North Ayrshire climbed to the top of the SBL Premier Division after beating both Urban TTC and Fusion last weekend.

The Scottish side faced Urban TTC on Saturday, with Viktor Gorman making his debut for the away team. The trio was made up of Martin Johnson and Colin Dalgleish. 

Gorman was not given time to settle as Joseph Hunter beat him in five to get Urban on the board immediately. Johnson then comfortably beat Mateusz Mikosz to level before the doubles. Dalgleish teamed up with Johnson to beat Felix Thomis and Hunter, giving NATTC the upper hand at 2-1 overall.

Urban fought back with Toby Ellis beating Dalgleish in five before Hunter put in a commanding performance against Johnson to leave Urban one set from victory. The score was levelled at 3-3 as Mikosz lost out to Dalgleish in three. Debutant Gorman then rallied from his earlier defeat as he beat Ellis to seal victory.

Urban bounced back from Saturday’s disappointment as they hosted Brighton a day later. The south-coast side had only played two games so far this season, beating reigning champions Ormesby last time out.

Urban were quick off the mark with Connor Green and Joseph Hunter registering 3-1 wins against Jordan Wykes and Callum Evans respectively. Evans and Wykes combined to ease past Hunter and James Hamblett in the doubles as they got the Brighton on the board. Two thrilling five set matches followed as Green beat Evans to put the home side in the driving seat at 3-1 up. Joseph Langham-Ferreira quickly pulled one back for the visitors as he overcame Felix Thomis on the second table.

With Brighton needing to win the final two matches to take the victory Wykes faced up against Thomis as Hunter took on Langham-Ferreira. It wasn’t meant to be for the league newcomers as Hunter closed out the match with a 3-1 win giving Urban their first win of the season. 

Just 25 miles away Shaquille Webb Dixon’s player of the match performance wasn’t enough for Fusion as they lost out to North Ayrshire. Playing their second match in two days NATTC fielded the same trio of Martin Johnson, Viktor Gorman and Colin Dalgleish. The tie was tantalisingly poised as 3-2 to the away side heading into the final two sets.  Webb Dixon secured two victories, Johnson and Dalgleish each notched up an individual win as well as beating Robert Pelc and Joshua Bruce in the doubles.

It took a monumental effort for Gorman to overcome Bruce in five, including a 16-14 win in the fourth to stay in the game. Pelc’s subsequent victory on the second table, also in five, narrowed the score line but wasn’t enough to stop North Ayrshire heading to the top of the Premier Division with a 4-3 win.

Elsewhere Ormesby recorded their second win of the season as they beat BATTS 4-3. David McBeath once again showed how valuable he is going to be for the club, playing a key role in the tie. 

Shayan Siraj, Jack Bennett and Ralph Pattison lined up for the home side looking to register their second win of the season. It was all square heading into the doubles, Siraj beating Mabey in five and McBeath taking just three to beat Bennett. 

All four were then back in action, with the Ormesby duo fighting back from two down in the doubles to take a 2-1 lead overall. Ralph Pattison did what he could to get the home side back level as he overcame Rayner in four, but McBeath continued his fine run of form to beat Siraj in three and leave Ormesby 3-2 up.

Jack Bennett beat Rayner to level at 3-3 and pile the pressure on Pattison and Mabey on the second table. Patterson had taken the first two sets but Mabey fought back to take it to a fifth that was finally won by the Ormesby man 15-13.

The new league leaders North Ayrshire are back in action on 28th January when they welcome Ormeau to Scotland. There is just one other fixture that day as Brighton are set to host BATTS.

You can watch every game from the SBL Premier Division again on TTE.tv.

Urban TTC 3 North Ayrshire 4
Joseph Hunter (U) bt Viktor Gorman (NA) 3-2 (14-12, 7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7)
Martin Johnson (NA) bt Mateusz Mikosz (U) 3-0 (11-3, 12-10, 11-7)
Martin Johnson/Colin Dalgleish (NA) bt Joseph Hunter/Felix Thomis (U) 3-1 (11-13, 13-11, 11-9, 12-10)
Toby Ellis (U) bt Colin Dalgleish (NA) 3-2 (10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 7-11, 11-4)
Joseph Hunter (U) bt Martin Johnson (NA) 3-0 (11-2, 11-8, 11-8)
Viktor Gorman (NA) bt Toby Elllis (U) 3-1 (11-9, 12-14, 12-10, 11-7)
Colin Dalgleish (NA) bt Mateusz Mikosz (U) 3-0 (11-4, 12-10, 11-4)

Fusion 3  North Ayrshire 4
Shaquille Webb Dixon (F) bt Viktor Gorman (NA) 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 15-13)
Martin Johnson (NA) bt Robert Pelc (F) 3-1 (13-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9)
Martin Johnson/Colin Dalgleish (NA) bt Robert Pelc/Joshua Bruce (F) 3-2 (11-9, 9-11, 14-12, 10-12, 11-4)
Colin Dalgleish (NA) bt Joshua Bruce (F) 3-1 (8-11, 11-6, 12-10, 14-12)
Shaquille Webb Dixon (F) bt Martin Johnson (NA) 3-1 (13-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-7)
Viktor Gorman (NA) bt Joshua Bruce (F) 3-2 (12-10, 9-11, 8-11, 16-14, 11-7)
Robert Pelc (F) bt Colin Dalgleish (NA) 3-2 (11-6, 11-13, 5-11, 11-2, 12-10)

BATTS 3 Ormesby 4
Shayan Siraj (B) bt Sam Mabey (O) 3-2 (10-12, 11-7, 11-4, 6-11, 11-9)
David McBeath (O) bt Jack Bennett (B) 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 12-10)
Sam Mabey/David McBeath (O) bt Shayan Siraj/Jack Bennett (B) 3-2 (7-11, 9-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-5)
Ralph Pattison (B) bt Thomas Rayner (O) 3-1 (6-11, 11-9, 11-0, 11-1)
David McBeath (O) bt Shayan Siraj (B) 3-1 (11-5, 11-7, 12-14, 11-3)
Sam Mabey (O) by Ralph Pattison (B) 3-2 (7-11, 8-11, 11-3, 12-10, 15-13)
Jack Bennett (B) bt Thomas Rayner (O) 3-1 (11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-2)

Urban TTC 4 Brighton 3 
Connor Green (U) bt Jordan Wykes (B) 3-1 (11-4, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7)
Joseph Hunter (U) bt Callum Evans (B) 3-1 (11-1, 10-12, 14-12, 11-9)
Callum Evans/Jordan Wykes (B) bt Joseph Hunter/James Hamblett (U) 3-1 (15-13, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4)
Joseph Langham-Ferreira (B) bt Felix Thomis (U) 3-2 (13-11, 11-13, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5)
Connor Green (U) bt Callum Evans (B) 3-2 (5-11, 11-7, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7)
Jordan Wykes (B) bt Felix Thomis (U) 3-1 (6-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9)
Joseph Hunter (U) bt Joseph Langham-Ferreira (B) 3-1 (6-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-5)