It's now eight wins on the trot for Wellington Billiard Hall F as they continued their push for promotion with a 4-1 win over fancied Little Dawley G to take over at the top of the third division of the Telford Snooker League (sponsored by Golden Purse Jewelers)

With fellow club-mates W.B.H. X losing 3-2 at Hills Lane B the F team move into top spot by virtue of having won eight of their nine matches, against seven wins for the X men with both teams level on 29 points.

New captain Chris Durham has marshaled his troops into a formidable outfit as they rapidly got over the disappointment of losing their opening game of the season to taste victory in each of their subsequent matches and last week was no different as Andy Fletcher gave them the perfect start with a 71-41 win over P Frost.

Richard Tranter followed by taking the next 62-44 against R Lenevell before Little Dawley captain Graham Copson kept his own personal unbeaten run alive with a 76-50 success over Rob Cook for his ninth win in as many games.

Home captain Chris Durham made no mistake in the next though as a 24 break paved the way to an 80-39 win over S Clement before Steve Weatherall rounded things off nicely with an excellent win over Paul Perks to leave the F team triumphant by four frames to one.

Wellington Billiard Hall X fell to only their second defeat of the season as they travelled to Hills Lane B and left with two points from a maximum five.

Steve Powell gave the home side the lead 69-43 against A Mahmood only for M Shadab to draw the Wellington side level with a 66-36 success against Steve Weaver.

Lee Harris restored the home side's lead with victory over D Khan in the next before M Butler ensured the Hills Lane side of their third win of the season by taking the fourth frame 65-35 over A Afzal.

Only a last gasp black ball win for A Ali over M Davis rescued another point for the promotion hopefuls who had started the day top of the table.

Although no card was received for the match between Pot Black D and Little Dawley C it is believed that the Oakengates side came out on top be the odd frame which leaves them in third spot just a point behind the leaders, with Maddocks D in fourth despite falling 3-2 at Bayley B.

Maddocks B did their promotion hopes a world of good with a thumping 5-0 win over Billiard Hall B - although they will need to maintain that kind of form if they are to recoup the seven points difference between themselves and the league leaders.

G Arnold set them on their way by taking the first frame over Alan Francis leaving Les Hicks to double the lead with an 81-37 win over Ken Francis in the next.

John Archer and G Tudor then made it 4-0 before Tony O'Neil completed the whitewash by taking the final frame of the evening 57-25 against T Nicholls.

DIVISION 1

Division 1 leaders Wellington Billiard Hall A certainly knew they'd been in a match after they returned home from newly promoted Little Dawley A with a narrow 3-2 win to keep them top of the table two points ahead of Hills Lane A.

Ade Henry gave the home side just the start they were looking for with a 56-25 win over Morton Hughes but the visitors soon levelled matters through Darryl Grainger's 66-39 defeat of Richie Heighway.

Nigel Fletcher then put the Billiard Hall into the lead by taking the next from Jesse Lowe before Spencer Rowley took an early lead against Rick Cousins.

The Little Dawley captain never gave up hope though and clawed his way back to force the game to a re-spotted black, but it was there that his fight-back floundered as Spencer sank the final ball for a 47 points to 40 win to give the Billiard Hall a 3-1 lead.

Little Dawley have certainly done themselves proud so far this campaign and their fighting spirit was exemplified by their next player as Graham Wiley potted some outstanding balls on the way to forcing the final frame of the evening to the final black against individual champion Paul Harper.

Trailing by just three points, Graham coolly potted a difficult long black to take the frame 48-44 to leave the home side with two well earned points against the league leaders.

Hills Lane A lie second, two points behind the Billiard Hall with Maddocks A in third , a further two points adrift after a 3-2 win at home to Hadley A.

Mark Watkins gave the visitors a shock lead with a black ball win over Ian Skelton however the Oakengates side went ahead with two wins from Phil Davis and Leigh France who got the better of Steve Hoof and John Squire respectively.

Adrian Barraclough then made it 3-1 before Andy O'Brien rescued another point for last season's division 2 champions by taking the final frame of the evening against Dave France.

Anstice A slipped to only their fourth defeat this season as they entertained Shifnal F and went down 3-2.

Breaks of 24 and 25 secured the first frame for Keith Price against the in form Wally Harper before Phil Reynolds cruised into an early lead against Chris Painter only for a series of foul strokes to allow Chris to snatch the frame 62-47 to draw his side level.

Breaks of 20 and 61 then helped Neil Price to victory against Brian Painter only for Nev Whitehead to draw Shifnal level again by taking the next on the brown against Mick Cahill to set up the decider in which the "Rock" Dave Peplow once again played to the crowd with a fine victory over Nick Oakley to give Shifnal their third win of the season.

The other Shifnal team in Division 1 - the A side were also in winning mood as they overcame high flying Coddon A by three frames to two.

Simon Biddulph's first frame victory over Ian Ferriday set them on their way and they came so close to making it 2-0 when Linsay Knox failed by just a single point against Darren Weston as the visitors pulled a frame back with a 55-54 scoreline.

Another close encounter of the third frame kind saw Bernie Southern win on the final black against Adrian Smith to put the home side in front again only for Dave Lloyd to level matters once more with a 49-34 success against Andy Easthope.

That left Roy Martin to take the plaudits with a 52-46 win over Terry Brentnall in the deciding frame to give Shifnal a much needed win.

Steve Nicholls gave Bayley A the lead as they entertained Broseley but the visitors soon hit back by taking the next three frames.

Mick Brezwyn came from behind to defeat Chris Morgan-Adams and further wins for John Shepherd and Richie Hulme put the visitors firmly in control.

Steve Fletcher saved another point for the Bayley with a 60 break against Simon Mcleod to leave the visitors victorious by the odd frame.

DIVISION 3

Wellington Billiard Hall E consolidated their position at the head of Division 2 with a sound 4-1 win away at Coddon C who had Ray Whitehead to thank for their solitary point as he took frame four for the Donnington side against Chris Morris.

Alan Turner won his eighth win of the new season to give the visitors the lead - a lead that was then strengthened as Warren Barber and Mick Hughes followed Alan's lead to put the Billiard Hall 3-0 up.

Ray Evan's final frame win over Chris Ferriday sealed a fine win for the Wellington boys who head the table by two points now over Billiard Hall C who fell to their second consecutive defeat at home to Anstice B.

Nigel Wallcroft's 22 break put the seal on an opening frame win over Dave Cartledge and the home side didn't know what had hit them as John Darrock got the better of John Rawlins and then George Hammond beat Steve Minshall to put the visitors into a commanding 3-0 lead.

Fortunately the home side are made of strong stuff and they replied by taking the last two frames as first Mick Birch beat Billy Watson 64-41 and then Matty Locklin finished in style with a 31 break to pull another frame back for last year's runaway third division winners.

Coddon B lie another two points down the league in third place after recording their seventh win in nine by dropping just a single frame at home to Maddocks C.

Any Jones paved the way to a 4-1 win with a 32 break on the way to taking the first frame against Craig Rowley.

Steve Downes then made it 2-0 before Mark Wall sunk the final black to take the third frame for Coddon by just a single point against D Thomas.

Nick Pearce then piled on the pressure with a 52-36 success over Billy Rushton and it was only Joe Oliver's final frame win over Phil Szklarzewicz that saved the whitewash for Maddocks.

Shifnal E also ran out 4-1 winners as they entertained Bayley C.

Rob Wright and young Aaron Sparkes set the scene for the home side's sixth win with victories over Chris Haycox and Ian Johnson respectively.

The visitors were pleased to welcome Pete Woodcock back to the fold after his recent illness, but his lack of practice sadly told as he too fell to defeat against Chris Petford as the home side moved further ahead.

Jeff Sparkes then made it 4-0 only for Jim Lewis to save the day for the Bayley with a black ball finish against Fred Harper.

Shifnal D were also in winning mood as they returned home from Pot Black A with a 3-2 win under their belts to claim their first win of the new season.

Mick Guest gave the visitors the lead and then Geoff French doubled it as they threatened to take control.

Tom Firmstone soon put an end to any thoughts of a whitewash as he took the next for Pot Black 66-38 against Arthur Aston and Toby Welsh forced the decider with a 76-48 win over George Nelson.

However Barry Easthope's 21 break secured Shifnal's first win of the campaign as he claimed the final frame 51-29 against Neil Robinson.

STEVE FLETCHER    

Steve.Fletcher@telfordsnooker.com

Return To Top