4-11/7-11/4-11 AWAY WIN Good, secure & solid game for Terry with James unable to keep up. 2nd game saw James making errors against the metronome that is Terry. The 3rd game saw James open well to 4-1 but in totally relentless form, giving no quarter, Terry left with much to do, did!

5: AvZ – George v Derek: 10-12/11-13/8-11 AWAY WIN Tight 1st game for Derek but hung on in there with more of the same on the 2nd, despite throwing points away with ease. 3rd game equally close with Derek just moving ahead from 8-8.

6: CvY Dave v Peter: 9-11/1-11/9-11 AWAY WIN Steady 1st game from Peter followed by devastating 2nd with Dave going bog-eyed trying to keep his eye on Peter’s shots. The 3rd saw Dave come back but left Peter to indulge in a comfortable win.

7: BvZ – James v Derek: 9-11/9-11/11-8/11-7/10-8 HOME WIN Two good games for Derek but then fatigue strode in to his game leaving James with a relentless but possible task of pushing through games 3, 4 & 5 to what ended as a comfortable win.

8: CvX Dave v Terry: 5-11/2-11/1-11 AWAY WIN Easy prospect for Terry, potentially with Dave’s confidence low, his resistance in attempting to meet Terry at his own game, petering out disastrously in the 2nd & disappearing without trace in the 3rd.

9: AvY – George v Peter: 11-7/5-11/2-11/4-11 AWAY WIN Good strong 1st game from George, with peter sluggish & in need of focus. However, in the 2nd, 3rd & 4th games, Peter simply focused & went from strength to strength & completed a very easy win.

Well done, team & thank you to Old Town for another entertaining, refreshmented evening & extra gratitude to Dave for his gallant, appreciated & not assumed generosity in driving our ‘A’ team back to the bright lights & hedonism that is Halifax. 14 wins out of 14 – let’s keep it going!