Milestone reached by Restaurant 1608

The new re-labelled eatery will now be called Milestone and the same good grub still exists.

Co Antrim Open Results

Ulster champion Keith Knox steamrolled the opposition at the Co Antrim Open in Ballyclare on Saturday 16 January to win the Class One title with ease.

Tornado Knox plays the game at dynamic speed and in the top 4 showdown he kept his opponents under the cosh for long periods with relentless smashes.

He beat Polish teenager Dawid Sulkowski 3-1, the much improved Mark McGuigan 3-1 and combination bat specialist Amanda Mogey 3-0. Sulkowski just claimed silver after an entertaining five set marathon with dangerman McGuigan while Irish international Mogey who had played superbly all day finally met her waterloo against the topspin trio.

Evergreen Glenburn captain Norman Nabney snatched victory in class 2 on countback from Peter Clarke after beating the Annahilt player 3-1.

Topspin supremo Gary Crawford can count himself unlucky to lose out to both Nabney and Clarke 13-11 in the fifth.

The class 3 section had a bizzare look to it with many top players placed there due to their low Ulster ranking which ensured an extremely high class competition ensued.

At its conclusion local favourite Andrew Davies used his smooth textbook attack to see off both Cookstown battler Mark McAllister and Queens chopper Robin Agnew by 3-1 scorelines to loud cheers from the partisan crowd.

There was a major shock in the veterans class when Portadown defender Randolph Loney used his hocus pocus defence to force class 2 winner Nabney into a 3-0 submission to book a semi final place and McAllister joined him when he just got the better of the popular Barry Dickson in five close sets.

However neither made it to the final where Pawel Sulcowski, who was struggling with a foot injury, looked to be down and out against Clarke but survived match points to stage a marvellous comeback to take the fifth and retain his unblemished veteran’s record.

Class One

1 Keith Knox (Trillick)

2 Dawid Sulkowski (Poland)

3 Mark McGuigan (Rasharken)

Class Two

1 Norman Nabney (Belfast)

2 Peter Clarke (Hillsborough)

3 Gary Crawford (Doagh)

Class Three

1 Andrew Davies (Newtownabbey)

2 Mark McAllister (Cookstown)

3 Robin Agnew (Belfast)

Veterans

1 Pawel Sulkowski (Poland)

2 Peter Clarke (Annahilt)

3 Mark McAllister ( Cookstown)

Belfast and District League

Following Ballymoney’s 1608’s famous win against Jordanstown, Ballymoney travelled to struggling club Knockagh.

First match on was Mark McGuiggan against Knockagh’s Number 1 Andrew Davies with Davies winning 11-9 in the fifth set.

This would be the only win for Knockagh with the Ballymoney team coming out 9-1 winners and keeping the pressure on the chasing pack. Pawel and Dawid Sulkowski were unbeaten although Pawel had to save match points in one of his singles.

The next home match is an important fixture against Belfast team, Glenburn on Wednesday 3 February.

Ballyclare Leagues

Restaurant 1608B entertained Div 2 title favourites Ballymena Academy Patriots in their latest match. The result was a 7-3 lose with Mark Lynn again winning his 3 singles.

The Ballymena team displayed that table tennis is a sport for all ages with the octogenarian Jimmy O’Hara and 14 year old Peter Neeson both playing at a standard that belies their ages.

Ruth McGilligan and Paul McGuiggan both played well in defeat and combined in the doubles only to loose out in 4 sets.

1608C travelled to Ballymena Academy Tigers and recorded another impressive 9-1 win to take them top of Division 4.

David Peden recorded 2 singles wins and combined with David McMichael to clinch the doubles.

Noel and Thomas McCann also won and 14 year old Thomas is progressing well. Thomas has played a match in Div 2 and displays a good work rate and attitude and is definitely one for the future.