NOT EVEN the presence of former national champion Ronald Trotman could prevent McEnearney Charades from going under 3-4 to Sports & Games Lodge Road in a hard-fought Division 2 match at the Table Tennis Centre on Tuesday night.

Three times out of four Trotman will take out Lodge Road's Wilmot Goddard, but on this occasion Goddard got the upperhand in the "battle of the choppers" as he eased home 3-0 in the opening set.

That gave Lodge Road an early 1-0 lead but Charades bounced back to level the score when Gregory Prosper inflicted a similar 3-0 beating on Patterson Carter.

Captain Wayne Gill then gave Lodge Road a 2-1 lead by stopping Philip Tull 3-0 as well. And when he combined with Goddard to beat Prosper and Trotman 3-1 in the doubles, it looked as if it was only a matter of time before Lodge Road wrapped up the match.

But Charades' Prosper and Trotman decided they were not going to just lay down and die. Prosper stopped Goddard 3-1, while Trotman returned to blank Gill 3-0, tying the score at 3-3 and sending the match into a deciding seventh set.

And when Tull took the first game of the final set against Carter at seven, it looked as if Charades would have executed a Houdini-like escape.

But Carter had other ideas as he proceeded to take the next three games at five, nine and seven to win the set 3-1 and give his team the close victory. (TE)