THE Huddersfield Table Tennis League season is coming to the crunch with just two fixturesremaining for many teams.
Division Two is proving highly competitive right to the end with neither promotion nor relegation issues yet resolved.
Marsh D and Woodfield Park B should finish in the top two, although Kingsmith C currently occupy top spot, but they have only one match to play.
At the bottom of the table it is far from settled – nine points separate five teams with Kingsmith PW on 74 at the bottom and Deighton on 83. They currently sandwich Shelley (79), Brooks C (80) and Golcar Lib (81).
Brooks have suffered two 7-3 defeats at the hands of Kingsmith C and Marsh C, while Shelley had a draw with Kingsmith E but lost to Deighton 6-4, for whom Krzysztof Sobkiewicz was undefeated.
Golcar lost heavily to Marsh D, for whom Steve Martin and Keith Hague scored maximums. Golcar’s fate lies largely in their own hands as they must play two of their rivals, Brooks and Kingsmith PW, as well as promotion contenders Woodfield Park B.
The same could be said for Kingsmith PW who must play Deighton C and Shelley. It’s too close to call and will almost certainly not be decided until well into the final games of the season.
Good news for Division I strugglers David Brown A. Their venue has been declared fit again after some urgent repairs were needed. This has meant that they have found themselves two games behind their rivals and are still 11 points from safety.
With Marsh B already doomed, the remaining relegation place is between David Brown, Kingsmith B and Scissett WMC A.
Scissett did their cause no harm at all with a 9-1 win over Marsh B – Roger Morley, making only his fifth appearance of the season, was unbeaten, as was Kevin Plowman. Their final match against Kingsmith B could settle the fate of both teams if David Brown have pulled clear before then.
Kingsmith B’s cause was not helped by their defeat at the hands of their A team, who won 8-2 with Janet Adams and Geoff Dunne both undefeated.
At the top of the table, champions in waiting Woodfield Park A beat Brooks B 7-3 with Darren Lindley inflicting defeat on Shaun Ellis for only the third time this season.
In the Concorde Trophy, holders Wilshaw B were toppled at the semi-final stage by Kingsmith E.
In a very close contest throughout, the margin at the end was just eight points. Steve Cook and Chris Williams both played exceptionally well under pressure for the winners, while the sustained attack by Wilshaw’s Jonathan Vaughan throughout deserved better reward.
