by Ryan Brown, Campbell Finlayson and Calum Brown

The North Ayrshire Table Tennis Club made it three Scottish National League victories in a row as the club’s A team took this year’s title in Perth.

Not only was it a third consecutive crown, but the team’s late heroics in the last match of the final made it a seventh victory in just nine seasons.

Chris Main’s 3-0 win was enough to get North Ayrshire over the line ahead of Murrayfield A with only ‘goal difference’ separating the two sides who ended level on points.

The success of the day was made all the more sweeter as they were forced to battle through the competition without key man and Scottish number two Colin Dalgleish.

After the victory, there was a clear feeling of relief from Chris after things went right down to the wire.

He said: “It’s good to get three in a row but that there is the closest league title we have won.

“Last year we won it with a game to spare so that was a bit too close for comfort.

“Okay we are finishing on a high, but it’s definitely more a feeling of relief than delight.”

The club’s clear dominance across the table tennis scene in Scotland has seen North Ayrshire become one of the biggest outfits in the country.

As well as working hard in the running of the club, Jordan McGinley is also a coach and spoke of the rewards he gets from seeing players progress to the very top.

He added: “It’s unbelievable, I’ve been at club for 10 years and from seeing us starting with just one table in one hall to now, we are seven time Scottish national champions in the last nine years.

“To see players come here who can barley hold a bat, to go on in four or five years time to play for their country or even play full-time, it’s incredible actually.”