Snooker: Revenge for some in reverse fixtures

Newbys complete double over Wannabes

Week 14 of the Macs Builder’s Merchants snooker league was a reverse of the opening round of fixtures.

Apart from Newbys completing a double over the Wannabes, it was a case of revenge all round. 

Finch Hill Rockets 3-2  Peel Legion

Matt Radley 38-64 Barton Beaumont, this was settled on a flurry of snookers at the end. A fluked one put Beaumont 15 up with three balls remaining, then a nicely played snooker yielded him another 5 points. Beaumont rolled in the blue to go 25 up with 13 on, but left Radley the chance to lay a good snooker of his own which duly brought him 6 points. However, he still needed one more for a potential re-spot and that chance never came. Marek Kenny 68-10 Don Humphries, Kenny continues to be Humphries bogeyman, excellent potting and positional play, flicks off the pack made this a formality. Referee Hall tried in vain to stop Kenny’s flow by re-spotting the blue with a red. Jonny Hogg 56-46 Geoff Hall, was probably the best of the night. This looked to have potential for a long frame and with it finishing on one hour exactly, some felt they’d got off lightly. Great single pots from both players, Hogg being very precise along the cushions. With one red remaining and Hall a point to the good, Hogg left it in the jaws but fluked a snooker which got him four points and a free ball. Hogg took the black as a free ball and tried to set an even harder snooker on Hall, but got it wrong as the black drifted between the cueball and red which is a foul and free ball to Hall! Hall put Hogg back in and he made a fantastic effort off three cushions and avoided numerous other balls, hit the red but unfortunately go in-off around the back of it. In a tight finish Hogg, left with a long straight pink, rattled it but the ball trickled across to plop into the opposite corner bag. Graham Ashton 29-61 John Kelly, an early 24 from Kelly was key and although Ashton got the better of a tactical situation of reds covering a black in a corner, Kelly proved too strong on the colours. Doug Kinrade 76-33 Mike Crook, the decider was never seriously in doubt, Kinrade fired in a few scorchers as your correspondent shot himself in the foot at every available opportunity. A much needed frame for the Rockets which keeps them top.

St Olaves 4-1 Cue Zone Blinders

Report by Paul Smyth:

Adam Blake 26-61 Ivan McMaw, Blake didn't settle as McMaw nicked more pots in a scrappy affair. Dave Kelly 54-43 Brandon Forrester, Kelly was slow away allowing Forrester to close the gap, again it was a very scrappy with Kelly taking the closest frame of the night on the final colours. Darrell Thacker 75-44 Martin Rigg, Thacker started off with early pots and a few colours to close up the 21 start then a 30 break to take the lead, holding on for a nice victory. James Kerr 76-25 Calum Gardner, a scratch match but Kerr ran away with it. A few tasty pots from Gardner but not enough to stop Kerr cruising to the win with a nice 24 break. Paul Smyth 104-66 Darryl Hill, Smyth started well keeping Hill at bay and picking off pots to extend his 42 start. Good safety play from both before Hill fought back into the match with a nice 26. However, Smyth took his chance on the final brown completing a difficult 22 clearance for the win. A good result for the northern boys, now eight undefeated and go second.

Finch Hill Reprobates 4-1 Finch Hill Mob

Dollin Mercer 79-43 Peter Kirkham, a very nice run of 37 from Mercer in his best performance since returning from injury. Chris Brown 65-30 Steve Finnegan, started off with a mixture of pool, a cut break from Brown and billiards from Finn, with an immediate in-off. Brown maintained his handicap start to take his first league snooker win. Paul Tangeman 85-68 Peter Crellin, apart from one black ball loss, Tangeman has been unbeatable all season. This win sees his handicap cut for a second time and shows that the practice is paying off. A great long final red put him 26 up with the colours remaining and when he potted the brown Crellin needed snookers and it was soon all over. Rob Callister 46-38 Lee Hunt was settled on the black. Rhys Moore 75-103 Tom Miller, Miller was a man in a hurry and looked in fine form with a 47 break and numerous small breaks to quickly pass Moore’s 63 start. Moore did take it to the final brown before requiring snookers as Miller denied Reprobates a clean sweep.

Jacksons 5 - 0 Finch Hill Musicians

After claiming a belated first win of the season last week, Jacksons completed their first ever whitewash win. A night to forget for title chasing Musicians who were a player short. Frames one and two were very close, Alex Sinclair 52-46 Mike Doherty on the black and Kam Virk 56-42 Vic Rigby going to the pink. Lee Gale was in fine form, a 21 break to beat Dave Hanlon 68-22. Matt Dodd got one of two snookers required against Paul Kell, only for Kell to pot a long brown and even better blue to make it 4-0, score 72-34. With the final frame awarded to the home team as a walkover, Tony Dhadwal of Jacksons played and beat one of the Musicians team to go towards his own statistics.

Douglas Snooker Bar Wannabes 2-3 Newbys DSB

No hat trick for the Wannabes, but after going 0-3 down including a couple of close ones, they fought back well to keep the damage to a minimum. Frame scores, Steve Cowin 44-69 Mikey Booth, Harry Minor 53-65 Johnny Myers (29 break), Paul McKinstry 81-87 Zain Abideen, Dave Corris 60-57 Ste MacDonald (22 break) and David Callister 67-19 Simon Gardner.

Port St Mary Legion 4-1 The Hurricanes

Report by Terry Boyle:

Terry Boyle 69-28 Stuart Littlewood, Boyle potted well with multiple breaks in the teens and generally good safety. After a foul, Littlewood replied with a 23 break but Boyle had all the run and when potting the last red with a black, Littlewood offered the handshake. Phil Joynes 78-33 Jamie Wilson, Joynes started well adding to his 35 start in what was a very open frame. Wilson never got going, rattling the first red when he had a couple of good chances. Another frame which didn't get to the colours. Dave Pickersgill 75-68 Shaun Roberts this was the frame of the night. Pickersgill was still seven ahead on the colours, Roberts laid a good snooker which resulted in a free ball. Roberts took the brown, yellow, green, brown and blue but miscounted and left the pink over a pocket. 13 behind, Pickersgill took pink and a very good black to level the scores. On the re-spot Roberts played a reasonable looking shot but Pickersgill once again slotted a difficult black to take the frame. Matthew Astill 70-78 Chris Dagnall, Dagsy potted well to get the 49 start back, Matty then joined the party and a good battle finally ended when Matty unluckily left the pink over the centre pocket. Marc Morley 70-43 Paul Smith, Morley held onto his start with some good pots and safety. Smith battled hard but with absolutely no run, never got back in the frame. Needing all the colours he went in-off the green and with only pink and black left needed two snookers, game over. A good result for PSM, finishing even with the Hurricanes for the season and revenging a 4-1 loss in Douglas.

** 

Top league placings:

Finch Hill Rockets - 40 points

St Olaves - 39 points

Cue Zone Blinders - 37 points 

Peel Legion - 37 points

Finch Hill Reprobates - 36 points

Paul Tangeman takes over from Calum Gardner in individual league, both with 11 wins but Tangeman having played a game less. John Kelly is third on 10 wins. Tom Miller’s 47 break, the best of the week is enough for him to also replace Gardner atop the high breaks league.

Next week’s matches are Newbys v Rockets, Peel Legion v St Olaves, Blinders v Reprobates, Musicians v PSM Legion, Mob v Jacksons and Hurricanes v Malew.