TABLE TENNIS: YOUNG Matthew McCormick is serving up something special.

Only 18 months after taking up table tennis, he is the 80th-ranked Under 13s player in England.

It's some going for a nine-year-old and no wonder his ambition is to make the 2012 Olympics.

Halton Table Tennis Club member Matthew, a pupil of Fairfield Junior School in Widnes, won the Halton Schools U11s champion-ship at the age of eight.

Last year, despite having just six months playing experience behind him, he finished sixth in the U11s Cheshire Schools Championships.

He was also runner-up in a national U11s competition in Black-pool before Christmas.

And he lies 11th in the merit table for the 2003-04 National Cadet (U15s) League's North West division.

Matthew's talent and potential has been recognised with a £300 Halton Borough Council sports development grant bursary after he heard about the scheme from senior club coach Karen Tonge.

His mum, Carol McCormick, said: 'The coaches at Halton Table Tennis Club picked up on Matthew's talent within a matter of a few weeks of him starting.

'After about a year, he was put forward for a trial for the ETTA Development Squad who accept good players for further training with top coaches. He was accepted.'

Matthew, renowned for his 'mean forehand', trains every Friday with the ETTA squad and at least twice, sometimes three times, a week at Halton.

Carol believes Matthew is lucky to have such an excellent facility on his doorstep and appreciates the council's support as coaching and competing can prove costly.

The grant enabled the youngster to buy a 'proper' bat and a full Halton TTC strip.

Matthew also plays for Halton B in the National Junior U18s League as well as the National Cadet League.

Next up for Matthew, who has also trained to national standard as a junior table tennis umpire, is the National Junior League meeting on February 12.

This will be followed by the Blackpool Grand Prix - being hosted by Halton on February 20 and the Cheshire Schools Champion-ship at Hartford on March 5.

He would also like to go to the English National U10s and U11s championships in June.

Matthew has also done swimming and gymnastics and plays goalkeeper for his school team as well as Widnes Wolves U10s in the Halton & District Junior Football League. He has attended a specialist training course for keepers at Manchester United's training ground.