Unison’s young guns hold their nerve

Date published: 19 January 2016


TABLE TENNIS: SOPHIE Newton picked up 27 points as a young Unison ‘E’ side pipped Hollinwood ‘E’ 474-471 to claim victory in their Oldham and District Table Tennis League Handicap Cup tie.

Alex Darlington (14) and Josh Hudson (5) also contributed to the winning cause in the Division Four contest, while James Collier (22) provided chief resistance for Hollinwood. The match went right down to the final doubles contest, in which Unison’s seven points overhauled a four-point deficit despite Hollinwood starting with a 50-point advantage.

In Division Two, two of the top sides in the section were drawn together in the first round as Hollinwood ‘B’ took on Rosehill. Hollinwood had a start of four points at the outset, but lost that advantage in the first match and never recovered. Rosehill eventually ran out winners by 25 points, with Simon Collins the top contributor with 22.

Owls ‘A’ hosted Coldhurst ‘B’ in Division Three and had the advantage of a 127-point start. Fifteen points of that lead were preserved going into the last match of the evening, the doubles. But Coldhurst managed a 20-point swing to win by five points.

Coldhurst’s Keith Butler and Harry Lewis both gained over 50 points, but just as important were the five from Neil Chapman off a handicap of 64.