David Lloyd v S.S.R.C. Match Report – 13th January

If you’d like to see other reports – 1) David Lloyd Renfrew reports click here – 2) Newlands 1st team report click here – 3) David Lloyd West End 1 team (and others) click here

1st Team Match report for 13th December
As expected a tough match against S.S.R.C. last night and as predicted a 3-2 result! (click ‘read more’ to see the rest)

First on was John F and he was off quite quickly too – too quickly for me to see the game I’m afraid, so all I can tell you is that he lost 3-0 to Paul Ferguson (he also disappeared quickly as well, so I couldn’t ask how he done it!).

I went on next and was hoping to return to winning ways. I felt in control in the 1st game and won it comfortably, but the 2nd was much more of a struggle although I did manage to pip Peter in this one as well. The 3rd game saw me in a 4-1 lead and thinking I’d won already (I’ll never learn!), but Peter came back at me and went quickly to 8-4 and 10-5. This proved too steep a hill to climb and I lost this game with a spectacular crashing tin. The home crowd were now getting rowdy, sensing a come-back for their player. Their team mates crowded round him in-between the game and every time he hit a winner there were whoops of joy from the balcony and whenever I managed to get a point all I heard was Sean’s loan voice to keep me going; at one point I thought I must be playing against America in the Ryder Cup!

Anyway the 4th game was also quite a tussle, but I managed to work Peter about a bit and sensed he was quite tired. I managed to kept a couple of points ahead for most of the game and I’d like to say what a spectacular overhead-backwalled-topspun rocket I played to win the match………………I’d like to say that, but it was more just your standard flat-rolling nic that did it…………………………OK, OK a mis-hit drive off the frame, but that’s not really the point is it! 3-1 to us.

Next up was Sean and I missed his 1st game when he got chopped, but saw the 2nd game where Sean was handing out the chops himself. I went to have a word in-between games and said “Whatever you did in the 1st game, stop doing that and do what you did in the 2nd game!”. But Sean was determined to play completely differently (which I can only imagine resembled his 1st game) and he got chopped again. The 4th game was much tighter, but his opponent was moving the ball around too well and managed to just win a hard fought match 3-1.

Next on was Kev against Peter Halliday. I saw that there was no one about to referee so I disappeared to the shower and sauna. And so to the match – there was very warm and relaxing atmosphere and someone appeared to have put floor-boards on the walls and ceiling………oh wait a minute that’s the sauna I’m describing! Anyway by the time I’d cooked myself on gas-mark four, Kev was 2-0 up and looking in not too much trouble. The 3rd game saw Peter thawaking the ball on his forehand and Kev moving quickly to cover these shots and then, when he gained control of the rally, he invariably got the ball past Peter to set up a winner. Best shot of the match however was a reverse angle that came out of no-where with a quick snap of the wrist, and a nice disguised trickle boast to win the match.

So with the match at 2-2 (yes again!) Lyall went on last against Steven Halliday. Once again there was no one about to referee the match, so reluctantly I took the job on. The first game saw Steven take a 4-0 lead and I was thinking this is going to be a tough one for Lyall to come back from, but he came back to 4-4 immediately! Steve was encouraged by the early lead though and began hitting some great drives to the back and when Lyall let them go he was invariably in trouble on the next shot. The game finished at a tremendous pace and Steve recovered some great shots to win it. Lyall wasn’t about to make the same mistakes in the second and he didn’t give Steven a sniff of a lead and he took the drives much earlier and stepped the pace up. Steven was on the wrong end of a few rallies’ and looking tired and out of breath. He tried to get a couple of easy lets/strokes from me (the ref) at this point, but I didn’t think they were even close and said so. Steve wasn’t happy about this and from 2-2 lost the game 11-3 (ish).

Lyall kept the pressure up in the 3rd and also won this convincingly and apart from a big effort by Steven at the start of the 4th game (which Lyall saw off) it was a good 3-1 win for the team and it also meant we won the match 3-2.

So a 13-8 win for the team and a load of pizza for dinner (another good Wednesday night oot!)

Cheers

Jason