Table Tennis: E team ask for ‘walkover’ after cancellation

Oct 15 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

WITH the commencement of the West Lothian league still a week away the focus of attention was on the results of the five teams competing in the Edinburgh and District League.

With only one loss in these five fixtures West Lothian Table Tennis Club can be well pleased with their week’s work although one match in particular was steeped in controversy.

This series of fixtures started badly with yet another defeat for the A team in a Monday night away match against title favourites Murrayfield.

The team comprised Lewis Hills, father Barry Hills and Kevin Milne, with the latter two playing in this division for the first time.

Despite a 0-10 defeat all three played well but the substitutes really pushed their opponents all the way.

Hills senior gave his best performance in some time and his ultra-defensive style gave the more vaunted Murrayfield players many a difficult moment.

Milne looked good when he became involved in some powerful rallies but too often found his opponent’s better serve and service-return to be the critical factor.

Hills junior, by his own admission, did not have one of his better performances but on current form is still the best West Lothian can field.

ON the same night the D team, playing in Division Two, played host to another Murrayfield team and won 6-4 to extract some revenge for their Premier Division compatriots.

Youngsters Kieran Boyle and Daniel Mackay both lost their unbeaten run of games to lose one of their three singles games but combined to win the doubles encounter.

In the absence of Drew McLaren, Jim Stewart deputised and chipped in with the other win. Stewart, in his first season at this level, showed great fighting spirit to take his only win in five sets, lose another in five sets and unlucky enough to lose a third at deuce in each of the three straight sets.

Milne, in particular, was in rampant form and is now earning a reputation as a player to beat. His early season form is already threatening to usurp players in the higher divisions.

IN a week of fixture coincidences the B team was also at home and also playing against an Edinburgh international.

With regulars Barry Hills and Andy MacDougall unavailable, the team comprised captain Steve McKay accompanied by John McCulloch and Andy Wyles, the latter playing for the first time in a few months.

West Lothian were again successful but the eventual scoreline was much tighter at 6-4. The home team went into an early 2-0 lead but were pegged back to 3-3.

It was at this point that the veteran McCulloch and Wyles won a five-set scrap in the doubles from two sets to one down to give their team the lead again before pulling away.

To this doubles win, McCulloch added three wins in his singles games to finish the night undefeated. McKay and Wyles both took one win apiece to make up the winning score against opposition that will not drop many points.

Such are the vagaries of work commitments within amateur sport that next week this team changes yet again when McCulloch, Milne and Barry Hills look to continue an unbeaten run in this division.

THE third match on this Wednesday evening should have seen the West Lothian E team play an away fixture against yet another Edinburgh international team, this time in Division Two.

However, their playing facilities allow for four matches to be played on any one night but the fixture list called for five matches. A very embarrassed official called the game off, blaming the match secretary for the confusion.

Quite how this match came to be cancelled rightly upset the West Lothian team as it was felt the inconvenience of not playing was greater for them than for any of the other their opponents.

While they took the decision with great dignity the West Lothian committee has requested that the match be considered a walkover and have therefore claimed both points. A final decision probably not be taken until next month.

At this juncture the A team lie bottom of the Premier Division but so far have had the misfortune to meet only teams expected to finish in the top echelons.

The test will come when they meet easier opposition.

IN Division One, the B team has dropped only one point from six. The real success stories, however, lie in the performances of the other three teams who have still to drop a point in Divisions Two and Three, especially when many of their players are new to this league.