Shaun Roberts occupying top spot in individual league
Cue Zone Blinders inflicted St Olaves to just a second home defeat and in doing so increased their lead to four points in the Mac’s Builders Merchants Snooker League.
Dave Kelly 18-62 Conor Mahon - Not enough colours from Dave as Conor eased away for a steady win. Paul Smyth 64-42 Nick Stephens - Paul continued his good form from the weekend ranking event, quickly catching up the handicap with Nick not at his best away from home. Paul capitalised, pushing on to be his team’s only winner for the second week running. Darrell Thacker 54-71 Brandon Forrester - This match-up had all the promise of a great battle from two big potters, and both started well. Darrell was five up on the brown but Brandon produced a nice 22 clearance to claim it. James Kerr 58-87 Scott Campion - As the scores show James scored more points than Scott who was receiving 35. Scott was a solid enough and made more of his chances at the right times to take the win. Travis Bignell 52-86 Calum Gardner - Calum had his potting boots on and started well. Travis (+35) couldn't really hold Calum back who just continued to pot, amassing 86 points including a 24 break for a decent win.
2nd vs 13th but the Wannabes upset the form book and dented Hurricanes charge up the table. The stand out results being Fred Corris, conceding a seven start to Darran Creer to win well and Shaun Roberts making it 12 wins from 14. Scores: Ste MacDonald 54-75 David Callister, Shaun Roberts 111-76 Steve Cowin, Darran Creer 19-46 Fred Corris, Gary Conwell 73-89 Paul McKinstry and Steve Munk 85-41 James Teare. Wannabes will be wishing they could play the Hurricanes every week having now won their last three meetings.
Jacksons keep themselves well placed, recovering from a big defeat in their last outing to beat the reigning champions for a second time this season. Marek Kenny 46-63 Richard Hillier - A scrappy affair, a foul on a yellow when potting a red cost Kenny, as Hillier nicely snookered him in reply. A good green, fluky brown and a long frame ball pink saw Hillier home. Marc Bolton 40-71 Alex Sinclair - With a 28 start Bolton didn’t add too many more, Sinclair potted a few blinders including the final pink. Sean Murphy 41-58 Lee Gale - Nothing in this one before Gale calmly cleared brown to pink. Jonny Hogg 45-34 Kam Virk - With just pink and black left, both near a corner bag, Virk needed a snooker. He may have had a touch of luck, getting a ricochet off the black to leave Hogg snookered. Hogg played a delicate shot across the table and back to hit the pink, and Virk’s chance had gone. Graham Ashton 64-20 Dave Welsh - It’s been a long time since Ashton had the highest break of the week, in fact it may be a first? Anyway it was good to see it’s still there somewhere as he produced a controlled 31, before missing a 7/10 black.
Marc Morley 70-37 Steve Finnegan - All out attack from both players, Steve got the start back with a 21 break and Marc got the last red with a black to go six ahead. Steve missed the yellow and Marc moved up a gear clearing the colours for the highest break of the match. Phil Joynes 64-56 Peter Kirkham - Another attacking frame which only took ten minutes! Peter got some great reds but not much run and when he missed a colour always left good position. Phil pulled ahead and going to the colours only needed one ball but Peter got a few snookers and looking to clear for the win, he left the blue up and Phil gratefully took it with the pink. Dave Pickersgill 50-69 Lee Hunt - Dave got the first four reds but alas no colours as Lee got the start back and went ahead. Dave got in with a 20 break to go all level going to the colours. Three balls left Lee played a snooker, Dave hit the pink and Lee went on to pot blue and pink for the frame. Matthew Astill 79-93 Tom Miller - Plenty of safety with Matty keeping Tom in the long grass. Tom, without much run got the 63 start back with five balls left. The brown was welded to the baulk cushion a long bout of safety followed but ultimately Matty went in-off the blue and Tom took the last three balls for the win. Terry Boyle 101-100 Peter Crellin - Peter’s safety was first class and Terry, starting 63 up found himself mostly on the top cushion. With runs of 17, 16 and 15 Peter got back in it and produced several evil snookers which Terry failed to escape. With five balls left Peter was 24 ahead but Terry got them all, cutting in the final black after Peter missed a difficult chance. A fine comeback from Boyle and perhaps a bit unlucky on Peter, where PSM mainly had the run on the night.
Dollin Mercer 84-72 Don Humphries - Mercer showed the only moment of class on the night with a position perfect 25 clearance to deny Humphries. The latter had come back well as the frame had looked one way traffic early on. Rob Callister 65-90 Barton Beaumont - Beaumont doesn’t like to win the easy way, 32 up with 27 on he was snookered, fouled and then went in-off soon after. He potted the green but went in-off the brown! Callister could win with pink and black, but completely missed the pink when playing with side spin going for position on the black. Chris Brown 61-28 John Kelly - This seemed to be in Kelly’s grasp but Brown hit back with two small breaks and froze Kelly out on the colours. Snookers where required after Kelly unluckily went in-off from being snookered on the blue. Rhys Moore 60-22 Mike Crook - Plenty of excellent single ball long pots from Moore though the same couldn’t be said of his opponent. Crook’s full ball swerve onto a cushion to escape a snooker was successful but the white spun along the cushion to go in-off summed up his night. Paul Tangeman 52-28 Geoff Hall - Another frame that just went away from Peel on the colours. Hall was ahead with a couple of reds left but good play from Tangeman and a bit of run, he eased to victory.
The stats show that eleven of the last 13 meetings had gone to the away team, and Musicians needed a win to reignite their season. An away win wasn’t to be as Malew, who on paper have some well handicapped players, claimed three close frames to add to Jimmy Goodwin’s decisive win in the opener. Scores: James Goodwin 83-42 Mike Doherty, Tony Pring 47-34 Vic Rigby, Alec Oates 49-57 Dave Hanlon, Tony Cubbon 59-50 Zain Abideen and Mark Quinn 64-50 Pat Maher.
The Hurricanes - 42 points
Finch Hill Reprobates - 42 points
Jacksons - 41 points
Individual League
Shaun Roberts - 12 wins
Dollin Mercer - 11 wins
Lee Gale - 11 wins
Scott Campion - 11 wins
Brendan Clague - 11 wins
High Break League
Tom Miller - 33 points
Darryl Hill - 31.5 points
Peter Crellin - 30.5 points
Traditional sport set to be recognised on coin
Athletics: Manx athlete impresses in US
Football: St Mary's sink Union Mills on disrupted Saturday
Hockey: Bacchas crowned Mixed Prem Champions
FC IoM comeback secures 3-3 draw with Pilkington