Snooker: PSM Legion join Blinders at the top

PSM Strollers make it eight wins from nine

Report by Mike Crook:

Just seven weeks to go in the Mann Crane Hire Snooker League and Port St Mary Legion now share the lead with Cue Zone Blinders. 

This week, the Blinders slipped to a narrow defeat at St Olave’s and the Legion’s home form was too good for the Hurricanes who slip to third. 

St Olave's 3-2 Cue Zone Blinders

Mike Crook 61-43 Shaun Roberts - Roberts should have been out of sight as Crook struggled. A very unlucky in-off cost him dear, Crook taking the last red with a black, then all the colours to the pink over two visits, a jammy kiss on the blue sealing his fate. Dave Kelly 55-48 Harry Ellis - A good frame where the lead kept changing. Harry looked to have the win in sight, potting brown and blue but just as he was getting down to pot frame ball pink the light went out! After another 20p went in the meter, he missed. Dave potted it and was to win with a very tricky black down the side cushion with the rest, albeit after a big wobble as it dropped. Geoff Hall 28-68 Scott Campion - Hall took an early lead, helped by leaving Campion stuck in a very tricky snooker, the cue ball near the blue spot, surrounded by three colours, Campion managing to foul the black. Revenge was gained late on, Campion potting the penultimate red, with the final red tucked up against the blue, he played safe off his colour and left Hall in all kinds of trouble. Hall failed to escape, left a free ball and Campion made well taken frame winning contribution. Stuart Sandford 77-49 Alex Kennedy - Sandford steadily homed in on Kennedy’s 35 start and unlike last week, was able to go on and take the frame. He keeps his narrow lead in the individual league with 14 wins from 18 played. Paul Smyth 47-115 Darryl Hill - Smyth squandered two great early chances to add significantly to his 28 start. He was made to pay as Hill made a run of 65, ‘should have been a ton’ then finished off with a 27 clearance.

Port St Mary Legion 4-1 The Hurricanes

Report by Terry Boyle:

Marc Morley 58-15 Paul Westhead - Both missed some pots early on, but Marc settled the quicker, Paul got some good reds but colours eluded him, Marc playing solidly for the win. Phil Joynes 78-56 Jamie Wilson - Both players in good form with the run favouring Phil. Jamie made some good pots but thanks to our tight pockets just couldn't get on a roll. Easily the best frame of the night and Phil had to play well to get over the line. Andrew Hutchison 52-62 Danny Beattie - Mid-frame and Danny went in-off, but in placing the cue ball Andy touched the yellow and was made to play from that position. Danny started to pot well, but despite some bad run Andy stayed with him. Three balls left, Danny potted the blue to go four ahead he then left frame ball pink in the jaws of a top pocket with Andy snookered behind the black. Andy escaped the snooker but incredibly the pink didn't drop leaving Danny the frame. Dave Pickersgill 77-45 Ste MacDonald - Dave started well adding to his lead whereas Ste really struggled with our table. Three reds left, Dave potted one but just when it seemed all over he missed an easy blue. Ste sprang into action taking the last two reds with blue and black, yellow and green also but just when it looked like ‘game on’ he tried a difficult brown, sending the cue ball around the angles. It went in-off and Dave took brown, blue and pink for the frame. Terry Boyle 60-30 Danny Kane - With a lot at stake for both teams, no risks were taken. With five balls left I was 14 ahead, Danny tried a double on the green but went in-off leaving me an easy green and brown. Needing the rest to tie, Danny left me the blue and when I left the pink over the hole with Danny snookered behind the black the handshake was offered. The game was played in a very friendly manner with everyone shaking hands and wishing each other good luck for the rest of the season

Finch Hill Mob 2-3 Port St Mary Strollers

The Strollers' good run continues, eight wins in the last nine weeks as they put a small dent in the Mob’s title chances. The opener was a scratch game but very one-sided, Steve Finnegan 72-11 Mike Boyle. Frame two was a lot closer, Alan Heath 77-82 Michael Curphey (20 break). Michael chased down 56, warming up for his trip to the European Amateur Championships next week in Spain alongside Darryl Hill and Conor Mahon. Scores of Lee Hunt 63-50 Garey Ellison and Jonny Hogg 38-70 Ian Brookfield (38 break) then set up a decider. Peter Kirkham (23 break) 93-94 Harry Boyle - Harry only scored ten points, but they included the final black, doubled the length of the table for frame and match!  

Cue Zone Masters 5-0 DSB Wannabes

Report by Martin Rigg:

Martin Rigg 52-49 Harry Minor - Probably the closest game of the night, going all the way to the black. A good effort from Harry but he left a sitter for Martin to take the frame. Peter Stephens 54-29 Dave Callister - After losing narrowly on his last three outings, Peter made no mistake, playing a good frame. Jez Hill 90-52 Steve Cowin - Jez was potting well, with two teen breaks he soon made up the handicap difference to win comfortably. Brendan Clague 71-64 James Teare - Another black ball frame, with both players struggling to clear the last three colours. Hard luck to James who miscued on the black, giving the frame to Brendan. Tommy Clague 58-29 Paul McKinstry - With just a seven handicap difference this was always going to be a battle, but it was Tommy who took the lead from the start, with Paul unable to close the gap. A good win for Tommy, making it 5-0 to the Masters on the night, just four points off the top. 

Malew 3-2 Finch Hill Rockets

Report by Alec Oates:

Mark Quinn 33-62 Ken Kinrade - Mark potted six reds, but only one with a colour as Ken slowly took control of the frame. Alec Oates 60-28 Leon Martin - Leon opened the scoring with a long red from a Chinese snooker with black to follow. However, I managed to pot enough balls to put myself 25 up at the colours. I potted the yellow, only to see the white disappear down a middle pocket. Leon played a good snooker behind the pink close to the baulk cushion and I just missed the escape off two cushions. After yellow and green were shared, the blue was hanging over a corner pocket. I had a shot at doubling the brown into the yellow pocket and was surprised when it dropped in, the blue followed for frame. Tony Cubbon 17-68 Paddy Delaney - Paddy played very well, he had a small break early on and potted great reds and colours before Tony made a teen break. Tony only potted one more red as it was all Paddy from then on. Paddy took the last red with a black and cleared the colours up to the pink for a nice 22 and frame. Tony Pring 76-33 Graham Ashton - Despite having a teen break, Graham could not replicate his Doug Kinrade Knockout winning form. Tony potting steadily for a deserved win. James Goodwin 96-55 John Spellman - If John had made more of his chances he may have clawed back more of Jimmy's 63 start. Having said that, John was still the better player but Jimmy managed to crawl over the line. 

The Cue Ballers 2-3 Finch Hill Musicians

John Kennish was once again Musician’s star performer. After successfully chasing an 84 start last week with a century break, Kennish started 91 in arrears this time around in a deciding frame against Richard Hillier. Once again he was in good form, breaks of 20, 30 and 48 to get the job done, Richard Hillier 94-118 John Kennish. Other scores: Kam Virk 30-67 Matt Dodd, Alex Sinclair (25) 52-35 Vinny Dale, Lee Gale 4-97 Dave Hanlon (22) and Dave Welsh 59-39 Paul Tangeman. 

Snooker Bar-barians 1-4 The Miscues

The Miscues finished bottom last year, but this win leaves them ten points above the Bar-barians and Wannabes who are tied on 34 points, propping up the league. All five frames were won by similar margins, Andy Moore saving the Bar-barians from the whitewash defeat in the last. Frame scores: Chris Reynolds 39-64 Kelvin Revere, Chris Lawless 36-64 Dale Walker, Gary Williams 29-58 Ollie Pickford, Mark Davenport 41-69 Mark Corlett and Andy Moore 60-34 Ben Peach.