Snooker: Port St Mary Legion extend league lead

But several others remain in contention after victories

Report by Mike Crook:

Port St Mary Legion extended their lead to two points and their winning run to eight weeks in the Mann Crane Hire Snooker League after taking all five frames against Finch Hill Musicians. 

Chasers - the Hurricanes and Cue Zone Blinders - also won to stay in contention with five weeks of the season to go.

Port St Mary Legion 5-0 Finch Hill Musicians

Report by Terry Boyle:

Marc Morley 52-19 Pat Maher - Marc played superbly here and kept Pat very quiet, Pat did pot five reds but with no colours the frame was soon over. Phil Joynes 70-62 Vic Rigby - Best frame of the night, Vic using all his guile to keep his start. One red left and Phil was reduced to needing several snookers. However, by the time four colours were remaining the scores were level! Phil sent the brown down the table with intended safety, but unfortunately cannoned the black in. Good safety followed before Phil doubled the brown and a few visits later got blue and pink for the frame. Andrew Hutchison 67-35 Dave Hanlon - A few misses from both early on with Dave rattling the jaws every visit. Andy settled the quicker and potting well, albeit, again with the run took the frame. Dave Pickersgill 53-31 Vinny Dale - Both potted well but Dave got the run. Vinnie was unlucky with position after good reds and made another nice pot on the last red only to go in-off, it just wasn't his night. Terry Boyle 53-42 Paul Tangeman - Five colours left and Paul had a 22-point lead, I got a successful snooker before potting the green and did similar on the brown. After an extended period of safety with nobody taking even half chances, eventually I got the blue. More safety before I tried a double on the pink, it missed and settled close to a top pocket. I had my hand ready to offer Paul but his shot at the pink stayed in the jaws and I gratefully took it with the black for the frame. A great result for us but it must be said we really had all the run! The game was played in a friendly and sporting manner and it was great to see Matt Dodd and Noel McConville down here supporting their teammates.

St Olave's 1-4 The Hurricanes

Dave Kelly 48-55 Rob Cowin - Kelly was all but home, but three decent pots from Cowin on blue, pink and black forced a re-spot. After a couple of shots each, Dave went in-off when attempting to playing safe! Paul Smyth 56-65 Brandon Forrester - Forrester already had a nice lead when he added another 21 to it. Smyth, as usual tried hard, but with the frame gone produced a far from easy 25 clearance. Mike Crook 49-70 Paul Westhead - Westhead raced nearly 40 ahead before Crook rallied. Westhead had massive flukes on green and blue to get over the line. Mike Doherty 52-92 Jamie Wilson - Doherty, newly signed on for St Olave’s, was back on his old stomping ground. He did show some rustiness, he potted a lovely red, playing for the black, only to then realise it didn’t pot! Wilson had a couple of lucky moments but was too strong. Stuart Sandford 63-59 Darran Creer - Sandford hit a 23 which should’ve been more, but Creer very nearly won it with good pots on the early colours. Sandford took blue and pink and it was another frame decided on an in-off black, Creer the victim.

Finch Hill Mob 2-3 Cue Zone Blinders

Blinders were short of two of their regulars who were on international duty, so up stepped Dollin Mercer for his first league match of the season and Sam Wheeler for his first ever. Both lost, but Blinders still managed to take the match on the final ball. Peter Kirkham 109-11 Dollin Mercer - A very rare event for Kirkham, he received a start of seven points! He didn’t need it, running away with breaks of 22, 22 and 31 but Blinders levelled with Alan Heath 28-67 Harry Ellis. Lee Hunt (22 break) 65-32 Sam Wheeler - Wheeler has a pool background and faired really well for his first league frame. He kept up until the colours but poor choices and game management cost him. Jonny Hogg 46-59 Scott Campion - Hogg needed pink and black, but left with a thin long ranged pot, he missed and put it up for Campion. Steve Finnegan 60-67 Shaun Roberts - Roberts settled the match with a lovely long range pot on the black.

Cue Zone Masters 4-1 Finch Hill Rockets

Report by Jez Hill:

Brendan Clague 42-63 John Spellman - With Brendan having a 21 start, John played some really good safety shots to help him level the score. Both players potted well, but John cleared blue, pink and black to win. Tommy Clague 103-60 Marek Kenny - Tommy, (+63) managed to keep Marek at bay with some good safety play. Marek scored well when the opportunity arose, but not quite heavily enough and when Tommy potted the brown the concession came. Peter Stephens 78-36 Paddy Delaney - I think Paddy will agree it was not his night and he couldn’t get into his stride. Peter played a good all round game, clearing most of the colours to win fairly comfortably. Jez Hill 70-50 Rodger Clague - A good safety battle before Jez potted frame ball pink. Les Briggs 59-22 Marc Bolton - Les was ahead all the way, denying Marc a handicap cut, at least for now!

Malew 4-1 The Cue Ballers

Report by Alec Oates:

James Goodwin 51-42 Richard Hillier - Jimmy was 23 points ahead going into the colours but Richard took the first four of them. Unfortunately, Richard then undid all the good work by missing the pink completely, then trying for the required snooker, he accidentally potted it! Mark Quinn 61-48 Dave Welsh - The early running went Dave's way. Mark had a good spell in the middle including a small break. Dave came back and potted the smaller colours including the blue, but Mark took both pink and black for the win. Paul Bridson 64-72 Alex Sinclair - This was one-way traffic. Alex, from 42 behind got off with a 17 break and didn’t give Paul much of a chance. Alex made another 17 later in the frame then all the colours went his way. Alec Oates 53-24 Kam Virk - Alec was able to keep his nose in front by potting high valued colours with reds. Kam didn't get many opportunities, Alec taking yellow to blue for the frame. Tony Cubbon 64-42 Lee Gale - Lee made a nice teen break in trying to catch Tony's 21 start. But Tony played well enough to keep ahead and Lee gave up on the brown.

The Miscues 2-3 Port St Mary Strollers

The Strollers run of positive results continues, the first two frames shared on the black, Ollie Pickford 40-38 Matthew Astall and Dale Walker 43-44 Garey Ellison. Luca McDermott 73-87 Ian Brookfield - Brookfield with runs of 21 and 25 to reel in McDermott’s 63 start. Ben Peach 102-69 Mike Boyle - Boyle senior was chasing even more here, 70. He hit a 25 but it was not enough to catch Peach. Boyle junior got the job done for the Strollers in the decider, David Kelly 34-55 Harry Boyle.

Snooker Bar-barians 1-4 DSB Wannabes

Wannabes won this basement ’10-pointer’ derby battle to go five points clear of the Bar-barians. Steve Cowin, still looking for a second win of the season came agonisingly close and was their only loser, Chris Lawless 92-80 Steve Cowin. The remaining frames went to the Wannabes including a black ball win for their winning most player by far, David Callister. Frame scores: Andy Moore 11-36 Dave Corris, Gary Williams 55-60 David Callister, Mark Davenport 39-85 Paul McKinstry and Paul Mackie 35-53 Michael Creer.