Snooker: Cue Zone Blinders in fine form

Defending champions lead the way in early stages of the season

Report by Mike Crook:

There’s no stopping Cue Zone Blinders, following a loss in week one of the Manx Car Store Snooker League, the hat-trick seeking champions have won 14 or their last 15 frames played over the last three weeks, leaping to the top of the table with a game in hand.

Finch Hill Musicians A 4-1 Finch Hill Musicians B

Report by John Kennish:

Vinny Dale 69-47 Vic Rigby - An epic encounter which seemed to take longer than the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Both players picked off balls here and there and the scoring was not helped by the reds becoming tied up. Vinny ended up 22 ahead on the green, only to go in-off and then in his next visit hit the black from a failed attempt from a good snooker via Vic. It took a fluked brown to effectively seal the frame for Vinny. John Kennish 91-71 Dave Hanlon - Another scrappy frame with John chipping away at the 56 start, helped by a 22 break. Dave wasn’t afforded too many chances to score. John took all the colours to leave Dave needing a snooker on the pink but with the black nearly tied to the cushion, this proved to be nearly impossible. John took the pink to clinch the frame. Mike Doherty 69-29 Noel McConville - Doc started with a 21-point advantage and took some good early pots to increase his lead. A combination of Doc keeping things relatively safe, the reds going awkward and Noel not being able to settle, meant that Noel required snookers on the final red. An in-off from Noel resulted in the handshake. Sean Rolt 95-74 Paul Tangeman - Paul started with a 56-point head start but that quickly diminished after he missed a good chance early on. Sean applied the pressure and levelled the scores with a couple of reds left on the table, assisted by a 23 break. Paul was unable to get in due to Sean’s good safety play. With Sean 21 ahead on the pink, a miscue from an attempted long screw back meant that Paul needed one snooker. A few visits later however Sean took his chance to take the pink and frame. Zain Abideen 21-87 Matthew Dodd - Doddsy started 35 ahead and soon extended his advantage with some very composed, calm and collected snooker. Doddsy potted some great balls, (standard) but didn’t really leave much for Zain to go at. Before long and without Zain doing much wrong, Doddsy was out of sight. Doddsy then started pulling the crowd pleasing shots out of the bag. Zain will be ringing the helpline to get in the queue behind those players affected by these issues previously! Despite getting underway early, this match seemed to go on forever and finished at 11.20pm, nonetheless a great result for the A team in the “derby”.

Finch Hill Rockets 4-1 Finch Hill Mob

Report by Graham Ashton:

Marek Kenny 97-18 Steve Finnegan - Cagey start by both and uncharacteristic misses, particularly from Finn. Marek got in with a few small breaks and without producing anything special himself eased to victory. Graham Ashton 78-40 Jonny Hogg - No surprise, another cagey start. Graham picked off a few to increase his 21 start but great safety by Johnny and a 20 break he was back in it. Graham kept his cool and produced a very uncharacteristic, but welcome red, green and all the colours clearance of 31 to take the frame. Chenji Ratnavel 73-58 Lee Hunt - Chasing 28, the Blade hit a 24. Ratna, 13 ahead at the colours made a great yellow and green, equalled by Blade’s brown & blue, but Ratna’s good pink to centre won it. Marc Bolton 52-16 Alan Heath - Scratch game and good opening pots by both. Marc made more of his chances as a few unforced errors from Alan crept in. Marc was 36 ahead with 25 on when the frame was conceded. Doug Kinrade 67-92 Peter Kirkham - Pete was in with a good opening 20 then dominated and made an even better 38. Doug played well all the same, laying multiple snookers but Pete escaped and an in-off by Doug ended matters.

Cue Zone Blinders 5-0 DSB Wannabes

Report by Scott Campion:

David Hill 88-81 Steve Cowin - Dave struggled to get going chasing 63, losing position off his reds to leave difficult colours. When Steve took green and brown Dave needed snookers. A foul on the blue from Steve meant Dave needed everything to force a re-spot. Dave managed to take all three remaining balls and took us to 81-81. Steve went first and in going for a table length double, he put the black invitingly over the yellow pocket for Dave to finish off. Harry Ellis 68-54 Michael Creer - Just as Michael went ahead for the first time he somehow followed up with two fouls on the blue which swung the game in Harrys favour and he won on the pink. Brandon Forrester 71-70 Dave Corris - Brandon did well to chip away at the 42 he was chasing, bringing it to 52-52 on the colours. Dave took green to blue leaving Brandon needing pink and black. Dave’s attempted safety left the pink over the middle bag and Brandon did the rest. Dollin Mercer 135-127 Paul McKinstry - Dollin making his league return had an 84 point hill to climb and it was a hard slog, all the way in what was the craziest of frames! On reaching the colours is where the frame got bizarre. Multiple fouls, free balls, fluked snookers, in-offs and missed balls, the most I’ve seen in a frame for a long while. It came all the way down to the black which Dollin left perched on the yellow pocket. Paul from distance, followed the black in with the cue ball, frame to Dollin! Scott Campion 58-37 Harry Minor - Scott looked like he was struggling at the start but he did manage to pull back the 21 difference reasonably quickly. Harry didn't make the most of his chances so the frame was level for the most part. Scott made brown and blue with two excellent long pots and rattled the pink but Harry required a snooker. The snooker never came and Scott finished the game off to make it 5-0.

Port St Mary Legion 2-3 Malew

Report by Terry Boyle:

Marc Morley 35-80 James Goodwin - Jimmy was unplayable, despite Marc playing good safety, Jimmy from the long grass was potting balls any professional would be proud of! Phil Joynes 70-61 Mark Quinn - Postie pulled well ahead of an off form Phil. However, one red left Phil was snookered and missed, Postie had a free ball and in playing the blue he snookered himself behind it and the frame changed completely. Phil ate away at Postie’s 25 lead and try as he might Postie wouldn't pot another ball allowing Phil a win on the pink which never looked on. Andrew Hutchison 37-50 Tony Pring - A very open frame and barely any safety. Three balls left and Andy at two points behind had first chance on the blue which went agonisingly close, Tony stepped in with blue and pink. Terry Boyle 78-30 Alec Oates - Always close frames over the years but alas Alec had no run and leaving four reds hanging over the pockets meant I was 29 points on the colours. I got yellow, Alec got green and in trying for a snooker left the brown on and I cleared for a 22 break. Mike Boyle 45-82 Tony Cubbon - Back in the early 90s these two were team mates in the Manx team. Mike was giving away a 35 start and with a borrowed cue he tried hard, made a 20 break to go only four points behind. However Tony then compiled a well worked 22 to leave Mike needing two snookers on the colours. A bit of cat and mouse followed but Tony proved just too good in the end. Well played Malew.

Snooker Bar-barians 2-3 The Miscues

The Miscues prevailed with a come from behind victory in the battle of the league newbies. Andy Moore of the Bar-Barians registered his first point in the high break league with his 21 in frame three. Scores: Chris Reynolds 54-40 Luca McDermott; Chris Lawless 53-65 Ollie Pickford; Andy Moore 77-52 Rob Dolby; Mark Davenport 25-45 Reiner Naylor; Stephen Berry 33-66 Ben Peach.

The Hurricanes 4-1 Cue Zone Masters

The Hurricanes won their fourth match in five this season on a night of fine margins, all five frames were settled on the black. Scores: lliam Jones 50-38 Brendan Clague; Nialls Wilson 56-69 Tommy Clague; Jamie Wilson 55-52 Martin Rigg; Ste MacDonald 69-57 Les Briggs; Shaun Roberts 63-54 Ivan McMaw.

Top League standings

1.) Cue Zone Blinders - 16 points
2.) Finch Hill Rockets - 15 points
3.) Finch Hill Musicians B - 14 points
4.) The Hurricanes - 14 points
 

High Break League standings

1.) Sean Rolt - 8.5 points
2.) Peter Kirkham - 6.5 points
3.) John Kennish - 6.5 points