There were contrasting results for two of the clubs playing in the Telford Snooker League first division last week with both Shifnal War Memorial Club sides taking on opposition from Wellington's Billiard Hall - with very different outcomes.

In fact both away sides returned home with a maximum haul of five points - Shifnal F continued their recent upward trend with a 5-0 win at Billiard Hall A whilst fifteen minutes down the M54 Wellington Billiard Hall E were taking all five frames against a Shifnal A side whose fine start to the season has evaporated since the New Year.

Shifnal F's determination to continue to play first division snooker next year is certainly reaping rewards as they travelled to play Billiard Hall A and notched up all five points.

Wally Harper paved the way with a pink ball win over secretary Alan Turner. Chris painter then had a more convincing win of 56-31 over Andy Phelan before Spencer Rowley just pipped Graham Darrall on the black 60-49 to make it 3-0.

Dave Peplow notched up win number four by beating Mick Hughes 57-24 leaving skipper Nev Whitehead to complete the whitewash by taking the final frame on the blue against Mick Gears 54-32.

Whilst Shifnal F's recent performances have seen them move steadily upwards and away from the relegation zone, their club-mates from Shifnal A have been travelling in the opposite direction as the one-time contenders for the league title dropped to fifth following a disappointing result at home to Wellington Billiard Hall A.

John Fallows looked all set for a big break but took his eye of the black when in the early twenties allowing Ray Evans to take full advantage by taking the frame by 60 points to 33 to give the visitors the lead.

A Ali's 52-39 defeat of Linsay Knox doubled the Wellington side's advantage and they went further ahead when Phil Whitby took the next from Roy Martin with a 34 break.

Nigel Stallard's 76-39 win over Andy Easthope made it 4-0 and last season's second division runners-up left home happy after M Shadab secured the last frame for them as well with a superb 68-36 triumph over Simon Biddulph.

Shifnal's hopes of lifting the league title may well have faded for another season- but Broseley's aspirations are still on track after a 4-1 home win over Dawley A.

And with joint leaders at start of play Anstice A only taking three frames from their game with Minnesota Fats the Broseley lads now sit proudly at the top of the table.

Richie Hulme won his thirteenth game of the season to put Broseley in front with a 63-17 success over Chris Woods and the home side continued to impress with Tim Hicks taking frame two with an equally impressive victory over Barry Roden.

Mark Jones responded magnificently for the visitors as he took the next frame on the black against Mick Brezwyn to give his Dawley team-mates some hope - but alas it proved to be only a consolation as Paul Humphries and Simon McLeod wrapped up the final two frames for Broseley by beating Rick Bailey and Pete Nolan respectively.

Their win leaves Broseley a point ahead of Anstice A who dropped two frames from their home tie with Minnesota Fats A.

Shaun Harris kept up the pressure on Richie Hulme as the two of them battle it out for the most wins trophy as he too notched up his thirteenth win with a 47 break against Steve Collins.

Ian Duffy's 64-21 win over Jon Wright made it 2-0 and things continued to look good for the Madeley side when Neil Price took the next frame 54-41 to deny Kev West.

However the visitors battled back to take the last two frames as first Steve Osborn accounted for Keith Price 50-22 and then Paul Devey defeated Noel Stones 56-38 to leave the Anstice in second spot - four points ahead of Coddon A who recorded a stunning 5-0 win over Maddocks A.

Darren Weston set the scene early on posting a 32 break on the way to an opening frame victory over Phil Davis.

Adrian Smith wasted no time in making 2-0 with a fine performance against Darren Wincott before Zenon Lembicz piled on the pressure with a lovely 67 break against Maddocks captain Dave France.

Dave Lloyd's 62-39 success over the in-form Ian Skelton continued the trend and with Ian Ferriday notching a 44 break to deny Leigh France the Donnington side kept to within five points of the league leaders and in the process consolidated their position in third spot.

Little Dawley A's hopes of avoiding the drop to Division Two received a boost when they claimed their seventh win of the season without star man Darren Pountney who was laid up with flu.

However they must have thought that it wasn't to be their night as Darren Steven's took the first frame for Anstice D on the black against Ade Henry and then Phil Reynolds got the better of Rick Cousins to put the visitors two up.

Richie Heighway turned the tide though as a 31 break against Nigel Wallcroft put Little Dawley's first frame on the board and Jesse Lowe drew them level with a 61-39 win over Andy Elliot.

That left Graham Wiley to complete a fine come-back with a 54-26 win over John Jones to leave the home side victorious by the odd frame.

DIVISION 2

Second division leaders Bayley E extended their lead over the chasing pack to four points when they took all five frame on offer against Little Dawley C.

The visitors never looked back after Andy O'Brien took the opening frame from Lee Drinkwater with a 27 clearance. Martin Watkin's 55-31 success over Mike King doubled the Bayley's advantage and a superb performance from Steve Hoof against Byron Mitchell made it 3-0.

Steve Owen made no mistake either as he claimed the next for the Wellington side against home captain Steve Farrington and another good display from Ali Jones secured the final frame against Lee Elcock to complete the whitewash.

Shifnal E looked as though they might also take all five frames as they took the first four against bottom of the table Anstice B only for George Hammond to save the day for the visitors with a fine 54-45 victory over Jeff Sparkes.

Jeff's son Aaron had earlier given Shifnal the perfect start with a 55-15 win over Steve Smallwood.

Matt Davies followed Aaron's win with a stunning performance against the unfortunate Mick Cahill. The former English Amateur Champion rattled in breaks of 49 and 61 to put the home side two up and further wins for Rob Edmunds and Chris Petford over Danny Weaver and Stew Wimbush respectively made the final score 4-1 to Shifnal - who maintain a healthy three point lead over both Bayley A and Wellington Billiard Hall C.

The Bayley had Steve Nicholls in fine form knocking in breaks of 23 and 20 on the way to an opening frame victory over Little Dawley G's Pat Frost.

Arthur Burrows kept his cool to put the home side two up with a solid display against Graham Copson and although Roy Leneveu took the next for the visitors with a superb 61-35 win over Chris Adams, the home side took the final two frames for a 4-1 win.

Bob Mason was in unstoppable form against Chris Leneveu to make it 3-1 leaving Steve Fletcher to put the icing on the cake with a 70 break on the way to claiming the final frame from Daz Lenevue.

As a result Bayley A now have a share of third spot along with Wellington Billiard Hall C who dropped three points as they entertained Coddon C.

Ian Eldridge's 31 break helped him to an opening frame win over Don Bayliss as the Wellington side took the lead but their joy was to be short-lived as Matt Bothwell claimed the next on the black against Wellington captain John Rawlins.

Alex Turnbull put the home side back in front by taking the next, also on the black, against Fraser MacKinnon but the visitors finished strongly with Sef Tusel beating Aaron O'Donnell and Ray Whitehead taking the decider 56-34 from Wayne Weeks.

Maddocks C lie just one point further back in fifth spot after securing all five points from their encounter with Audco.

Dave Thomas just pipped Pete Smith 61-52 to take the opening frame before Jim Hill notched a 23 break on the way to a fine win over Andy Heathcote.

Joe Oliver's 49-35 defeat of Ray Hendy made it 3-0 and further wins for Billy Rushton and Colin Smith, the latter with a 22 break completed a fine win for the Oakengates team who leapfrog over Coddon B.

The Donnington side came from behind after Mick Pearson's 58-50 victory over Mark Wall to eventually take the match by the odd frame.

Their opponents, Minnesota Fats B will have been disappointed to have lost out though as they took the second frame as well through Kirk Stephenson's 65-47 success against Bob Dando.

Steve Downs rallied his troops superbly as he pulled a frame back for the visitors with a fine win over Harry Jones and when Nick Pearce salvaged the next frame too, 56-43 against Rob Palin, a tense finish was assured.

But Phil Szklarzewicz showed no nerves as he completed a fine comeback to secure his side's tenth win of the campaign with a 69-31 final frame score against Neil Pearson.

DIVISION 3

Third placed Maddocks B put the cat amongst the pigeons in Division 3 when they rocked leaders Bayley F by taking the match by three frames to two.

Doug Morrey kept himself in pole position for the most wins trophy with a narrow 58-46 win over young Tom Maxfield and the home side then extended their lead as veteran Les Hicks took another close frame on the black against Andy Summers.

John Archer then made it 3-0 with a super win over Paul Maxfield before the visitors rekindled their title ambitions by taking the last two frames of the evening.

Chris Shaw's 62-28 defeat of Steve Pritchard gave the Wellington side hope and with Eddie Whitehead taking the final frame 63-27 against Ant Loveitt the Bayley maintained their push for promotion and indeed still head the table by four points from Anstice C - although the Madeley side's result from last week has not yet been received.

Their were mixed fortunes for the other two Bayley sides in this division as Bayley D won 4-1 at Wellington Billiard Hall B with Bayley C falling by the same score at home to Bayley F.

Darren Rhoades set the D team on their way with a captain's performance against Gareth Hughes. The ever-steady Dave Williams made it 2-0 against Ken Francis before Alan Francis rescued a frame for the home side with a close 38-27 success over Bill France.

Sunderland fan Brian Aberdeen may be singing the blues as far as the Black Cats are concerned this season - but he's not letting it effect his snooker and he restored the Bayley's two frame advantage with a 56-30 win over Roy Francis leaving Dave Dudley to put the seal on a fine all round performance with a 56-25 final frame win over Iain Atkinson.

Bayley C's improvement in form of late took a tumble when they were well beaten by local visitors Wellington Billiard Hall F.

The visitors had been struggling to put a team out over recent weeks due to work commitments, which had been the main reason for their slide down the table, and the same fate befell them on their travels to the Bayley.

Craig Whitehead got Bayley off to the start skipper Mike Healey was looking for when he outpointed Chris Fletcher 48-37, but it was to be the only chalk the home side was to record.

Jim Lewis's run of seven successive wins came to an end when Billiard Hall's new recruit Spencer Clarke ran out a comfortable winner 77-28 to square the match.

Chris Durham took advantage of two cruel in-offs suffered by Chris Haycox to take the third frame 66-34, and then Rich Tranter secured victory for the Billiard Hall with a low scoring win over Craig Johnson 44-20.

Rob Cook then wrapped up a good evenings work for the visitors when he took the final frame from home skipper Mike Healey 52-38.

Toby Welsh was Minnesota Fats C's hero as he took the deciding frame for the Canongate side to give them their tenth win of the season as they entertained Newport British Legion B.

The visitors took the lead when Darren Edwards knocked in a 22 break on the way to an 61-31 opening frame win over Mike Thompson and although Neil Thompson levelled maters with a 23 break against Alan Munn and Tom Firmstone took the next to deny Keith Gardner, the frame scores were all level again after four frames.

Mike Doverskog showed no signs of jet lag after being delayed on the train as he levelled the frame scores at two apiece with a 57-19 success over Dave Welsh but it wasn't to be Newport's night as Toby Welsh got the better of Manjit Gidda in the final frame to complete a 3-2 win for the home side.

STEVE FLETCHER    

Steve.Fletcher@telfordsnooker.com

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