Female flair sets up title challenge

TABLE TENNIS:

OLDHAM women’s table tennis team have made a fine start to their regional league, winning their first three matches.

Mandy Winskill, Karen Hill and Doreen Schofield have dropped only one set, against last year’s champions Manchester, and must be considered firm favourites to take the title when the final three matches are played in February.

Oldham vets, meanwhile, managed a creditable draw at East Lancs in the Lancashire and Cheshire Premier Division.

Dave Buckley was the star of the show with three excellent wins, and was well supported by Ian Quinn and Phil Myers with one win each.

On the Oldham and District League league front, Hollinwood ‘A’ had an 8-2 win at Grotton ‘A’ in Division One, Paul King producing an excellent unbeaten display.

The Glodwick bandwagon rolled on with an 8-2 defeat of Werneth ‘A’, Mick Moir and Jeff Craighill both registering maximums.

Division Two saw a ding-dong match between Hollinwood ‘C’ and Hyde ‘B’ which eventually resulted in the away team winning 6-4.

Hollinwood's Joe Redikin won twice, but could not quite cope with the all-round excellence of Hyde's Steve Hilton, who won his three games comfortably.

Second-placed Werneth ‘C’ were made to work hard for their 6-4 victory at home to Pennine, Paul Wilkinson notching a treble.

Big match in Division Three saw second-placed Owls ‘A’ visit third-from-top Unison ‘C’, who won 6-4 despite Paul Woodward’s hat-trick of wins for the visitors.

Honeywell ‘G’ have experienced players in their ranks, but it was the young guns of St Saviour’s ‘B’ who won their clash 6-4, Jacob Reilly and Mark Pellowe winning twice for Saints.