We’ll get on to Brighton in a minute after their latest victory. But first, a word or two on Fusion.

Is this the unluckiest team in Senior British Club Leagues history? Only a team with some bad karma could have it so cruel.

They lost 6-1 here, which sounds comfortable, but it was anything but. Three games went to a deciding set, Brighton won them all. Sadly, it’s becoming a little bit too much rinse and repeat for Fusion.

The numbers behind their campaign are extraordinary, if not gut-wrenching. On 16 occasions this season, a game has gone to a fifth. Yet, they have managed to win just two of them. Two! To make matters worse, they’d have four more wins to their name had they been able to come through fifth sets. That would put them third in the league. Instead, they’re joint the bottom and having to fight for survival.

It was fortunate for Brighton that they did prevail or their title hopes would have disappeared. That said, tremendous credit goes to them for riding that storm. Ultimately, they won, that’s all that matters, and their title defence continues.

Callum Evans (pictured above, photo by Michael Loveder) and Lorestas Trumpauskas had a banger of a match to start proceedings but it was the Welshman who came out on top in the fifth. Meanwhile, Brighton chopper Ihor Zavadskyi took a while to find his range and dropped an end to Larry Trumpauskas, but once he got going, he was comfortable.

Doubles had a familiar feel to it for Fusion; lose, and it’s a mountain to climb. Unfortunately for them, that’s exactly what happened. David Andersson & Evans beat Shaquille Webb-Dixon & Larry Trumpauskas to put them on the brink.

Webb-Dixon came oh so close to reducing the arrears but was defeated by Andersson 3-2 (11-7, 14-16, 9-11, 19-17, 11-7), but Larry Trumpauskas did at least put Fusion on the board with a four-set victory over Evans.

But Andersson’s win over Lorestas Trumpauskas and Zavadsyi’s over Webb-Dixon – in five, of course – put a final gloss on the score for Brighton.