Snooker: Blinders leapfrog Peel into top spot

Reigning champions lead again with four rounds remaining

Report by Mike Crook:

Reigning champions Cue Zone Blinders now head the pack with four rounds of matches to go as Peel Legion’s stay at the top of the Mac’s Builders Merchants snooker league proved short-lived.  

Jacksons 4-1 Peel Legion

Three black ball losses for Peel cost them top spot and ended their eight week winning run. Alex Sinclair 65-64 Barton Beaumont - Beaumont was 37 up with three reds left before Sinclair mounted a comeback. A snooker on the yellow which Sinclair tucked behind the black rewarded him with seven points and later potted the last three balls to win by a single point. Paul Kell 56-16 Tom Randall - Kell upset the formbook with a fine display of potting in what must have been one of his best displays of the season. Kam Virk 88-74 John Kelly - This frame had everything, Virk had a 21 start and added to it with a 23 break including plenty of long pots. The break only ended when his white somehow went into the middle having potted a brown. Kelly stayed in it with small breaks but snookered himself when potting a blue off the penultimate red. This led to a foul and freeball with Kelly soon requiring snookers. Again Kelly wasn’t done, he got the snookers and needing pink and black he potted the pink down the side cushion, but left a tough black hanging deep in a corner pocket. The white was at the other end of the table and Virk, fearing he’d follow the black in chose to pot it off the cushion, he played the shot and barely made contact but it was just enough to drop it in. Dave Welsh 32-55 Geoff Hall - Sadly, the draw didn’t pitch the top two in individual league, Welsh and Kelly against each other. However both ended up losing after Hall ground out a win on the blue in a slightly less eventful frame. Lee Gale 44-31 Mike Crook - A very low scoring affair where Gale fluked the blue to make it 31-31. Crook under-hit his safety on the pink which didn’t clear the middle pocket. Gale took the pink and came back down the table but still left himself a far from easy cut on the black which he made look easy.

Finch Hill Mob 3-2 Finch Hill Rockets

Report by Peter Crellin:

Peter Crellin 79-56 Sean Murphy - Crellin made 31 from a lucky red and played really solid, Murphy didn't have much to go at. Tom Miller 97-79 Graham Ashton - The first scoring visit was 54 from Miller and but for a better split of the pack could have been a lot more. A good battle on the colours but Miller prevailed. Lee Hunt 35-70 Jonny Hogg - Hogg strutted around the table, in control most of the frame and made a 22 break for his eighth win on the trot as the Blade was blunted. Steve Finnegan 34-100 Marc Bolton - Finn also didn't get going as Bolton potted some really good balls at key times to maintain his 56 start. Peter Kirkham 93-78 Doug Kinrade - A good captain’s knock from Kirkham chasing 49. Despite a 22 break from Kinrade, Kirkham made a 24 himself and didn’t give Kinrade much of a sniff as he dominated the decider. A loss for Rockets who stay joint second, but it’s still in their hands as they hold a game in hand. 

DSB Wannabes 1-4 Cue Zone Blinders

Blinders have had plenty of ups and down of late but consecutive 4-1 victories sees them back on top. Chasing respective starts of 49, 49, 28, 77 and 49 across the five frames only Nick Stephens failed in his quest. Frame scores: Dave Callister 87-52 Nick Stephens, Steve Cowin 79-81 Conor Mahon, Jason Campbell 49-64 David Hill, Dave Corris 85-97 Darryl Hill (46 break) and Paul McKinstry 63-100 Scott Campion. 

Finch Hill Musicians A 1-4 Finch Hill Musicians B

Report by Matt Dodd:

Peter Collister 15-110 Dave Hanlon - Dave ran away with this one, starting 28 up he hit a 22 break followed up by a 19 and the scoreboard pressure was too much for Peter. Sean Rolt 89-45 Noel McConville - Noel did have his chances to win this didn’t make enough of them, Rolt with a 27 and a series of smaller breaks showed what he is capable of. Vinny Dale 71-79 Martin Rigby - The closest of frames settled on the black. Paul Tangeman 51-59 Matt Dodd - Paul ran away into a 33 lead, but Dodd staged a great fightback, requiring a snooker at one point and then potted the colours one by one to win on the black for his first ever win over Tangeman in the league. John Kennish 74-104 Vic Rigby - Vic had a teen break to add to his 77 start and on the day it was too much John. 

Malew 2-3 Port St Mary Legion

PSM Legion’s fifth win in six. Marc Morley with breaks of 21 and 25 and Phil Joynes had a 25 to help put them 2-1 up. Tony Pring bossed frame four to force a decider between the two captains, Oates and Boyle which narrowly went to the latter who now moves into contention in the individual wins league. Frame scores: Tony Cubbon 58-42 Matty Astall, Mark Quinn 38-63 Marc Morley, James Goodwin 60-71 Phil Joynes, Tony Pring 84-28 Dave Pickersgill and Alec Oates 40-59 Terry Boyle. 

Cue Zone Masters 3-2 Hurricanes

Masters soon had this match won. Les Briggs 68-29 Chris Dagnall - Briggs potted well and his 42 start was never threatened. Tommy Clague 78-38 Ste MacDonald - This was a similar story, Clague had a break of 15 to add to his 49 start to make it 2-0. Ivan McMaw 50-15 Freddie Dancox - was another one-sided affair before Jez Hill 46-74 Steve Munk and Martin Rigg 64-76 Jamie Wilson gave the Hurricanes some respectability. Munk got within touching distance of a 50 break but failed on a long blue when on 32. 

Top League Standings

Cue Zone Blidners - 60 points
Finch Hill Rockets - 58 points
Peel Legion - 58 points
Jacksons - 57 points
St Olaves - 54 points

Top Individual League Standings

Dave Welsh - 14 wins
John Kelly - 14 wins
Steve Finnegan - 13 wins
Terry Boyle - 13 wins
Conor Mahon - 13 wins

High Break League Standings

John Kennish - 65 points
Darryl Hill - 41 points
Steve Finnegan - 29.5 points