There’s no change for Cash as Clarke takes singles title

There’s no change for Cash as Clarke takes singles title

11 April 2012

DE La Salle number one Peter Clarke completed a hat-trick of victories winning the Lecale Table Tennis League’s men’s singles title after a thrilling five-set final against Killyleagh’s Jack Cash, who was challenging for his third singles title of the season.

The subsidiary singles was held on the first night with competitors from both senior and intermediate divisions competing for the three places in the main draw the following night.

Marek Shotkevitch, Adrian Brown and Garrett Cullen then battled their way through three difficult groups to join the big boys in the main event.

As the competitors arrived for the main event, it was anticipated that the showdown between Peter Clarke and Jack Cash would be the showpiece, but with a number of Ireland’s top veterans also in the field, nothing was certain.

Cash had team-mate Tom Donnelly, Garrett Cullen and Arnold Morgan in his group and although he ped sets to both Cullen and Donnelly, he progressed to the quarter-finals with Donnelly in second place.

In group 2, Peter Clarke went one better dropping only one set to Jay McAllister, who finished in second place, to top the group, with Stevie Turkington in third and Peter Doherty fourth.

In group 3, Roy Coard and Jim McStravick went through at the expense of Joe McConville and Adrian Brown, with Coard dropping only one set to finish in top spot.

The clash between Martin Pickles and Barry Dickson would determine the top two spots in group 4, but with the tricky Jim Sterling in the mix and the big hitting Shotkevitch wanting to prove a point, nothing was certain.

In the end, as expected, the clash between Dickson and was the match of this section and probably of the groups on the night.

Pickles won the first set 11-3, but hitting superb forehand kills, took the next two, before the De La Salle man steadied the ship with his usual technical excellence to go through in first place with Dickson second.

Jim McStravick always expects to win, irrespective of the quality of the opposition, and he had a real go at Peter Clarke. Unlucky to lose the first set 12-10, he let fly with a barrage of forehand kills that saw him take the second 11-3.

Clarke, conscious of the threat that his team-mate posed, stepped up a gear to win the next two sets, 11-4 and 11-6.

Cash certainly didn’t expect as difficult a game as Jim Sterling gave him, dropping the third set, before booking his semi-final place.

The clash between Jay McAllister and Roy Coard was expected to be a close affair as their league matches had shown, but on this occasion the Banbridge man only looked in trouble in the long third set, before booking his semi-final place.

Pickles and Donnelly, two of the most technically astute players in the league, never give much away, but in the end Donnelly, still not comfortable with his bat selection, found Ireland’s top over 60s player too good on this occasion and lost in straight sets.

In the first semi-final, Pickles did the best he could to prevent Clarke’s progress, but his De la Salle club mate is a scourge to defensive players had just too much in his armoury, winning in straight sets.

The Coard/Cash game on paper was less predictable, and while the Banbridge man had given the former Irish International trouble this season, it was all Cash and he too went through, also in straight sets.

The scene was then set for the final between Cash and Clarke.

On the last occasion these two talented players met in a league match, Cash won comfortably, with his sliced side-serve setting up the un-returnable forehand kill.

This tactic enabled him to take the first set 11-5 and set fair for victory, but Clarke had other ideas.

Clarke knew that he needed to do something to counter this tactic and attacked the Cash serve at every calculated opportunity which earned him the second set.

Cash, stepping up a gear, took the third, but Clarke responded when he won the fourth 13-11.

The final set was a point for point encounter that could have gone either way, but in the end it was Clarke who came home 11-9 for his third title.

The doubles competition was won by the De La Salle pairing of Garrett Cullen and Raymond Ross following a five set victory over Poland and Shotkevitch.

• Please note that the annual presentation dinner will be held this Saturday in Brendan’s Bar and Restaurant, Market Street, Downpatrick. The dinner menu can be accessed on the Lecale league web site www.lecaletabletennisleague.com or by contacting Garrett Cullen on 07766 740027.

• Ulster Veterans’ competition in De La Salle High School, Downpatrick, on April 21. Entries close on Saturday. A public draw will be made at 9.15am on the day of the tournament. Practice will be from 9.30am.

The tournament will start at 10am sharp. To enter, contact Peter Clarke on 07743 740938 after 6pm or text anytime, If you text you will receive confirmation of your entry.