Snooker: Three sides continue perfect start in league week two

Malew also get season underway after week-one bye

Report by Mike Crook:

Cue Zone Masters, Finch Hill Musicians and Peel Legion made it two wins from two after the second week of the Mac’s Builders Merchants snooker league. 

Finch Hill Rockets 0-5 Cue Zone Blinders

This was something of a shock. The Rockets had defeated Blinders on their own patch 0-5 to stunningly claim last season’s title, but fell to a second defeat this term. Marek Kenny 48-51 Brandon Forrester, Kenny was slow to start but then impressed with some good pots, Forrester was struggling as Kenny knocked in a near perfect 28. Forrester snookered him couple of times then out of nowhere cleared up with a 22 break to win. Graham Ashton 31-62 Scott Campion, Ashton was under par and giving Campion a 21 start didn't help, he played much better than his handicap mark, potting for fun and left his opponent wondering how to keep him safe. Totally outplayed, Ashton continued to play on for about 4 snookers but to no avail. Jonny Hogg couldn’t stop the rot going down 45-54 to Conor Mahon on debut. Doug Kinrade 28-43 Nick Stephens and John Spellman 44-75 Calum Gardner (23, 23) sealed maximum points for the Blinders.

Malew 2-3 Cue Zone Masters

Malew started their season after a week one bye. The stand-out performance here was that of the home team’s Tony Cubbon with a break of 23 and he then finished things off with a 25. Frame scores, David Quayle 47-59 Jez Hill, James Goodwin 31-67 Brendan Clague, Tony Cubbon 85-38 David Kelly, Mark Quinn 33-61 Alan Heath and Alec Oates 47-33 Ivan McMaw. CZ Masters together with CZ Blinders head the table by a single point.  

Port St Mary Legion 2-3 Finch Hill Musicians

Report by Terry Boyle:

Dave Pickersgill 61-18 Mike Doherty, Pickersgill was always in control of this one although it must be said every pot Doherty went for rattled, just not his night. Phil Joynes 44-56 Matthew Dodd, no safety play here! Down to the colours, Joynes took yellow, green and brown to go 6 points ahead, he rattled the blue and then Dodd took the last three colours in one visit for the frame. Matthew Astill 17-40 Vic Rigby, neither player finding any form. Astill took nine reds but couldn’t buy a colour as the Vets champ Rigby using his guile ran out an easy winner. Marc Morley 46-79 Zain Abideen, best frame of the night and much closer than the score would suggest. With 22 on, Morley went unluckily in-off the brown and the very impressive Abideen cleared up for a 22 break for the frame. Terry Boyle 73-41 Dave Hanlon, getting a 14 start, Boyle just kept his nose in front and was 25 ahead with 25 left. Hanlon just couldn't get a snooker and after Boyle got green and brown Hanlon offered his hand. A good result for the Musicians who have a strong squad this season.

The Hurricanes 4-1 Finch Hill Mob

Report by Peter Crellin:

A reversal of fortunes this week for the Mob with heavy defeats in the first two frames, Ste MacDonald 73-14 Peter Kirkham and Shaun Roberts 61-21 Steve Finnegan. Kirkham and Finn didn’t get going leaving big wins for MacDonald and Roberts. Chris Dagnall 24-71 Peter Crellin, Dags didn't really have a clear chance as Crellin had a bit of run on top of breaks of 25 and 22 that should have been more! Jamie Wilson 59-35 Lee Hunt, a couple of teen breaks from Wilson was enough to get over the line against a misfiring Blade. Gary Conwell 79-63 Tom Miller, Miller, (25) started like a train and didn’t miss much to get the start back. Conwell grew into the frame and took advantage of Miller's misses to take it.

Finch Hill Reprobates 3-2 DSB Wannabes

Report by Rhys Moore:

After both teams losing 4-1 last week, everyone was keen to get their season going.

Alex Taubman 28-63 David Callister, Callister was given a 14-point head start but didn’t need it, some solid potting combined with safety play saw him only go away. Taubman, in only his second game of league snooker was unfortunate on many of his shots, rattling the jaws and staying up giving Callister a commanding win. Rob Callister 85-58 Steve Cowin, Callister was last minute addition to the night and hadn’t picked up a cue in a couple of months. It didn’t show as he made quick work of Cowin’s 49 start, which included a break of 22 leaving Cowin needing snookers by the colours. Frankie Pitts 43-53 Fred Corris, Pitts was also in his second game in the league and made a good start into the 21 start for Corris. Some good potting by both made the lead swing back and forth. Pitts potted the blue but missed the pink, leaving the cue ball welded to the bottom cushion. Corris needing both pink and black to win, played a magnificent cut to middle. A fluke followed this as the black flew round the table before also dropping into the same middle pocket, robbing Pitts at the end! Paul Tangeman 98-44 James Teare, back from his holidays, Tangeman made it looked like he had never been away. Steady potting with several teen breaks meant Teare was reeled in with several reds left on the table. Teare was unlucky not to pot more with some in-offs not helping his cause. Rhys Moore 65-44 Paul McKinstry, McKinstry was quick off the mark and tied in with some poor fouls from Moore, meant the lead was near 30 at one point. However, some successive red/colour visits from Moore allowed the lead to be caught by the colours. The pair exchanged pots until the pink, where Moore, attempting a thin cut, missed the pot but was awarded second prize: a full ball snooker behind the black. McKinstry did make and excellent escape but annoyingly went in-off after contact. Moore potted the pink from the restart, giving the Reprobates the win. 

St Olaves 2-3 Peel Legion

Peel historically have a poor record at St Olaves but have now won on their last two visits.

Dave Kelly 29-57 Don Humphries, and early couple of blacks from Humphries got him ahead and for once all the run went his way for a fairly comfortable win. Paul Smyth 79-47 Mike Crook, Smyth was nowhere near his best but that was still more than enough to romp away as his opponent never settled. Darrell Thacker 26-61 John Kelly, with the high colours out of commission Thacker struggled to make any headway into Kelly’s 28 start. A couple of good snookers towards the end created the chances needed for Kelly to win on the brown. James Kerr 68-82 Jim Caley, chasing a 42 start, Kerr eventually got in and with a 30 break went ahead. Caley battled hard on the colours but eventually left Kerr a simple looking pink/black finish. Playing the pink to the middle with a touch of side to hold nicely for the black, he misjudged it and the pink stayed up. Caley held his nerve and put the pink and black away for frame and match. Dan Crawley 79-35 Geoff Hall, similarly to frame two, Hall never got going and Crawley didn’t have to be at his best for a comfortable win.