THE Bury Veterans team, playing in Division Four of the Lancashire and Cheshire Table Tennis League, continued the good form at the start of 2005 they had shown in 2004 with an emphatic 9-1 victory over Lytham.

They are now assured of promotion to Division Three for next season. Congratulations to Dave Smith, Mick Dore and Andy Kaye.

The first week back after the Christmas holidays for Burys table tennis players saw them competing in the second round ties of the Dwyer Cup.

Several of the ties ended 5-4 but not all of them were dependent on the final set for the result. The best comeback of the round was at Carlton Club A where, with three sets to play the home team were leading 4-2 before the Maccabi B team each won their last set of the evening to take the tie 5-4.

Prestwich D only had to take one of the last two sets against Radcliffe CC to progress through to the next round but Mick Dore and Graham Jeffries had other ideas and both won their last set of the match to go through the next round. Prestwich B were only facing a 2-man Holmar A team but with an eight start the tie was finely balanced at 4-4 with the final set of the match between Bob Goodman and Phil Wardle.

Bob won 21-18; 21-18 to take Prestwich B to the next round. There they will be joined by their E team who had a ten start against Burning Desire A from Division One. Making good use of their advantage they won the match 5-4 although the outcome was decided after the seventh set of the evening.

The Prestwich A team will not however be progressing through to the next round, going down 7-2 to St Philips A. Hamer and Ramsbottom D, both of Division Two, were facing each other with Hamer having a slight advantage of just one point.

They won the first four sets quite comfortably before Wilton Holt put Ramsbottom D on the scoresheet but Hamer won the next set and the tie.

Ramsbottom C are flying in Division Two but ran out of luck against a Maccabi C team with a nine point advantage and lost the tie 6-3.

Maccabi A had to give away eight points to a strong Seedfield C team and that was just too much on the night and although at one stage they were winning 3-2, Seedfield came back strongly to take the last four sets to win the match 6-3.

Another 6-3 victory went to Claybank who beat BGSOB B.

Top of Division Five, Shawfield A, had to give the bottom team Walshaw B six points but were still strong enough to emerge 9-0 winners and last year's Dwyer Cup Winners, Holmar B surprisingly went down by the same scoreline to Carlton Club C who had a slim one point advantage.

RESULTS

DWYER CUP - ROUND TWO

Shawfield B 9, Walshaw SC B(6) 0; ELPM C 8, ELPM D(3) 1; Seedfield Meths C(8) 6, Maccabi A 3; Prestwich TTC B 5, Holmar A(8) 4; Claybank 6, BGSOB B(8) 3; St Philips A 7, Prestwich TTC A(1) 2; Prestwich TTC D(10) 4, Radcliffe CC 5; Carlton Club A 4, Maccabi B(9) 5; Burning Desire A 4, Prestwich TTC E(10) 5; Hilton Bury 2, ELPM B(13) 7; Holmar B 0, Carlton Club C(1) 9; Ramsbottom D 4, Hamer (1) 5; Maccabi C(9) 6, Ramsbottom C 3.

DWYER CUP

MATCHES to be played during the week commencing January 24

St Philips A v Seedfield C(10); Little Lever/Burning Desire B v Radcliffe CC; Prestwich TTC E(1) v Maccabi B; ELPM C(12) v Hamer; Prestwich F/Ramsbottom B v YMCA Sports/Adelphi; Prestwich B v Maccabi C(7); Claybank v Shawfield B(9); ELPM B(2) v Carlton Club C.

If there are any problems concerning these cup fixtures and the need to re-arrange, Club Secretaries are asked to contact the Secretary or the Match Secretary. Club Secretaries will be notified of the handicaps for the matches not completed in Round Two.