SNOOKER: Blinders top league table by 2 points after hard-fought match

Kennish tops High Break League

Jacksons 1-4 Finch Hill Mob

By Peter Crellin

Kam Virk 53-84 Peter Crellin  Solid but unspectacular from Crellin who missed a few straight ones but Virk never got going. Crellin potted the last red to the pink to win with a 27 break to add to an earlier 22. David Notman 68-81 Peter Kirkham  The Mob skipper loves chasing these big starts down. Just with a 56 target this week, a few high teens breaks got it back and Kirkham managed to win on the black. Lee Gale 65-73 Alan Heath  Gale started well knocking in a 22 but struggled to get the start back. With 6 in it on the colours, Gale potted the yellow and green, but a thin cut on the brown would see both brown and white go into opposite corners. Heath then fluked a snooker on the brown, and Gale turned a one cushion escape into a three cushion fluke, the brown just missing the blue and pink to go flying in the middle! A few more shots on the remaining colours would see Gale 5 ahead on the pink. Heath potted a great pink and then fluked the black in the middle. I’ve probably not done either fluke the justice they deserve! Alex Sinclair 49-35 Lee Hunt  Not a great frame from either player with Sinclair winning yet another on the black. Dave Welsh 71-91 Steve Finnegan  An open frame with the scores level on the last red. Welsh potted the red with a black and then the yellow but missed the green. A few safeties followed before a mistake gave Finn the chance to clear with a 25 break. The black to the green pocket was the shot of the night. A nice win for the Mob on a sad day for Isle of Man snooker.

Cue Zone Blinders 3-2 Malew

Blinders and Jacksons were joint top going into this week’s matches so this hard fought win over Roy Gelling’s old team was enough to see them go clear. Frame scores: Brandon Forrester (20 break) 62-74 Tony Pring, Nick Stephens 70-64 James Goodwin, Conor Mahon 70-36 Mark Quinn, David Hill 34-62 Tony Cubbon and Scott Campion 62-48 Alec Oates.

Douglas Snooker Bar Wannabes 2-3 Finch Hill Musicians A

Fred Corris 82-28 Peter Collister This was a fine effort from Corris on his first outing since March. However, three wins in a row for Musicians ‘A’ sealed the victory, Steve Cowin 67-90 Chris Brown, Jason Campbell 38-52 Paul Tangeman and Paul McKinstry 77-85 Zain Abideen. The final frame between David Callister and John Kennish meant that one of the leagues remaining 100% records would go. Starting 91 points ahead, Callister potted a long red early on with a colour and shortly after, fluked a red into the middle pocket whilst leaving the cue ball in the middle of the reds. A missed black whilst on a 46 break from Kennish meant that there was 33 on with 35 left. Another mid-range pot on the final red from Callister effectively sealed the frame for him 114-80.

Peel Legion 2-3 Cue Zone Masters

Tom Randall 45-56 Tommy Clague  At least Randall was able to pot a few after being on the receiving end last week. Nothing really in it, Randall doubled the final brown, left the blue on for Clague, a nice pot from Randall on the pink and after knocking the black around the table for a while, Clague was left with a tap in with the rest. Barton Beaumont 35-63 Brendan Clague  Unlike Tommy, Brendan hadn’t won in four attempts. Beaumont was better than on his last appearance, he had to be, however he’s still a pale shadow of the player that lifted the Doug Kinrade trophy last season. There was a repeat from frame one, where the Peel player put their opponent back in after a foul and the Clague brothers both responded by hammering in the next red! Brendan got off the mark early on the colours. John Kelly 64-32 Les Briggs  Teen breaks were shared early on. However, Briggs form slipped and Kelly went away, 17 up on the yellow his green to brown shot was excellent positionally and continued with blue and doubled pink for frame. Mike Crook 39-47 Ivan McMaw  Crook found himself 17 up on the yellow but it went downhill from there. After trying to angle McMaw in the jaws of the middle bag he left the brown pottable down the cushion which McMaw slotted away with ease, followed by blue off its spot and a tricky pink with the rest for frame and match. Geoff Hall 50-25 Martin Rigg  Rigg was definitely below par in this as Hall pushed ahead. Hall sealed it with the shot of the night, a long final brown into the green bag, cueing off the black cushion.

Finch Hill Rockets 3-2 Port St Mary Legion

By John Spellman

Marek Kenny 63-38 Matthew Astall  Kenny quickly pulled back the 14 point start with good long potting and safety play. Astill tried his best to make a game of it but Kenny potted green to blue to take the frame. Graham Ashton 38-59 Marc Morley  A good start by Morley who potted well with several teen breaks and combined with a few good snookers meant Ashton struggled. A deserved win for Morley. Jonny Hogg 19-69 Dave Pickersgill  Giving away 14 start to Pickersgill, Hogg chipped away to try and get the deficit reduced but Pickersgill responding with solid play. With Hogg missing a vital black with 35 on the table his towel soon sailed onto the table and it was Pickersgill who enjoyed his annual Hogg roast. This was an improvement from Hogg, the two met a year ago, Hogg lost 83-0! Sean Murphy 64-52 Phil Joynes  Murphy got in early and extended his lead to 30 with a 22 break only to see Joynes respond with a few mid teen breaks to go ahead. With Murphy back up by 16 on the final blue, Joynes potted it only to miss the pink with the win in sight. Murphy sunk Joynes late surge with a full length pink for frame. Marc Bolton 50-27 Terry Boyle The deciding frame was a cagey affair after the majority of the reds migrating north! Bolton just kept in front throughout and after potting yellow to brown left Boyle needing two snookers which he nearly made. But it was Bolton who sealed frame and match on the pink.

Finch Hill Musicians B 3-2 St Olaves

Vic Rigby 90-42 Paul Smyth  According to my informant Vic was, ‘unstoppable and player of the night’. Ultimately the match would go to a decider after, Rob Callister 57-88 Dave Kelly, Martin Rigby 34-65 Michael Heathcote (21 break) and Dave Hanlon 69-56 James Kerr. A 28 break from Noel McConville was enough to give the home team the frame and match 41-35 over Travis Bignall.

Top of the league: 

Cue Zone Blinders 17 points, Jacksons 15, Finch Hill Mob, Douglas Snooker Bar Wannabes and Cue Zone Masters 13. 

Individual League: 

Just three players now undefeated with 5 wins, David Callister, Tony Cubbon and Conor Mahon. 

High Break League: 

John Kennish 17, Darryl Hill 8.5 and Steve Finnegan 7.