SPORT: Night of nail-biters in latest round of MBM Snooker League

All bar one match settled by single frame

Jacksons 5-0 Finch Hill Rockets

By Kam Virk

Kam Virk 82-34 Marek Kenny, this was match of the night! Kenny had 2 teen breaks to edge into a small lead. Virk then found his range and potted with aplomb taking plenty of colours and stormed into a 20 point advantage. Some great long pots did the damage and two excellent safety shots left Kenny with his head in his hands. Virk’s biggest win to date and all the colours still on the table. Lee Gale was in equally fine form against Paddy Delaney, giving a 14 start, with 3 solid long reds potted but no colours, it was looking like it could be a long night for him. A superb 3 cushion safety shot from Gale left the cueball glued to the green and Paddy in all sorts of bother. Needless to say things opened up a bit after the attempted escape and Gale was potting balls off the lampshades with the best break being a 27, Gale 82-31 Delaney. Alex Sinclair 57-16 Jonny Hogg, a schoolboy error from Hogg potting the white wasn’t the best way to start against the potting machine Sinclair. Hogg would manage to pot the white a further 2 times as Sinclair went on a run of successful pots and some lovely safety work leaving Hogg in all sorts of bother and 40 points behind. Hogg quickened the pace and the velocity of the balls knowing the game was done, leaving Sinclair to finish with a routine 15 break and a handshake in defeat from Hogg. Dave Welsh 61-33 Ken Kinrade, Welsh’s first league game and what a good performance it was with some good all round potting. Kinrade needed a few snookers after the blue dropped, he got very close, even without his glasses but Welsh took the pink to finish it. Richard Hillier 53-43 Marc Bolton, going for a Jacksons clean sweep Hillier was ahead by 3 only after following in after potting the brown. Bolton took the brown but left the blue on the edge of the bag which Hiller tucked away and soon after the pink to seal Jacksons first 5-0 win, (where all 5 frames had been played). A second consecutive whitewash defeat for the titleholders Rockets, whose title defence is yet to take off and they prop up the league. Jacksons are one point off the top with a game in hand.

Cue Zone Blinders 2-3 St Olaves

By Paul Smyth

Brandon Forrester 93-48 Darrell Thacker, both were potting well but the decisive moment was when Thacker tried a risky, gentle roll behind snooker, while pushing the final green intentionally over the yellow pocket. He hit the white too hard and Forrester (25) cleared to win. Nick Stephens 49-69 Paul Smyth, a nervous start from Stephens giving Smyth the chance to catch up the 28 start. A couple of good safety bouts before Smyth nicked it on the colours. Conor Mahon 74-41 James Kerr, with a 42 start Mahon consistently took long pots with colours to close out the win. Calum Gardner 26-64 Dave Kelly, uncharacteristic misses Gardner whereas Kelly hardly missed a ball, feeding off numerous chances. Darryl Hill 83-93 Dan Crawley, chasing 49 from the off, Hill got the balls opened early. But when Crawley twice left him perfectly in the balls with pink and black available, Hill (22,23) just didn't do enough damage. Safety battles ensued as this was decider, making it the longest frame of the evening. Crawley’s confidence grew with a few pots. It turned into a pink ball frame, as the black was sitting right over the middle. Crawley bravely stunned the pink nearly 3/4 length of the table into the black pocket, holding perfectly for the black, taking the win for the team victory. A great frame, good battle and could've gone either way. Both teams share top spot with three matches played.

DSB Wannabes 3-2 The Hurricanes

Only a second win in their last 12 matches for Wannabes, and both have been against Hurricanes. Paul McKinstry took the glory with a black ball win in frame 4 to confirm the rare event. Frame scores: Steve Cowin 78-106 Johnny Myers (23, 20), David Callister 60-44 Gary Conwell, Fred Corris 83-52 Ste MacDonald (29), Paul McKinstry 73-69 Jamie Wilson and Dave Corris 23-50 Steve Munk.

Finch Hill Mob 2-3 Port St Mary Legion

By Terry Boyle

Peter Kirkham 97-53 Dave Pickersgill, an early 30 effort from Kirkham. Then good safety, keeping Pickersgill in the long grass before clearing the last four colours for 22 capping an easy win. Steve Finnegan 56-61 Phil Joynes, good close frame, nip and tuck all the way. Finn needing the pink to win only just missed it to the middle. Joynes went up and down to cut the pink in the middle. Good safety from both players before Finn rattled the black and it settled over the middle to leave Joynes an easy winning pot. Steve Oates 43-51 Matthew Astill, another close frame with Astill only just edging it on the pink. Tom Miller 82-74 Marc Morley, best frame of the night with black and pink safe early on, Miller only had the blue to work with chasing a 49 start. Both were potting well and with one red left Morley was still 26 ahead. He duly potted the red but in doing so fouled the yellow. A close battle followed before Morley went in-off the brown allowing Miller to take the frame on the pink. Lee Hunt 50-58 Terry Boyle, Hunt started the decider well getting the 21 start back to level at 37 each. Boyle got the last three reds to go 14 ahead on the colours, yellow and green were shared but Boyle took the brown to leave Hunt needing a snooker. A prolonged battle ensued, Boyle playing safe, Hunt trying hard for the snooker. Much to the relief of Boyle, Hunt accidentally potted the blue and later the pink to leave Boyle a lucky winner, and PSM delighted to come away 3-2 victors.

Finch Hill Musicians 2-3 Malew

By Matt Dodd  

Mike Doherty 85-56 James Goodwin, Doc was in fine form with some great pots to put the Musicians ahead. Vic Rigby 53-56 Mark Quinn, Rigby looked like making it 2-0, being 23 points ahead and 22 on. However, Postie got the snooker required then took pink and black well to mug Rigby at the death. Matthew Dodd 53-29 Alec Oates, Dodd was off very well with 2 blacks Mark Williams style both cueing off the nuckle. Oates tried hard but Dodd was always ahead and finished with a great pot, a full length of the table brown into the far pocket and to cannon the blue out. A great performance and excellent safety play by Dodd. Dave Hanlon 40-56 Tony Pring, the latter barely missed a ball at the start extending his lead to 23 with a good 16. Hanlon came back strong and only needed the final pink but went in-off twice to hand the frame to Pring. The decider was completely one way, Zain Abideen 32-78 Tony Cubbon. Cubbon cueing well and potting nicely, Abideen required 7 snookers on the yellow as some of the onlookers struggled to stay awake.

Peel Legion 2-3 Finch Hill Reprobates

Andy Taubman and Frankie Pitts earned their first league wins at the third attempt to put the Reprobates 2 up. Both potting well, feasting on numerous opportunities left by their opponents, scores, Don Humphries 35-63 Taubman and Barton Beaumont 38-81 Pitts. John Kelly 68-40 Rhys Moore, a very solid performance from Kelly until his opponent required snookers. 22 up and 18 on, Kelly went for a lash at the blue, missed, and very nearly knocked the black in. Moore made his opponent sweat, by laying a series of good snookers before forcing a foul. However, it was a relieved Kelly that eventually took the blue after 15 minutes of unnecessary torture. Geoff Hall 56-44 Paul Tangeman, never much between these two veterans, both potting some tricky balls with ease. A handy run of 15 gave Hall the edge into the colours but Tangeman hit back with green and a nice swerve shot to pot the brown. Despite seemingly trying to miss frame ball pink, it did just drop for Hall. Jim Caley and Dollin Mercer fought out the decider. Mercer had powered into the lead with 3 reds left after conceding a 42 start, his best shot being a straight long red the length of the table following a near perfect safety shot to baulk from Caley. The final blue for Mercer left snookers required, Caley 63-83 Mercer. A deserved win on the night for Reprobates.