Snooker: Musicians and Mob in two-way tie at league summit

Hill second to make play-offs in Newfield Premier Snooker League

Report by Mike Crook:

A great night for the Musicians, first of all they all turned up at the correct venue, unlike in Monday’s cup game where drinks had been ordered by some at Peel Legion before a rapid about-turn! They then went on to knock the Rockets from the top spot of the Macs Builders Merchants snooker league with just two matches to go. The Mob join them at the top after matching their result in defeating the Wannabes impressively. An exciting and nail biting finale looms and the possibility of another play-off.

Finch Hill Musicians 4-1 Finch Hill Rockets

Report by Graham Ashton:

Vic Rigby 65-20 Matt Radley, Radley with reds but no colours and a couple of unlucky in-offs cost him. Rigby played well and Radley conceded after going in-off the brown attempting snookers at the end. David McVeigh 68-32 Marek Kenny, McVeigh quite simply out played Kenny who struggled to make good on many chances. A long game as the blue and pink lodged behind reds over a top corner pocket. Kenny played on for snookers but eventually conceded. Dave Hanlon 71-38 Graham Ashton. Ashton had breaks of 38 and 42, but sadly this was just before the match and was ‘useless’ when it mattered. Hanlon was in first and potting well after a good safety battle. Ashton was unlucky to have gone in-off in the same middle pocket four times, including twice after good pots and once after a good snooker escape. However, Hanlon played better, 28 up with pink and black left, Ashton threw the towel in. John Kennish 94-61 Jonny Hogg, Kennish was a joy to watch, great single ball potting and safety early, waiting his chance. A few teen breaks virtually closed the gap before an excellent 42 put Hogg in too much trouble to bother any further. Vinny Dale 51-58 Doug Kinrade, both had half-chances on a re-spotted black before an easier shot fell Kinrade’s way.

Finch Hill Mob 4-1 Douglas Snooker Bar Wannabes

The Mob were in fine form and made light work of Wannabes big handicap starts in the first four frames. Frame scores, Lee Hunt 78-64 Fred Corris, Steve Finnegan (20 break) 102-75 Steve Cowin, Tom Miller (39, 23 and 24) 128-80 David Callister, Peter Kirkham with the week’s highest break of 45 to beat James Teare 121-77. Steve Oates 19-52 Harry Minor, Minor saving Wannabes from their second whitewash loss to the Mob of the season. 

Malew 2-3 Finch Hill Reprobates

Report by Dollin Mercer:

Tony Pring 64-55 Rob Callister, Pring has been Malew’s star player by some margin this season, the only one of their five usual starters to average more than 50% and he looked in fine form again this week. Rob Callister gave him a good test, but missing a routine blue on an early break of 15 set the tone for the frame. Pring capitalised well on Callister’s uncharacteristic errors and patches of bad luck to give the hosts an early lead. James Goodwin 91-78 Dollin Mercer, Mercer looked to have chased down Goodwin’s 63 start, but some key pots from Goodwin in the latter stages left Mercer needing two snookers on the pink. Having successfully got both, he potted the pink and left the black ‘safe’ on the side cushion level with the pink spot, only for Goodwin to nonchalantly double it into the top pocket! Alec Oates 19-54 Chris Brown, the ever-improving Brown got one back for the Reprobates after a somewhat one-sided scratch frame. Then, the two best league players on the Island this season proved once again why they’re top of the individual rankings. David Quayle 54-67 Paul Tangeman, Tangeman made fairly quick work of Quayle’s 28 start. A lengthy safety exchange with three reds remaining and a strong fight back from Quayle ensued but Tangeman ground out a 54-67 win on the final black. Mark Quinn 37-47 Rhys Moore, painfully familiar with coming to the table at 2-2, ever-present anchorman Moore then managed to keep ‘Postie’ at bay, winning the decider. The result means Tangeman and Moore are guaranteed to finish as the top two in the individual standings, both on 16 wins, but Tangeman leads by virtue of having played one game fewer. Reprobates stay just one point off the top.

The Hurricanes 3-2 St Olaves

Defeat in the decider for the current title holders leaves them 2 points behind the new co-leaders. However, they play them both in their remaining two fixtures and will still fancy their chances of at least taking it to the final week. Frame scores, Jamie Wilson (21 break) 66-64 Dave Kelly, Stuart Littlewood 67-42 Anthony Bayle, Shaun Roberts 28-64 Paul Smyth, Chris Murphy 38-69 Dan Crawley and Chris Dagnall 48-32 James Kerr.

Cue Zone Blinders 2-3 Newbys DSB

Calum Gardner 48-59 Johnny Myers, a predictably fast first frame from two great potters just going the way of Myers. Brandon Forrester 79-47 Jason Campbell, Forrester hardly missed a pot. Campbell very unlucky going in-off at least six times! Scott Campion 51-63 Tom Randall, new boy Randall played well and won a protracted battle on the black. Jez Hill 55-17 Pat Maher, Jez has somehow found himself playing off of 63 and was too hot for Maher. Ivan McMaw 47-76 Simon Gardner, Gardner potted some good balls and played a tight game keeping McMaw at bay to claim frame and match. A first win in eight for Newbys and this time defeat surely puts Blinders out of the title equation.

Port St Mary Legion 2-3 Jacksons

Report by Terry Boyle:

Marc Morley 23-74 Paul Kell, with the high colours all safe Morley had no chance getting the 42 start back, plus Kell was steady and getting some great long pots. Phil Joynes 86-42 Kam Virk, a closer frame than the score suggests but Joynes had a couple of 16’s at crucial times and Virk a few in-offs. Dave Pickersgill 60-59 Richard Hillier was best frame of the night. Pickersgill started with a good 16 but thereafter Hillier controlled things and when potting the final brown he went 23 ahead. He left the blue over a pocket which Pickersgill potted whilst trying hard for the required snooker. He was having no luck in this quest until Hillier miscued and missed the pink. A grateful Pickersgill then made two superb pots to take the frame. Very unlucky on Hillier, a cruel way to lose. Matthew Astill 29-80 Lee Gale, this was one way traffic with Gale potting off the lamp shades, and Matty just getting some good single reds, a great performance from Gale. Terry Boyle 35-80 Alex Sinclair, the score says it all, Boyle was well beaten. He needed the colours to win but missed the yellow sitting over the pocket. Sinclair played steady and well deserved his win.

Top league positions:

Finch Hill Mob - 63 points

Finch Hill Musicians - 63 points 

Finch Hill Reprobates - 62 points

Finch Hill Rockets - 61 points 

St Olaves - 61 points

Peel Legion - 59 points 

After this week’s exploits, Tom Miller looks odds on to take the high break league with 32 points followed by Darryl Hill on 25.5 and Calum Gardner 23.5.

Next week’s matches, St Olaves v Musicians, Rockets v The Mob, Reprobates v The Hurricanes, Newbys v Peel, Wannabes v Blinders and Jacksons v Malew.

Newfield Premier Snooker League week 5

Darryl Hill is the second player through to the play-offs of the Newfield Premier Snooker League. In another late re-scheduling of the fixtures he featured in both games played this week. 

Tom Miller wasn’t at his best as Hill strolled to a 6-0 win in match one, the only close frame being the last which went to the pink. Hill’s 53 in frame 4 was the highest break of the match. A tough afternoon for Miller but with two wins already tucked away he still looks good to make the latter stages.

Match two was going the same way in Hill’s favour as he lead Peter Kirkham 3-0 including an effort of 52. Kirkham fought back well and with breaks of 36 and 30 took the remaining three frames to tie the match 3-3 and earn what could be a valuable point. 

League standings:

John Kennish - 12 points,

Darryl Hill - 10 points 

Tom Miller - 6 points 

Calum Gardner - 3 points 

Peter Kirkham - 2 points 

Peter Crellin - 1 point

Jamie Wilson - 0 points.