Snooker: Rockets closing in on league title

League leaders win as nearest challengers defeated

Report by Mike Crook:

The results could hardly have gone better for Finch Hill Rockets as the Manx Car Store Snooker League draws to a close. A 4-1 home win and their only challengers to the title, Cue Zone Blinders slipped up against St Olave's. 

Finch Hill Rockets 4-1 The Hurricanes

A workmanlike performance from the Rockets, Rodger Clague was their best player, fighting off Jamie Wilson (20 break) with some crucial pots to take the opener 74-57. Leon Martin 40-24 Lee Butterworth, Paddy Delaney 66-23 Ste MacDonald and Chenji Ratnavel 60-36 Steve Munk made it 4-0. However, Marc Bolton wasn’t able to complete the rout, he was destroyed by Nialls Wilson who was by far the player of the night, 2-64 which included a 24 break. Rockets have their bye next week and the pressure will be on the Blinders to close the 7 point gap.

Cue Zone Blinders 1-4 St Olave's

If Blinders don’t retain their title they can look to both their matches against St Olave’s where it ended 5-0 to the northerners earlier in the season. David Hill 65-35 Geoff Hall - Hall started out well, but Hill didn’t miss much thereafter and left snookers required by the blue. Brandon Forrester 43-59 Paul Smyth - Both had chances to win, but it was Smyth who eventually finished it when left an easy cut pink into the yellow bag. Harry Ellis 49-62 Mike Crook - A struggle for both players, Crook managed to string three balls together for the only time in the frame, blue, pink and black. Conor Mahon 57-68 Anthony Bayle - On paper the free-scoring Mahon looked favourite, especially after taking a small lead. But as Mahon lost his way, Bayle, not known for his safety play was patient, kept things tight, then stunned a mid range pink holding perfectly for the black. Scott Campion 39-63 Dan Crawley - Crawley soon levelled the scores with a couple of reds with blacks, but Scott stayed close enough until Crawley fluked frame ball brown.

Finch Hill Musicians 'A' 3-2 Port St Mary Legion

Musicians ‘A’ finally ended a run of four defeats during which their title challenge faded. They’ll still have a say in the final outcome though as they face the Rockets in the penultimate week’s fixtures. Captain Dale secured the victory with a very convincing win over Dave Pickersgill, plus a handicap cut. Frame scores: Peter Collister (25 break) 81-67 Marc Morley, Mike Doherty 66-39 Terry Tobin, Sean Rolt (27) 70-84 Andrew Hutchison, Vinny Dale 74-27 Dave Pickersgill and John Kennish 54-94 Terry Boyle.

DSB Wannabes 0-5 Finch Hill Mob

The omens looked good for Wannabes to end their long run of wooden spoons, then this. The Mob were giving starts in all five frames: 21, 91, 28, 70 and 105 in the last! Three frames went to the black including the last where Peter Kirkham’s magnificent chase is now the largest successful one. Frame scores: David Callister 50-54 Alan Heath, Steve Cowin 95-118 Steve Finnegan (34 break), Dave Corris 56-68 Lee Hunt, Paul McKinstry 78-135 Jonny Hogg (32, 27) and James Teare 114-121 Peter Kirkham (38, 22).

The iscues 2-3 Cue Zone Masters

The Miscues stay bottom, but close the gap to the Wannabes to just a single point. The Masters came from 2-0 down to win out in this Cue Zone derby. Unlike their previous meeting where the Masters won 5-0, this went to the very last black. In hushed silence an unlucky Ben Peach of the Miscues slightly over-cut his attempt to the centre leaving Martin Rigg an unmissable pot. Frames scores: Luca McDermott 57-54 Les Briggs, Rob Dolby 58-40 Jez Hill, Mark Corlett 35-62 Ivan McMaw (20 break), Kieran Horrox 24-48 Brendan Clague and Ben Peach 82-88 Martin Rigg.

Snooker Bar-barians 3-2 Malew

Paul Craine 22-68 Tony Cubbon - Once again Cubbon was in fine form and keeps the pressure on Paul Smyth in the individual league. My informant says he’d never seen a collective amount of flukes in a league match over the remaining frames! They were all close, Stephen Berry giving Bar-barians the win in a decider, their third in a row. Frame scores: Chris Lawless 62-58 Alec Oates, Neil Birchenough 45-59 Mark Quinn, Andy Moore 46-32 Tony Pring and Stephen Berry 66-52 James Goodwin.

**

Top League Standings

1.) Finch Hill Rockets - 69 points
2.) Cue Zone Blinders - 62 points
 

Individual League Standings

1.) Paul Smyth - 15 wins
2.) Tony Cubbon - 14 wins
3.) Matt Dodd - 13 wins
=.) Leon Martin - 13 wins

High Break League Standings

1.) John Kennish - 51 points
2.) Peter Kirkham - 34 points
3.) Sean Rolt - 30 points