Subject: Sandycove Winter League 2018 – Week 4 Results

With some serious opposition in all sections this week, Team 4 & 7 managed great wins to put themselves firmly in contention for the playoffs going into the last round next weekend! Some teams were again impacted by mid term and injuries with super subs coming to the fore once again. With some teams now battling for survival and others looming to secure a playoff we need everyone super fit and ready to bring home the points for the Club next weekend! Teams 4, 6 & 7 are those in the hunt for play-off spots next weekend.

Once again, best of luck teams for success this coming weekend. We will have 4 teams playing at home next Sunday….. Teams 4 & 7 playing home at 9.30 to secure playoff places, followed by relegation battles for Teams 1 & 2 playing at 11. All other teams are away in close proximity. Please come and support, whether home or way! Your club needs YOU!

Good luck to all teams next weekend

Liam

Week 4 Match Reports

Team 1 – Away to Fitzwilliam (0-3), Points to Date: 1

Sandycove first team suffered another close defeat of the campaign going down 3-0 away to Fitzwilliam, on a damp Sunday morning in Ranelagh. First off the courts were 2nd doubles pairing of Ivan Brady and Steven Gill who were convincingly beaten by a sharp Fitzwilliam partnership 6/2, 6/1. 3rd doubles Reon Ferreira and Marc Griffin played some excellent tennis on the day, but ultimately went down 6/4, 6/2.
It was up to Rob Neiland and Ronan Sweeney on court one to rescue a point against some classy opposition, and it looked likely as they went a break up in the 3rd set. However Fitzwilliam soon broke back and ran away with the 3rd set 6/1. A scoreline that did not do justice to the preceding sets. Sandycove host a strong Greystones side next Sunday, and will hope to salvage some pride with a win!

Team 2 – Away to Wicklow (1-2), Points to Date:3

With the campaign drawing to close Sandycove managed to pick up a very valuable point away to the unbeaten Co. Wicklow team. Brian and Colin lost out in a very tight 1st doubles 7-6 6-4. Jocelyn and Luke Hanley lost 6-3 6-4 in another tight loss. However the 2 youngest members of the team, Liam and Oisin managed to pull out a 3 set victory coming from a set down to win 6-4 in the final set playing some excellent tennis and have won all their matches away from home. Another point will be needed next week in order to stay up.

Team 3 – Home to Elm Park (0-3), Points to Date: 4

Sometimes when Sandycove teams lose 0-3 it is incumbent upon the losing captain to write that the team came up against what is euphemistically known as ‘unexpectedly strong opposition’. However when the Men’s third team played Elm Park 1 at home, they came up against ‘expectedly strong opposition’ in a visiting team which featured former Sandycove LTC coach and no. 1 Mr Rob Cherry. The Sandycove pairings of J P Begley and Keith O’Byrne, Ken Browne and Cormac Hurley, and Paul Kilduff and Paul Ivory did not win one set alas. Thanks to super-subs Paul Ivory (again) and Cormac Hurley. We have 4 points to date.

Team 4 -Away to Elm Park (2-1), Points to Date: 9

Sandycove 4 got back to winning ways with a difficult trip to Elm Park. Thanks to Jim Brady who subbed in for Frank McCooey but unfortunately come up against two extremely steady players at no 3. Paul and Will FitzGerald continued their unbeaten run even with a wobble from the senior partner in the second set. The youngster managed to pull them through and took the match 6-1, 6-3. In order to continue to top the section we needed a win and no better fighters to have on your side than Mark Cunningham and Dave Hanley who battled through from match point down to take the match in a cliffhanger third set tie break.

The top of the section is still very tight with three teams in contention for the playoff spots. Last match is against Monkstown 4 at home this Sunday!.

Team 5 – Away to Clane (1-2), Points to Date: 4

3rd Double of Bennett & Gill went down in 2 sets to a strong Clane thirds team. Having collected 50 of our point total to date Dermot and Shane very focused on the job but simply met a more consistent side on the day. 2nd Team of Alan warren and Fred O Neil met an exceptionally strong Clane side. Indeed, this Clane duo proved to be their best pairing and the lads succumbed in two. Many thanks to Fred for subbing in at very late notice.

1st doubles of Daly and Burke delivered a need team point winning comfortable in two sets. Chris Daly was in exceptional form and hit multiple winner to get the team off to a 4 love start from which to opposition never recovered. So, in the end a 2 to 1 loss but a much need point gained. All to play for against Mount Pleasant away on Sunday. A full team in place for the 2nd time so confidence high that a mid- table position is achievable

Team 6 – Home to Terenure (0-3), Points to Date: 7

Tough day on the courts for Team 6, missing 1st doubles partnership for visiting Section leaders, Terenure. Rory O’Hagan & Philip Airey subbed in at 3rd doubles which on paper looked like a solid point, but, despite best efforts they were dispatched by a very strong Terenure pairing 6-2, 6-1. Next off were young guns Harry & Sean, losing unbeaten run of Winter league match together to a very strong and experienced partnership by the narrowest of margins, 6-3, 6-4. This left Tim & Liam on 1st doubles, who looked to have the advantage going into a 3rd set but came out the wrong side in another bruising encounter. Thanks to Philip & Rory for subbing in. A win against Templeogue this Sunday should see the team qualify for playoffs. Everything to play for!

Team 7 – Away to Lansdowne (3-0), Points to Date: 9

The sevenths travelled to Mount Pleasant on Sunday needing a 3-0 win to keep them ahead of the chasing pack for the second playoff spot. First off were Pat Leamy and Tony Collison with a fine display, running away with the match 6-4, 6-0. Next were Tom O’Higgins and Philip Bayfield securing another point 6-3, 6-2 against two opponents with unorthodox but effective styles of play. Stephen McGoohan and Declan Keane went to a 3rd set after coming out the wrong side of a tiebreak in the second. Keane produced some tennis in the third set that ‘people would pay to see – according to Keane himself!’ ensuring the last point went to Sandycove. All to play for next week with the team lying second in the group ahead of chasing pack by one point…