With almost a third of the Telford Snooker League (sponsored by Romeo & Juliets) completed, the three divisions are starting to take shape with reigning champions Anstice A heading the first division table yet again by two points over Maddocks A who are the only unbeaten team in the top flight.

Maddocks are also chasing honours in Divisions 2 and 3. Their D team are also undefeated and head the third division table by two points and the Oakengates club have two sides in the top five contenders for the second division title.

Indeed things couldn’t be closer at the top of the second division with just two points separating the top seven sides.

Maddocks D head the table with 21 points along with Coddon C with three teams a point behind and another two on nineteen points.

Maddocks B began last week’s encounter with Coddon B in fine fettle, taking the first three frames through Wally Harper, Les Hicks and Doug Morrey but any hopes they had of pulling away at the top were soon dashed as Steve Downs reduced the deficit with a 58-27 defeat of Steve Pritchard before Phil Szklarzewicz won a close final frame 56-45 against John Archer.

Coddon C fell for the second time this season when they lost out to visitors and rivals Maddocks C 3-2

Don Bayliss gave the home side an ideal start winning a close frame against Nev Whitehead on the pink

Joe Oliver then levelled matters with an emphatic win over Alan Hedgecock clocking in a superb 40 break on his way.

Sef Tusel looked to be cruising against Bill Rushton but the Maddocks favourite found another gear and ran out a 78-36 winner.

Matt Bothwell squared the match with a win over Jim Hill. Matt looked a certainty for the frame knocking in an early 30 break but Jim came back with a run of 24 leaving only to lose out eventually on the pink.

Colin Smith then won the match for the Foundrymen by pipping Ray Whitehead 58-49. Colin was somewhat fortunate to fluke the last pink but a super double black made his day.

Bayley A join Dawley A just a point behind the leaders following a 4-1 win over the Dawley club’s B string.

Steve Nicholls was in impressive form early on to give the visitors the lead with a good win over Kev Jones.

Steve Hewitt survived a good fight-back from Arthur Burrows to take the next on the black for Dawley only for the Bayley to go back in front again courtesy of Spencer Rowley’s 82-48 success over Barry Roden – the Dawley man’s first defeat of the season.

Steve Fletcher and Chris Morgan-Adams then wrapped up the Bayley’s best win of the season to leave them level with Dawley A who fell to a rare defeat at Minnesota Fats B.

Mick Pearson gave the home side the lead only for Mark Jones to reply for Dawley. Mick Egan restored Minnesota’s lead with a fine win over Pete Nolan only for the visitors to claw their way back again through captain courageous Rick Bailey.

However the Canongate side had the final say as Neil Pearson completed a 56-33 win over Chris Woods to leave themselves as one of two teams on 19 points – just two off the lead.

Little Dawley C’s 3-2 win over Billiard Hall C sees them move up to seventh spot. The first two frames were shared with John Bowen taking the opener for Little Dawley and Wayne Weeks replying for the visitors.

Graham Wiley and Steve Farrington then made it 3-1 to the home side but a last gasp victory for Arron O’Donnell on the black against Colin Gittus left the final score 3-2 to Little Dawley.

My apologies go to the Little Dawley team as last week’s report stated that they had lost to Coddon C by 57 points in the cup match – when in fact they had won by the same margin.

Little Dawley’s G side also won by the odd frame when they came from a frame down to defeat Anstice C 3-2.

Jason Mills gave the visitors the lead and they looked like doubling that advantage when Steve Camp knocked in a 38 break against Darren Leneveu in the next.

But the Little Dawley man rallied superbly to take the frame 61-50 to level the scores at one frame all.

Colin Westwood did give Anstice the lead again – with a 61-47 win over T Hill – but it was to be his side’s last win of the evening as Chris Leneveu and Roy Vickery took the last two frames to give Little Dawley the match.

DIVISION 1

With last week’s games tasking place on bonfire night there were going to be a few sparks flying when Anstice A took on Shifnal A for the third time in just a couple of weeks.

The Madeley side had proved themselves to be the top guys in recent weeks having narrowly edged out Shifnal in the cup last week and also beating them in the West Midland League.

And although visiting captain Angus Way was looking to light the blue touch paper on his side’s fortunes it was the Madeley side who rocketed into the lead as Ian Duffy produced a sparkling break of 49 to take the opening frame from John Fallows.

Madeley continued to produce a remarkable display and the Price brothers Neil and Keith rapped up the next two frames with victories over Linsay Knox and Angus Way respectively.

Noel Stones then got the better of Roy Martin to make it 4-0 before an explosive performance from Nick Oakley saw him rattle in a run of 29 to edge out Simon Biddulph 67-54 to complete the whitewash.

Maddocks A stay hot on the Madeley side’s heals following a 3-2 home win over Shifnal B although they did fall behind early on when John Powell took the opening frame from Chris Ward Individual Champion Phil Davis.

Ian Eldridge and Darren Wincott turned the match Maddocks’ way and they made certain of keeping their unbeaten record intact through Leigh France’s narrow victory over Nigel Stallard.

Both players had chances to clinch the frame in a nervy finish but it was Leigh who potted a great pink into the middle before slotting home the final black to take the frame by a single point.

However, any thoughts the visitors had of an even more comprehensive win were soon dashed as M Shadab took the final frame from Ian Skelton to leave the visitors with two well earned points.

The title now looks destined to be decided between Anstice A and Maddocks A as the gap between the Oakengates side and third-placed Coddon A is now some six points after Terry Brenthall took the deciding frame to secure Coddon’s fourth win of the campaign.

A 34 break from Andy O’Brien gave Bayley E the early lead as the Wellington man got the better of Ian Ferriday but the visitors replied through wins from Lee Szklarzewicz and Zenon Lembicz and they almost made it 3-1 only for Ali Jones to save another point for last season’s second division champions with a close 59-51 win over the Coddon captain.

As a result Coddon leapfrog over Bayley E into third place with both sides having 20 points but with Coddon having won one more match.

Last season’s runners-up Broseley A are a further two points adrift following a 4-1 win at home to Wellington Billiard Hall A.

Carl Walker opened proceedings with a black ball finish against John Rawlins and the home side doubled their lead courtesy of a fine win for Richie Hulme over Mick Hughes.

Graham Darrall pulled a frame back for the visitors with a 64-49 success over Mick Brezwyn but further wins for Paul Humphries over Andy Kendrick and Simon McLeod, who beat Alan Turner, secured a 4-1 win for the home side.

The Wellington side now lie in bottom place in the table a point behind Shifnal B and a further point below both Anstice D and Little Dawley A.

Little Dawley A grabbed two vital points as they strive to retain their first division status and they almost recorded a third win of the season but for Aaron Sparkes’ black ball win over Steve Hicks which gave Shifnal E the lead.

Ade Henry levelled matters with a 55-32 win over Jeff Sparkes but the home side moved ahead again as Matthew Davies notched a 32 break on the way to defeating Richie Heighway 75-45.

Lee Elcock has been in fine form this season – and he continued his good run with a fine win over D Billingham to force the decider which saw Chris Petford run out a 52-32 winner against Jesse Lowe to claim Shifnal E’s first win of the season.

Minnesota Fats A did their hopes of avoiding the drop a power of good as they moved away from the relegation battle with a superb 4-1 win at home to Anstice D.

Kev West’s 59-45 win over Phil Reynolds set the scene and further wins for Steve Collins over Adam Moore and Keith Blackham against Andy Elliott made it 3-0 to the home side.

Jamie Morris stretched the lead still further with a good win over Nigel Wallcroft and the visitors only managed to stave off the whitewash thanks to a solid performance from John Jones who took the final frame for Anstice 56-29 against Paul Devey.

DIVISION 3

Maddocks D maintained their unbeaten start to the season – but only just as they took the opening frame on the black against Wellington Billiard Hall F – before completing a 3-2 win.

Martin Wincott’s 40-36 win over Martin Chapman put the third division leaders in front but they were pegged back as Chris Bates got the better of Ken Davies 65-28 in the next.

M Lucas and Brendan Wincott both scored good victories over Pete Smith and Chris Fletcher respectively as the Oakengates side moved into a 3-1 lead but a fine win for Rob Cook over Fred Spragg salvaged another point for the Billiard Hall and means that Maddocks lead at the top of the table is cut to two points as Bayley F took all but one point from their visit to Newport.

The Bayley side rocketed into a two frame lead courtesy of Chris Shaw and Paul Maxfield before a high-scoring third frame went the way of young Tom Maxfield as he beat Nigel Simpson 94-54.

Alan Davies came close to salvaging a point for the British Legion only to fall eleven points short against Andy Summers but the home side did get their just deserts through Les Stirlings' final frame win over Eddie Whitehead.

Bayley B now lie in third place despite falling to their third defeat of the season in the derby game with Bayley D.

Kelvin McLeod gave the B string the start they were looking for with a 41-20 success over Brian Aberdeen.

Darren Rhoades levelled for the D team only for Dickie Beddall’s 69-34 defeat of Steve Lane to put the B side in front once more.

Dave Williams drew the visitors level again with a fine 59-43 defeat of Dick Oliver leaving Dave Dudley to once again prove his worth as anchor man with a 50-24 deciding frame win over Alan Wheatley.

Balyey B share third place with Minnesota Fats C after the Canongate side also lost by the odd frame away to Shifnal D.

Terry Askey was in scintillating form to give Shifnal the lead with fine win over Toby Welsh and the home side increased that lead as Sanjay Chauhan knocked in a run of 22 against Bob Lane.

Dave Welsh won Minnesota’s first frame of the evening with a 62-42 win over Geoff French but Arthur Aston restored Shifnal’s two-frame lead with a similar win over Paul Crooks.

However, Barrie Easthope was unable to increase his side’s winning margin any further as Neil Robinson took the final frame for the visitors by 65 points to 25.

Little Dawley B moved up to a mid-table position following a stunning 5-0 win away at Wellington Billiard Hall B.

Gary Clements and Phil Cottey led the way with wins over Kev Whitehead and Gareth Hughes respectively.

Mike Rhoades followed suit with a 63-25 success over Danny Francis and Craig Darrock and Rob Barlow both scored a total of 54 points as they accounted for Alan Francis and Iain Atkinson in the final two frames.

League newcomers Hadley A came from behind to claim their first ever win away to Anstice B.

Danny Weaver gave the Madeley side the lead but Steve Dicken levelled matters with a 62-40 win over George Hammond.

Mick Cahill’s 49-22 defeat of L Hayes restored Anstice’s lead but Alan Barnett’s black ball finish against Steve Smallwood set Rich Goldie up for an historic deciding frame win over Bill Watson as the Hadley man took the frame 47-30 for Hadley’s first ever win on the Telford League.

STEVE FLETCHER    

Steve.Fletcher@telfordsnooker.com

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