| Mixed Fortunes at Irish Junior Ranking |
The first Irish junior ranking tournament through up some mixed fortunes for the Eastpoint players. In the Juniors Brian Farrell finished fourth which was his highest finish for some years and he played well on the day. He beat Ross Cullen in the last sixteen and unfortunately had to meet Andrew Boland in the quarters. Both players competed strongly in the match but Brian came out on top deuce in the fifth. Sean Givernaud was also beaten in the quarters by Peter Graham and although Sean did not his best table tennis Peter played more positively to win. In the younger age groups Andrew Holohan had a good day getting to the last sixteen in the Juniors and finishing 6th in the cadets. Still it was a bit disappointing not to have one player in the semis of the cadets especially since both Mark and Gavin lost close five setters to gain a place there. In the under 12s tiredness from a long day took over and both Mark and Gavin lost in five sets to David Budden whereas Gavin had beaten him 3-1 in the cadets. In fact the running of the tournament left a lot to be desired and we must get this right in the future. This event should be held over two days where the players have a chance to play the kind of quality play that they must produce in tournaments abroad. Also starting the final of an event when the last train to Dublin has already departed is ridiculous. Even if Gavin had won he would not have been able to stay for the final! |