Saints miss opportunity to keep up pace with leaders

Second-placed St Chad’s lost ground on leaders Thompson A in the Sunderland Table Tennis League Division One after they were held at St Gabriel’s B.

Despite three wins from James Scope, Jake Helm (2) did well to overcome Dave Bissett (2), while Joe Muldowney and Graham Murden both scored straight-end victories over Barry Cuthbertson.

Thompson A pulled further away from St Chad’s following a 10-0 demolition of Unionist Club A.

Peter Smallcombe, Chris Blake and Max Duffin inflicted the damage.

Backspin B stopped the winning streak of Brandon Crusaders when they held the Division 3 runaway leaders to a draw.

Crusaders’ Stephen Pattinson was unbeaten but needed five ends to overcome John Cook.

Lyndsey Beacham hit back for the home team with a straight-ends win over Alan Perry, but was beaten in four ends by John Spencer.

Adam Butler saw off Perry, and Cook recovered from his early setback to edge out Spencer 11-7 in the fourth.

The Cowboys went west as East Boldon Cowboys suffered an 8-2 defeat at West CA C.

Ryan Campbell struck twice for the visitors, but was pipped 13-11 in a fifth-end decider by Jason Gargett (3).

The closely-fought nature of the fixture was emphasised by Mick Redfearn’s two wins as he overcame William Walton and James Collar.

Elsewhere, Brandon Energy gained a narrow 6-4 win at home to Sacriston Eagles.

Patrick Nicholson notched three wins and Edward Nicholson added a brace for Energy, while Luke Dumighan, Rebecca Harrison (2) and Harry Veitch replied for the Eagles.

Brandon Air retain their commanding lead at the top of Division 2 following a 9-1 home win against West B.

Lee Tinkler and Jamie Lupton hit trebles, but Mike Lyons fired in a consolation set when he beat Paul Dale.

Brandon Bullets struggled to a 6-4 win at Redby CA B in a match full of drama.

David Craddock grabbed a treble for the home team and put an end to Simon Knopf ’s sequence of five-end wins. After trailing 2-0, Craddock took the decider 11-9.

Bullets’ Jack Jacomb played the maximum possible number of 20 ends on the night, while he was success- ful against Firdaus Nazeri and Howard Forster in singles and doubles, Jacomb fell victim to another Craddock comeback as the Redby player triumphed in a marathon match.

The result handed thirdplaced Unionist Club B the opportunity to close the gap, but they were having their own problems at home to St Gabriel’s D.

Despite a treble from Dave Bannon, Gabriel’s restricted Unionists to a 6-4 score-line thanks to a double-strike from Craig Hilton which included a win over Jamie Westwater (2).

Elsewhere, Alan Bickle and Howard Brown hit maximums in a 6-4 win for Silksworth IM A at St Gabriel’s C.

Neil Wilkinson and Jamie Collins did likewise for East Boldon Amigos in their 9-1 triumph at Sacriston Comets.