Clock ticking down on West Lothian table tennis season

Apr 7 2011 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

WEST Lothian Table Tennis Club have teams currently scrapping it out at opposite ends of their respective tables with promotion and relegation still possibilities as the Edinburgh and Lothians League reaches the end.

The F Team, currently sitting in second spot in Division Three, fought out a well deserved, tense 5-5 draw at home with Corstorphine.

After the first four games the home team held a 3-1 advantage but with only one game to go they had a 4-5 deficit.

Playing on the night was team captain Benny Flockhart, Stephen Gray and junior Aaron Cameron. Flockhart and Gray won two each and Cameron took the other in an all round team performance.

In their first full season of competing in the league this team now look odds on favourites to make the play offs.

Over the season these three together with Graham Chambers, Kevin Boyle and Paul Keddie have provided the pool of players to complete the fixtures.

In Division Two there was an 8-2 away win for the D Team of Drew McLaren, Ian Wodecki and George Anderson against Edinburgh University.

Wodecki was in his usual imperious form to win his three singles encounters while McLaren and Anderson shared the other four.

Also in Division Two the E Team travelled to North Merchiston only to find their opponents not there.

The situation has now been reported to the League's management committee.

In their first season at this level the pool of Jim Stewart, John Swift, Martin Rumsey and Sam Stanton has earned valuable experience.

In Division Two the C Team scored a 10-0 whitewash in an away fixture against Edinburgh International with their regular trio of Andy MacDougall, Kevin Milne and Keith MacKay.

With one game yet to play, a mid table finish is guaranteed regardless of the result.

In the same division the B Team were at home to another Edinburgh International team against which they inflicted an 8-2 victory.

Playing was Scotland's over 70 champion Barrie Hills, Andy Wyles and top junior Kieran Boyle. In this match Hills recorded a maximum to put younger opponents in their place .

It is in the Premier Division that there is a little cause for concern. Last week they lost 1-9 away to North Merchiston. The team on this occasion comprised the regular duo of Lewis Hills and George Flanagan but with Brian Hunter unavailable Kevin Milne stepped into the breach.

This reversal keeps them in the relegation play off spot, only one point above the bottom, but there is still some optimism that both relegation and the play off can be averted.

Elsewhere, in the West Lothian League, hot favourites for the title, Winchburgh, had two excellent victories during the week to jump up to second place.

If they manage to field their regular trio of Dariusz Szymczak, Kieran Boyle and Bill Weir for the remainder of the season they should prove difficult to beat. In their first game they beat a Bathgate team comprising Drew McLaren, Peter Hagenbuch and Jamie Ramsay with a score of 7-1.

In the second of these matches they beat second placed Murieston 6-2.

Murieston lost by the same score against table topping Deans where the surprise result was the defeat of John Swift by Dean's Jeff Yates.

For Deans, George Flanagan was again in top form. Subsequent to these results Murieston have now dropped into mid table.

Whitburn beat West Calder by a more closely fought 5-3 to go third while West Calder remains rooted to the bottom.

The tie between Whitburn and Winchburgh could hold the destination of the title but will also pit the only two undefeated players, Robbie Fairley and Szymczak, against each other.

This weekend sees the culmination of the Scottish National League with fixtures at Drumchapel, Glasgow.

On Saturday it is the turn of the seniors who will be without the unavailable Flanagan. It is hoped that the team will comprise Hills, Szymczak and Fairley. On Sunday it will be the turn of the juniors for whom Fairley and Duff will play but Boyle will be unavailable but it is still uncertain who will deputise.