In Southport win

table Third Division Crosby H with a 200 point advantage were struggling a little to overcome Southport A.

Captain Felix Anderson did do his side’s cause justice with two fine performances against Miro Veliky and Jim Irving, wrestling eight points from Jim in a 38-47 loss and 35 points gained against Miro’s maximum.

A super effort also from Harry Griffith’s kept the tie alive, but the First division outfit were just too strong, running out winners at 403-432.

As the results came in, it was looking more and more that the top teams were getting their own way, a perfect example was at Argyle G who top Division Three, they were facing First Division Waddington B with a 180 point advantage.

In a word, ‘experience’ saw them through to a 15point win, 415-430, when it mattered the bar was raised by the First Division outfit, and both Ged Wilson and Martyn Coleman raised it considerably.

Waddington A eased past their E team, who were a little understrength, as did Waddington D completing a similar win over Crosby G from the Third. Lowly Crosby F came very close to upsetting their high flying B team, but another gear for them saw them through.

Crosby C did likewise to Sec- ond Division Southport B, Nigel Pilkington’s 49 points offered the most resistance.

Southport C from the Third gave First Division Argyle B a thought or two before succumbing 405-430, both Paul Harrison and Andy Bush with 60pt hauls did a fine job.

North Meols continued their good run winning by 47points at Argyle C, lots of maybes here, but the fact remains Les Rimmer and George Bradley do take some stopping.

Waddington C forgot about their perilous position in Division One overcoming a buoyant Argyle F from the Third, dropping just the six points, victory was theirs by 38pts.

It was not all bad news for the lower teams, the Para’s did exceptionally well to see off a strong Holy Trinity C from the Second, a good team effort highlighted by Kostya Sinitsa’s great total of 85pts.

Finally, if there was a performance to clinch a match then among others Argyle H’s Kassra Mohammadi’s against their First Division A team, was a worthy one, his 58pts gained certainly went someway to his sides great win.

Eight First Division teams line up for the second round, along side four from the Second and three from the Third, and it’s not the end of the line for those first round losers, the Plate Competition beckons, running side by side with the main event.

All information can be found at www.tabletennis365.com/ southport Crosby TTC F ( 300 )422 v Crosby TTC B (0) 440 Argyle “A” ( 0 )434 v Argyle “H” (280 )458 Southport “C” (200 )405 v Argyle “B” ( 0 )430 Southport “D” ( 160 )409 v Crosby TTC “D” (0) 406 Argyle “D” ( 0 )406 v Formby H.T. “D” (140) 415 Para’s “A” (180 )437 v Formby H.T. “C” ( 0 )409 Crosby “E” ( 0 )406 v Argyle “E” ( 100 )395 Crosby “C” (0) 440 v Southport “B” (240) 395 Crosby “H” (220) 403 v Southport “A” (0) 432

some style a week last Saturday, and it felt like we had turned the corner.

After an upbeat training session on Thursday the team was buzzing and looking forward to the Ossett Town challenge on Saturday, with all associated with the club visibly and verbally happy with the progress.

The scenario was becoming a mirror image of the successful rescue mission I achieved at Prescot Cables a few years ago, when against the odds I guided the fledgling team on a shoestring budget to a very creditable 17th place.

This experience had given me the confidence that we were on the right path to achieve the remit that the Club gave me on the date of appointment, and save Burscough FC from relegation.

However, this momentum and positivity was stopped in its tracks when I was called to a meeting with Dave Sutton just two hours prior to kick off.

As a result, I was initially told that my services and those of my management team were not required. Then in an instant during the meeting a change of mind from the Director and verbal compromise was reached, sealed with a handshake, for us to carry on until after the new year game.

A great performance with 10 men, after a debatable red card, and competing for 60 minutes against top of the table Ossett produced a narrow 0-1 loss with only clearances off the line last ditch tackles and great goalkeeping from the Ossett no 1 preventing the team from taking something from the game.

I leave with no malice towards the club, indeed I depart with a hope that things can be patched up somewhere down the line and the Club can come together as one at some future point. From literally nothing, I have assembled a committed, knowledgeable and enthusiastic back room team. In the end the squad was a balanced, youthful and hungry group, that given time I am sure would have done the job for the Club and repeated the feats that my teams have achieved elsewhere.