RICHARD MOSS led the way as three table tennis youngsters from York competed in the 'Stiga Junior 3 Star Grand Prix' tournament at Accrington.

Moss, from Poppleton, who is now ranked 16 in England's juniors, dropped only one end on the way to reaching the last 32.

He continued his good form by easily defeating Graham Jones (Northampton) and Jonathan Durham (Cleveland) in straight sets.

Moss then played an exciting quarter-final against rising star player Daniel Reed (Cleveland). Moss started slowly and lost the first end 11-8, caught out by Reed's fast attacking shots.

The York champion bounced back to win the next end 11-7.

Both players were trying to dominate with fast, attacking shots and they shared the next two ends to take it to a deciding set. Moss lost the set and match 11-9, but was quick to praise his opponent.

Also competing in the Junior Boys even was 12-year-old Stephen Robinson, who lives in Heslington and represents Railway Institute in the York League.

Playing in his first major open Robinson never looked out of place competing against players up to five years older than himself.

Despite being rated to come eighth and last in his qualifying group Robinson produced some great attacking play to record two great wins against ranked players.

Qualifying for the plate competition, Robinson once again played well but was unfortunate to lose in five tough sets to Mark Davis, of Cheshire.

The third member of the York trio was 15-year-old Hayley Smith, who lives in Huntington and is considered by her coach Mick Wilcockson as an exciting new talent,

Smith tried her hand at table tennis six years ago when she competed in the national under 10 championships.

Commitments to training for her then main sport, tennis, at which she was rated in the national top ten for her age group, meant she had to give up table tennis.

Newly returned to table tennis competition and with strokes still resembling tennis rather than table tennis, she produced a string of good performances culminating in a superb straight sets victory over Scotland international Corina Whittaker 11-7 11-6 11-8.

Smith eventually went out to Rotherham's Emily Robinson when she struggled to cope with spin serves of her opponent.

Updated: 12:30 Thursday, September 12, 2002