Penarth Windsor LTC Mens 4ths secure automatic promotion (From Penarth Times)

Penarth Windsor LTC Mens 4ths secure automatic promotion

7:50am Thursday 12th July 2012 in Sport

FOLLOWING their victory over Llantrisant 2nds on the weekend, the men's 4th team at the Penarth Windsor Lawn Tennis Club has already won promotion in the Courtstall Doubles League.

With one match still to play, they now have enough of a lead over the rest of the the teams in the table to win automatic promotion.

Last weekend's match saw another strong team travel down for the away fixture and, whilst the Llantrisant first pair put up a brave effort by winning their rubbers, the overall strength of the Windsor team comprising Jon Ray and Peter Owen, Anthony Phillips and Matt Newman and Gareth Griffiths and Charlie Halpin earned a comfortable 4-2 overall win.

Team captain Anthony Phillips, who was delighted with the result, said: "This is the second promotion in three years for the fourth team and the overall strength in depth of the whole squad has been most impressive, particularly when you consider we are up against many club second teams in this division. "Credit must go not only to the whole squad but to men's captain Dan James, who organised extra team coaching at the beginning of the season, and the whole club committee for building such a strong and vibrant club."

Club chairman Jason Richards said: "We are one of only three clubs in the whole of South Wales big enough to field five full men's teams, four full ladies' teams and to have a full junior and youth development structure.

"The men's fourths might be the first to win automatic promotion but I'm sure they won't be the only ones and, with a number of the ladies' teams currently topping their respective divisions, I'm sure there will be more positive news very soon."