Play-off needed to find winner of Macs Snooker League

Final to be live-streamed by Cue Zone

A play-off will be required to find the winner of this season's Macs Builders Merchants Snooker League. Going into the final round of matches, St Olaves ‘A’ leaders by one point lost, and second placed Rockets just failed to get the final frame of the night at Peel to claim the title. No quarter was given as all six matches ended 3-2.

St Olaves A 2-3 Cue Zone Reprobates

With St Olaves just needing to equal or better the Rockets result for the title, team captain Paul Smyth got them off to an ideal start with a demolition job on Rob Callister winning 61-17. Callister started with a stunning long red but then rattled the straightforward black off the spot. Smyth dropped in a few teen breaks to catch up and take the lead as Callister was only able to add a couple more reds. Nick Stephens with a rare league appearance levelled, defeating Darrell Thacker 30-51. Stephens had his eye in with steady potting but not always nailing his colours, and Thacker for the second week wasn't the usual potting machine as Stephens held on for the win. Frame three between Sean Corkish, conceding 77 to Paul Tangeman opened up with a few safeties before Corkish could hardly miss. He reeled off breaks of 50, 37 and 39 in what seemed like the perfect frame. Tangeman tried in vain to make a fight of it was limited to just 4 points, final score 135-81. The three breaks weren't quite enough for Corkish to overhaul Dave Addinall in the high break league. James Kerr with a 22 clearance forced a re-spot black in frame four against Adam Blake who was receiving a 42 start. After a couple of good safety shots from both players Kerr left a very tough long pot, which Blake, (ironically at St Olaves club member) produced a worldie pot to take the frame 57-64, traitor! Finally it was Dave Kelly 47-66 Rhys Moore, Kelly giving away 28 closed it to only 2 points behind. Moore got the best of the colours and held on for a good win and the match. Reprobates’ fine finish to the season gives them equal 8th place with Malew. Thanks to Paul Smyth for details.

Finch Hill Rockets 3-2 Peel Legion

In a dramatic night at Finch Hill the Rockets came within two pots of the title. Marek Kenny ended a superb season with a 65-38 win over Mike Crook, Kenny will start next season on a handicap of 28 where just a couple of years ago he was off 63. He finished second to Darrell Thacker in the individual league with 19 wins from 24 frames. There wasn't much in this but Kenny potted strongly on the colours. Frame two ended Graham Ashton 59-46 Jason O'Connor, close throughout but a safety on the final pink from Ashton somehow crept into the middle bag. Johnny Hogg couldn't replicate the form that had recently won him the pairs and Doug Kinrade titles as he was convincingly beaten by Peel’s John Kelly 15-57. Frame four saw the Rockets wrap up the important win, John Spellman 75-37 Jim Caley, the luck didn't go Caley’s way as he went in-off a pink mid break. Spellman with three teen breaks looked better the further it went on. The news of St Olaves A loss then filtered through meaning a win for Doug Kinrade in the last would secure the Rockets the league title. He soon extended his 21 start over Geoff Hall to a handy 30 points but a series of in-offs, some unlucky helped Hall recover though he was still 20 adrift with four reds left. A couple of good snookers from Hall and more in-offs from Kinrade left it nearly level going into the colours. Hall then took charge and sunk yellow, green and brown nicely and soon after the blue. With Hall just needing pink and Kinrade pink and black, Hall missed a pretty easy shot into the middle. Both then had decent half chances before Hall had an almighty chunk of luck, missing the pink to the corner but it bounced off three cushions and dribbled into the middle, Kinrade 46-55 Hall. Bad luck on Doug and the Rockets but at least they still have a shot of the title in the play-off. Peel finish 12th of 13 and the result summed up their season, too many 3-2 losses.

Port St Mary Legion 3-2 The Hurricanes

As it turned out a 5-0 win here for the Hurricanes would've forced a three way play-off but no offence to them, thankfully that didn't happen. Terry Boyle 65-31 Jamie Wilson was very awkward with the high colours going safe, Wilson tried hard to get the 35 start back to no avail. Denis Boyle 82-57 Stuart Littlewood saw both players potting well but after some crucial in-offs where Denis got the run and Stu none. Phil Joynes 81-53 Chris Dagnall, Dagsy started with a 32 break and a few more good pots to go ahead, but Joynes battled well and after an outrageous fluke on the green took brown and blue to leave Dagsy needing a snooker which despite some good attempts he failed to achieve. Marc Morley 36-61 Paul Smith started with some good safety from both players, Morley got a red and blue sending the white around the table for position, went in-off and from then on Smith controlled the frame to get Hurricanes up and running. Mike Boyle 56-69 Steve Munk saw Munk hang on to his 28 start. On the colours, Mike had a chance but in potting the green also potted the pink, meaning he needed a snooker. Munk kindly went in-off while going for the green, Mike cleared to the black only to leave it over the middle pocket which Munk duly potted. Hurricanes finish a good third and although PSM were down in 11th they end with 12 wins and 12 losses which was an improvement on last season. Thanks to Terry Boyle.

Jacksons 3-2 Cue Zone Mob

A fifth win in a row means Jacksons end their debut season in a creditable 7th place and the Mob in equal 4th. A magnificent 60 break in the first from Steve Finnegan, the best of the week helped put the Mob ahead, Paul Kell 76-112 Finnegan. Other scores, Alex Sinclair 99-63 Dave Addinall, Lee Gale (23 break) 81-50 Peter Kirkham, Tony Dhadwal 83-56 Tom Miller (23 break) and Kam Virk 50-65 Lee Hunt.

Cue Zone Blinders 3-2 St Olaves Musicians

The season’s other new team Blinders ended 6th and the Musicians equal 4th in a match which went all the way, Jez Hill taking the last on the black and also with a rare 20 break. Frame scores, Brandon Forrester 72-47 Vinny Dale, Scott Campion 41-68 Mike Doherty, Josh Rigg 26-68 Matthew Dodd, the latter with ‘top quality safety’ ahead all the way and it was all over by the colours. Ivan McMaw beat Peter Collister 56-29 and Jez Hill 55-47 Dave Hanlon.

DSB Wannabes 2-3 Newbys DSB

The outgoing champions finished with a win to be 10th but Wannabes, who retain the wooden spoon fought for every ball. Frame one was settled on the black, Harry Minor 58-57 Johnny Myers. Steve Cowin 92-99 Zain Abideen was a re-spotted black. Paul McKinstry 67-70 Ste MacDonald saw MacDonald gain the snookers required to again take it on the black! Fred Corris 34-59 Simon Gardner wasn't quite as close. In the finale, Dave Corris slotted away the pink and cooly doubled the black into a corner to win 64-53 against Adam Dooley.

The play-off is scheduled for Wednesday 21st July, 8pm at The Cue Zone and will be live-streamed on the association website.