Embassy 'A' extended their lead at the top of the Keighley & District Table Tennis League First Division with a comfortable 8-2 success at Lothersdale 'A'. Peter Kirby stretched his unbeaten run to 9 with defeats of Keith Wilkinson 21-9, 21-15; David Adams 21-13, 21-19 and Bob Davis 21-10, 21-13. Good support from Peter Kitching with a couple that included the 21-14, 11-21, 21-8 defeat of David Adams was matched by Neil Foley whose two contained a close call against Adams 21-4, 21-23, 21-19. Lothersdale's points came from the bats of Wilkinson and Davis who both defeated Foley.

Hovering dangerously above the relegation mire, Ukrainians did themselves a power of good with a 7-3 victory away at seemingly doomed Terriers. Peter Holbrook, not for the first time, lead the way, including a 25-23, 21-18 defeat of Mark Emmott amongst his threesome. Jerry Harkaway chipped in with a 12-21, 21-13, 21-16 triumph over Lacey and Stef Szczur played well for two with defeats of Lacey and Stuart Myers 21-14, 16-21, 21-8. A doubles win for Holbrook and Szczur against Myers and Emmott sealed a good win for the Ukies.

Oakbank reaffirmed their position in second spot with a home win over Nelson Nomads. David Ayrton started well for the visitors with a 24-22, 21-17 success against Katie Lightowler and then levelled the scores at two all with a win against Tom Lister 21-19, 21-14 in the fourth. However, Oakbank reasserted themselves and with Gareth Wiles confirming his position as the best teenager in the League with a max that included the 21-12, 21-15 defeat of Ayrton, Lightowler taking her overall total to 12 from 23 with defeats of Michael Wrigley 13-21, 23-21, 21-12 and Catherine Lawson 21-19, 21-10 and Lister easily defeating the same two Nomads, they cruised home to an 8-2 win.

In Division Two, Paul Lister was in good nick for Cononley Sports at home to Embassy 'C' with his couple against Jack Parkman 21-16, 18-21, 21-16 and Badie Jacob 16-21, 21-13, 21-10 accounting for two thirds of his side's points. The only other success for the home team came with a doubles win for Lister and Eric Hudson against Parkman and Jacob as the visitors took control through an excellent display by Derek Briggs. Taking his tally to 11 from 14 the Embassy player defeated Stuart Maude 21-17, 21-7; Lister 21-17, 21-11 and Hudson 24-22, 21-9 to help his team to a 7-3 success.

Top team Nemesis 'B' were restricted to a 6-4 win at Lothersdale 'C'. A measure of their success this season can be judged by the fact that this was the visitor's worst performance so far! Richard Crookes played tremendously well for the Lothersdale boys and included the 25-23, 22-24, 21-18 defeat of the king of the defenders, Bob Underwood amongst his full house. Craig Priestley and Underwood both got the better of Martin Mulligan and Jack Anderson and a 21-11, 21-19 win for Tom Sampson also against Anderson left the match poised nicely going into the doubles where Underwood and Priestley just snatched it 21-13, 21-23, 21-17 against Mulligan and Crookes.

Wilsden maintained their form of recent weeks with a well taken 8-2 home win against St Peter's. Adam Broadbent led the way with a treble, but only just got the better of resilient Richard Foster 17-21, 24-22, 21-19. Foster earned his side's points with defeats of Luke and Dave Broadbent, but sadly received little support from Sam Atkinson and Paul Griffin who both fell to the Broadbent family who also snatched the doubles, Luke and Adams defeating Foster and Griffin 20-22, 21-15, 21-17.

In Division Three, promotion favourites Johnson & Johnson could only manage the narrowest of victories away to Haworth 'B' for whom Brian Lowe earned a couple, getting the better of Derek Stanforth 21-15, 21-12 and Tony Bugeja 21-19, 21-9. Tom Hagyard grabbed one for the home team against Bugeja as did Ronnie Farrar, 21-16, 21-23, 22-20 against Stanforth, but a treble for John Pullen and the doubles sealed it for the visitors.

RESULTS

Division One: Airedale Terriers 3, Ukrainians 7; Lothersdale 'A' 2, Embassy 'A' 8; Oakbank 8, Nelson Nomads 2.

Division Two: Cononley Sports 3, Embassy 'C' 7; Haworth 'A' 0, Ilkley Road 'A' 10; Lothersdale 'C' 4, Nemesis 'B' 6; Wilsden 8, St Peter's 2.

Division Three: Crossflatts 'B' 3, St Wilf's 'A' 7; Haworth 'B' 4, Johnson & Johnson 6; St Wilf's 'B' 2, Ilkley Road 'B' 8.

Yorkshire League: Keighley Vets 1st 8, Scarboro' 2; Dewsbury 7, Keighley 2nd 3.