Guernsey show signs of dramatic improvement

DEREK WEBB wore the face of a man who had just won the pools. He'd seen his young charges push the fancied Welsh teams unexpectedly hard on day one of the British Primary Schools Championships in which in three previous attempts the Sarnians had failed to take a game off any of the four home nations.

Things are different now and nobody knew it more than Phil Avery, the experienced Welsh head coach.

'There's been a dramatic improvement in Guernsey. In fact, it's the single biggest jump in standard I've seen in 20 years of table tennis,' said Avery, whose squad eventually won the boys' crown and took the bronze in the girls' event.

Having seen Guernsey steal one of Wales' top coaches - Rebecca O'Keefe - Avery joked that enough was enough.

'We want her back,' was his response within moments of seeing his Welsh boys and girls struggle to overcome the Guerns 7-3.

'It is a pleasure to see Guernsey come this far. They've moved this level of children (under-12s up dramatically. Some of those kids are very talented.

'They've given us a mother and a father of a match.'

And so they had.

Guernsey's boys team had been given the most testing of starts to the event. Their first of six matches was against England, the holders and pre-tournament favourites.

England swept to a 10-0 victory but there were encouraging signs already.

Matthew Stubbington, the Guernsey number three, had taken two sets off the English number four and together with little Ollie Langlois Stubbington had come within a couple of points of landing a doubles rubber.

O'Keefe's girls squad had also lost 10-0 to the English, but with the nerves out of the system the two Guernsey teams tackled the Welsh challenge with relish.

Immediately, Guernsey were pushing hard. In the girls' clash Alice Loveridge, the Sarnian number one, went the distance with the Welsh number two.

On an adjoining table Bonnie Le Noury, the greens' number two, was going one better, defeating the visitors' top player in five.

Paula Le Ber threatened to give the Sarnians a second win as she went 2-1 up after an epic third set won 27-25.

The Guernsey number three also led 8-6 in the fifth but lost five points in a row and a dream result had been scotched.

Wales were 5-1 up before Guernsey struck again, Loveridge taking out the Welsh number one in straight sets and in the final rubber of the match Isabel Wray came from 2-1 down in sets to register her first win of the tournament.

The boys were equally competitive.

Having lost the opening two rubbers, Stubbington brilliantly put them on the scoreboard with a fine five-set win over Nicholas Fraser whose efforts to bamboozle the Sarnian with tricky serves, were ultimately thwarted by an impressively-determined player so light on his feet.

Within half-an-hour Stubbington had won again, this time in the doubles with Langlois who may not be much taller than the net, but looks a terrific prospect.

Langlois was on a high and he took that form into his second singles where he led Ryan Crowley 8-7 in the decider.

A time-out broke Langlois' rhythm and two minutes later Crowley had the match in the bag.

Langlois looked heart-broken but he soon had his head up and was encouraging his mate, Stubbington, to a superb straight sets win over the Welsh number two.

Webb was delighted: 'We lost 10-0 last year so it shows what we are doing is right.'

Avery said the boys match was the best he?d seen in a long while.

'I tell you what. That was the best and most enjoyable match I've had the

pleasure of seeing.'

The Welsh supremo also praised the set-up at the Guernsey Bowls Stadium.

'Terrific facilities. The hall is great, as is the floor and the lighting.'

Guernsey eventually finished the tournament with their boys lying fifth and the girls fourth, their highlight being a 6-4 win over Scotland in which Loveridge and Le Ber won both their singles.

Stubbington continued his marvellous form on day two winning all six of his singles matches.