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Sunraysia Table Tennis Winter Pennant results round 5: –
PENNANT ONE: –
– Pinnacle Packers 7 (Wayne Carmichael, John Gray 2, Peter Midgley 1) d Fishers IGA 4 (Gavin Carmichael 3, Graeme O’Neill 1);
– Bishop Builders 6 (Shannon Bowen 3, Jackson Tung 2) d Mallee Bearings 3 (Mark Dorman 3, Graeme O’Neill 1);
– Max Miller Carpets 7 (Rick McMeekin 3, Shane Carmichael 2, Arthur Paar 1) d Weightmans Packaging 4 (Stuart Kilmister 2, Mark Ljubic 1)
PENNANT TWO: –
– Fishers IGA 6 (Andrew Jones 2, David Balshaw, Lachlan Kelly 1) d Spanline 5 (Arnold Jago 3, Geoff Wright 1);
– Tankard Dental 6 (Nick Dorman 3, Bernadette Fitzpatrick, Peter Fitzpatrick 1) d Pinnacle Packers 5 (Matt Ljubic, Seval Fuat 2)
PENNANT THREE: –
– Mallee Bearings 9 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick, Michael Hensgen 3, Peter Edwards 2) d Bishop Builders 2 (Graham Southwell 1);
– Fishers IGA 6 (Cole Keegan 2, Sam Hensgen, Helen Frania 1) d Weightmans Packaging 5 (Jeremy Corrin 3, Roy Cubit 2);
– Pinnacle Packers 6 (Karly Leach 3, Mick Bacon 2, Quentin Clark 1) d Dunkley Scales 5 (Jessica Dorman 2, Leonie Dunkley 1)
The Ali Taheri Show – A look at the 80’s – Headbands, Scarves & Tight shorts.
PENNANT ONE:
Bishop Builders were the big winners in round five of the Sunraysia Table Tennis winter pennant when they accounted for Mallee Bearings 6-3. With their second win of the season the Builders moved from the bottom of the ladder to take a spot in the top four.
– Bishop Builders 6 (Shannon Bowen 3, Jackson Tung 2) d Mallee Bearings 3 (Mark Dorman 3, Graeme O’Neill 1)
Going into the contest both teams were without their regular number three players and the match was a two versus two affair. 
Shannon Bowen after an interrupted start to the season showed his best form to date and was instrumental in his team’s success. In his first singles he came back from two games to one down against a determined Graeme O’Neill to record a solid win over five sets 8-11 11-7 5-11 11-8 11-5. Bowen then partnered Jackson Tung in the doubles which turned out to be another win in five sets after trailing against O’Neill and Mark Dorman. The score line in this match in the Builders favour was 11-6 7-11 12-14 11-5 11-9 a significant result in the overall context of the match.
Bowen then later accounted for talented leftie Mark Dorman 11-6 9-11 11-3 11-8 which enabled his team to grab the all important four points. In the next singles Bowen’s team mate Jackson Tung accounted for Graeme O’Neill in three sets.
– Max Miller Carpets 7 (Rick McMeekin 3, Shane Carmichael 2, Arthur Paar 1) d Weightmans Packaging 4 (Stuart Kilmister 2, Mark Ljubic 1)
On centre court ladder leaders Max Miller Carpets recorded their fifth win on the trot and remain undefeated after the first round of matches. Their victim on this occasion was Weightmans Packaging who tried hard but went down 4-7. At two rubbers all Weightmans number one the in form Mark Ljubic matched up against Carpeters number two Shane Carmichael. Ljubic was the favourite to take out this match however Carmichael had other ideas firing early to take the first game before Ljubic, as expected, steadied to take the second. Carmichael then hit his straps and shut Ljubic out of the match. 
In a stunning display Carmichael went on to win in four sets leaving his opponent Ljubic, by his own admission, stunned. This unexpected result turned the match on its head and with Rick McMeekin winning the next singles against Ross Humphreys the ladder leaders took a 4-2 lead and from there they were in control.
Carpeters skipper Rick McMeekin continued his tremendous season winning three singles for the fourth time in five rounds. With Shane Carmichael winning two singles and fill in Arthur Paar one Weightmans found it a struggle despite fill in Stuart Kilmister winning two singles and successfully partnering Mark Ljubic to win the first doubles.
– Pinnacle Packers 7 (Wayne Carmichael, John Gray 2, Peter Midgley 1) d Fishers IGA 4 (Gavin Carmichael 3, Graeme O’Neill 1)
In the remaining match on the grand stand court Pinnacle Packers retained second position on the ladder with a 7-4 win over Fishers IGA. Amazingly there were five five set matches played in this contest and they all would go in favour of the Packers. The first match of the night featured the wily John Gray account for first season player Ashley Morrison in the first of these five setters. Morrison pushed his more experienced opponent to the limit but it was Gray who hung on to win 11-9 12-10 10-12 8-11 11-8. Later in the match when Fishers were fighting back it was Gray again 11-7 11-13 11-9 3-11 11-7, in another five setter, this time at the expense of fill in Graeme O’Neill.
Despite Wayne Carmichael losing a rare singles 11-6 6-11 12-14 10-12 against brother 
Gavin in a tight four setter, it was his ability to control the doubles which were both won in five sets which enabled Pinnacle Packers to record their fourth win in five rounds.
PENNANT TWO:
Tankard Dental remain undefeated at the top of the table and now have a three game break to their closest pursuer, Pinnacle Packers who they defeated this week. In the other match, Fishers IGA now go to two wins for the season after defeating Spanline, who remain on one win.
And after five rounds the aggregate ladder is starting to take some shape. Nicholas Dorman on 13 (from possible 15) games is now one game clear at the head, from Matt Ljubic and Arnold Jago on 12, Seval Fuat on 11, and Andrew Jones 10.
– Tankard Dental 6 (Nick Dorman 3, Bernadette Fitzpatrick, Peter Fitzpatrick 1) d Pinnacle Packers 5 (Matt Ljubic, Seval Fuat 2)
Once again, it was Nicholas Dorman’s three single wins which secured the win for Tankard Dental in what was a close match with Pinnacle Packers.
Dorman got Tankard Dental off to a great start when he met the opposing captain Matt Ljubic in the very first rubber. Despite losing the first set 7-11, Dorman quickly regained control of the game to take the next three 11-6, 11-8, 11-6.
Peter Fitzpatrick played a steady game against the ever improving Brian Hosking to close the game out in three sets 9, 7 and 9.
That made it two rubbers to love, but Seval Fuat set about changing that when he took on Bernadette Fitzpatrick. Seval had to work hard for the win in this rubber; he dropped the third set, and was relieved that he wrapped it up in four 11-8, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9.
The first doubles was another win for the Tankard side, Dorman and Peter Fitzpatrick downing Ljubic and Hosking in a match which could have gone either way. The Tankard duo took the rubber in five sets 11-7, 12-14, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6.
Dorman and Hosking then started the second round of singles. Hosking could not make much impression on the match until the third set when he extended Dorman a little, but still the match was all Dorman’s 11-7, 11-4, 13-11.
That made the score four rubbers to one, Tankard Dental could smell victory, but the Packers side were determined to get back into the match.
Matt Ljubic and Bernadette Fitzpatrick played next, and the first two sets were tight, Ljubic taking the first 15-13, and Fitzpatrick the second 11-9, but Matt then found the sweet spot and took the next two sets 11-7, 11-8.
Seval Fuat followed, against Peter Fitzpatrick, and immediately got a fright. Fitzpatrick took the first set 11-8, but Fuat struck back immediately in the next two 11-6, 11-5. Fitzpatrick kept plugging away, and led the fourth set 8-5, and had further chances to take the game to the fifth, but Fuat was not letting this one get away, and fought back to take the fourth set, and the match, 13-11.
The second doubles followed, Ljubic and Fuat against Dorman and Bernadette. Ljubic and Fuat played the steadier game, Dorman and Fitzpatrick either “hitting” or “missing”. And so it was the steadier team which took the honours 7-11, 11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 11-8.
So, at the end of the second doubles it was four rubbers all, and not over by a long shot.
Brian Hosking kept his head down in his last singles against Bernadette. Although Bernadette won the rubber, Brian showed his improvement by taking the match to four sets. Fitzpatrick won 11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 11-3.
Next Fuat played Dorman in the rubber which decided which team took the four points for this game. Dorman quickly ran to a two sets to love 11-8, 11-9 lead. Fuat then slowed the game down, sowing seeds to niggle at Dorman’s confidence, and clawed his way back into match 11-7, 11-6 to level at two sets all. Dorman showed no signs of nervousness however, in the fifth, blasting to an 11-4 win to give his side the six rubbers needed for victory.
And just to underline that the Packers were really in the match, Ljubic was untroubled to take the final rubber in three sets against Peter Fitzpatrick 11-5, 11-6, 11-9.
Tankard Dental took the win 6 rubbers to 5, and only 23 games to 21, a good close match.
For the winners, Dorman took three wins, and both Bernadette and Peter Fitzpatrick 1 each.
Pinnacle Packers captain Matt Ljubic took two wins as did Seval Fuat.
This loss will see Pinnacle Packers team remain at second spot on the ladder, whilst Tankard Dental now have a three game break at the top.
– Fishers IGA 6 (Andrew Jones 2, David Balshaw, Lachlan Kelly 1) d Spanline 5 (Arnold Jago 3, Geoff Wright 1)
Going into this match, these two teams had won one match each, Fishers IGA ahead on percentage. Both teams have suffered in not having settled line-ups, but it now seems that those days may be over – both teams have had the same replacement players for the last couple of games, Fishers have picked up David Balshaw, and Spanline have Geoff Wright, both valuable contributors to their teams, and it won’t be long before these two teams challenge the teams higher on the ladder.
This game was close, 6 rubbers to 5, and an identical game score to the previous match 23-21, and like the other match the tie was decided in the tenth rubber with the losing side winning the last, with the win going to Fishers.
Lachlan Kelly drew first blood for Fishers with a free-flowing display of topspin against George Papanicolaou who also likes to play that way. An attractive game to watch, sets alternated and Kelly took the rubber in the fifth, after losing an extended fourth set. A win to Lachlan 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 15-17, 11-8.
Spanline bounced back in the next two rubbers though; firstly the two captains duked it out, with Arnold Jago outplaying Andrew Jones in four 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8 and then Geoff Wright showed his value to the team, also with a four set win, over David Balshaw. As reported last week, Geoff has not played table tennis for something like fifteen years, so has a few cobwebs to blow out of his game, and once that happens, more wins like this on the way.
Fishers squared the match, though, in the doubles, Jones and Kelly downing Jago and Wright convincingly 11-7, 11-2, 8-11, 11-9.
In the next match, George Papanicolaou almost caused the upset of the night. He came up against Andrew Jones, and nearly pulled off what would have been a most deserved win. Jones, however, hung on, and his experience was what got him home. He won 11-3, 8-11, 8-11, 11-6, 12-10.
Lachlan Kelly continued his good night with another win, this time over Geoff Wright. Kelly made it look easy, winning in three 8, 9 and 9.
Arnold Jago steadied things a little for Spanline with a four set win over David Balshaw to put his team back in the contest.
Jago and Wright then followed up this win with another in the second doubles, against Jones and Balshaw. This four set victory again squared the contest at four rubbers apiece.
Fishers again took the lead with Andrew Jones defeating Geoff Wright in four sets, in a match where Wright worked his way into the contest. Jones took the first set easily 11-3, but Wright fired back in the second to take it 11-8. Wright stayed in touch in the third, but lost it 11-8, and almost took the rubber to the fifth set, only losing 15-13, after both players had chances to take the set.
The next rubber was make or break for Spanline; at 5-4 down Papanicolaou had to defeat Balshaw to keep his side in the match. It was not to be however, Balshaw once again showing that his fairly plain, but no-nonsense style of play can frustrate just about anyone. Balshaw took the rubber easily 11-5, 11-5, 11-3.
That then gave the win to Fishers, but there was still Arnold Jago to play Lachlan Kelly. In taking the win in this rubber, Arnold made sure that the loss was by the smallest of margins. Kelly was not overawed by his senior opponent however, and kept Arnold honest. Arnold, however, took the win 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4.
PENNANT THREE:
Two close 6-5 wins, and one 9-2 walkover were the scores this week. Mallee Bearings and Fishers IGA are now at the head of the ladder on 16 points, one game clear of Weightmans Packaging. Pinnacle Packers picked up their second win of the season to move from fifth to fourth, jumping Bishop Builders.
– Mallee Bearings 9 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick, Michael Hensgen 3, Peter Edwards 2) d Bishop Builders 2 (Graham Southwell 1)
The Mallee Bearings team showed no mercy in this game against Bishop Builders. Both Sabrina Fitzpatrick and Michael Hensgen won three singles, and Peter Edwards contributed two. And for the second week in a row, Claire Ljubic was kept winless, and is currently in free-fall on the aggregate ladder.
It took Bishop Builders until the seventh rubber to register their second victory, but it was futile, as Mallee Bearings simply won the next rubber to secure the win.
Mallee Bearings swept the floor in the first round of singles, winning them all, with only Peter Edwards dropping a set to Claire Ljubic the only blemish, to get them off to a great start.
Next the first doubles, and the Builders showed some fight, Ljubic and Graham Southwell easily accounting for Fitzpatrick and Hensgen in three sets 11-7, 11-7, 11-6.
Showing no mercy, both Hensgen and Fitzpatrick then played in the next two singles matches, and won them both in the minimum three sets !!
Southwell, who had partnered Ljubic in the doubles match, again showed some pluck to down Peter Edwards in four 11-4, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8.
But that was the end of the scoring for the Builders; Mallee Bearings took the next four rubbers to run away with the win 9-2.
Fitzpatrick and Edwards took the second doubles in four sets, defeating Ljubic and Jeff Hards. Next up, Fitzpatrick and Ljubic played. Ljubic played well in the first two sets, winning them both 11-9, 11-4. However, her game went away after that, and after some resistance in the third, 
Fitzpatrick took that 11-7, then had no trouble in the final two 11-3, 11-4 to win easily.
Michael Hensgen took his third win of the night over Graham Southwell, who never gave up, 11-7, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8 to make it 8 rubbers to 2 and the final rubber saw Peter Edwards win over Jeff Hards 11-5, 11-8, 11-9 who, with a bit more match practice, will be a great addition to any team.
Final scores, 9-2 and 28 games to 11.
– Fishers IGA 6 (Cole Keegan 2, Sam Hensgen, Helen Frania 1) d Weightmans Packaging 5 (Jeremy Corrin 3, Roy Cubit 2)
These two teams were equal on points going into the match, Weightmans being on top of the ladder with a much superior percentage, and Fishers in third place behind Mallee Bearings. Defeat here though, saw Weightmans tumble from first to third and both Mallee Bearings and Fishers IGA move up a spot.
Weightmans were without any of their regular players. Jeremy Corrin, Roy Cubit and Sonya Shalliker filled in for Peter Kelly, Peter Mikhaeil and Ben Hosking. These replacements did themselves proud, almost pulling off victory and conceding defeat in the very last rubber.
It was Fishers, however, with the settled side, who took the win. Captain for Fishers, Cole Keegan took two singles and steered his side to wins in both the doubles. His first singles against Shalliker was an easy win in three sets, but he came up against a stiff opponent in Roy Cubit. Cubit almost stole the match from Keegan, at one stage leading two sets to one. Keegan worked hard, and was able to come back from 12-14, 11-3, 7-11, to take the last two sets 11-7, 11-9.
Both the doubles were decided in four sets: Keegan and Sam Hensgen after losing the first set 11-13, came back to take the next three against Corrin and Cubit 11-9, 11-6, 11-8. And later Keegan and Helen Frania also lost the first set, this time 8-11, but were pretty much untroubled to take the next three 11-2, 11-9, 11-2.
Both Hensgen and Frania picked up a singles win each, at the expense of Sonya Shalliker, and those rubbers were enough to give their team the win.
For Weightmans, Jeremy Corrin could do no wrong in singles, although it took him some time to get going in his first match with Sam Hensgen. Corrin was two sets to love down 9-11, 5-11 and was looking squarely at defeat. However, he just scraped in in the third set, taking it 12-10 to get keep the game alive. He took the next two 11-8, 11-9.
He defeated Helen Frania in three 10, 7 and 8, and by the time he played Cole Keegan in the last round of singles he was well and truly warmed-up. He kept Keegan in check, only conceding one set to him to take a close match 11-4, 14-12, 9-11, 12-10.
Weightmans other two rubbers came courtesy of Roy Cubit. It took him only three sets apiece to down firstly Helen Frania and later in the night Sam Hensgen. As already noted, he came very close to downing Cole Keegan – had he done that it would have secured the win for Weightmans.
A very close and interesting game, Fishers winning 6 rubbers to 5, and 21 games to 19.
– Pinnacle Packers 6 (Karly Leach 3, Mick Bacon 2, Quentin Clark 1) d Dunkley Scales 5 (Jessica Dorman 2, Leonie Dunkley 1)
Dunkley Scales are yet to record a win this year, but they must have felt during this match, that this was going to be it. The Scalers led 5 rubbers to 4 with two rubbers to go, but some excellent play by Karly Leach and Quentin Clark for Pinnacle Packers snatched it away.
Karly Leach played her best table tennis of the year, winning three rubbers for the Packers. Her first match-up, against Jessica Dorman, was a beauty. After losing the first set 11-13, Leach struck back in the second, and got better the longer the match went on. She took the last three sets 12-10, 11-8, 11-6. She had a measured win over Shirley Whitecross 11-9, 11-6, 12-10, and when it counted, squared the contest at 5 rubbers all defeating Leonie Dunkley 11-8, 4-11, 11-8, 11-6 in a tense contest.
Captain for Pinnacle Packers, Mick Bacon picked up two wins – against Shirley Whitecross in three 9, 4 and 6, and later against Leonie Dunkley in four 11-8, 4-11, 12-10, 11-6.
The sixth rubber for Pinnacle Packers came from their number three Quentin Clark. And what a time to win it !! With the scores at 5 all, Clark was given the responsibility by the Packers to win the match for his team. He did so, in a close three set affair against Shirley Whitecross 13-11, 11-8, 11-9.
Pinnacle Packers, of course did not win either of the doubles, and so had to rely on their singles prowess to get them home. And so it was the doubles wins which kept the Dunkley Scales team in the contest. The firstdoubles rubber was taken by Jessica Dorman and Leonie Dunkley in five over Mick Bacon and Karly Leach. Neither side could assert absolute authority over their opponents, with the score alternating 11-9, 5-11, 11-6, 5-11, with the game being up for grabs in the fifth. Dorman and Dunkley breathed a sigh of relief after the fifth, taking it 12-10. Their second doubles was somewhat easier, Dorman and Whitecross defeating Bacon and Clark fairly easily 11-3, 4-11, 11-5, 11-7.
The other three rubbers for Dunkley Scales came firstly from Jessica Dorman winning two singles – in three sets against Clark 11-1, 11-6, 12-10 in a game where Clark grew in confidence; and later to give her side the lead (although only temporarily at 5-4) when she overcame Mick Bacon 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-3. 
The final rubber for Dunkley Scales was won by Leonie Dunkley downing Quentin Clark in the very first rubber of the night, in three sets 7, 8 and 6.
Another close, and entertaining game, Pinnacle Packers winning 6 rubbers to 5 and 22 games to 18.
So, at the conclusion of the first round of matches, every team having now played each other once, Sabrina Fitzpatrick heads the aggregate table on 13 wins, from a possible 15, next is Cole Keegan on 12, followed by Jessica Dorman and Karly Leach on 11, with a gap then to Peter Edwards on 8, and Graham Southwell, Mick Bacon and Michael Hensgen all a further game behind on 7.
