We have reached the penultimate matches of the snooker league this week, and it looks like congratulations to Anstice A in the first division, and certainly congratulations to Bayley A in the second division.

Anstice A are five points clear of second placed Broseley A this week, with just one match to go, and with their last match of the season at home to Shifnal A.

Anstice A were at home to Shifnal B, and the only player that might have made a difference, and did was Matt Davies, who just happened to knock in a 105 break during his match with Shawn Harris. That score was 105-13. However that was the only hic-up through out the evening, although I couldn’t help but notice that Richard Wade won his game also, which made it five out of six wins for him. The substitution of Richard this season was a shrewd move and has been significant in the race to the title.

Broseley were at home to one of the relegation candidates, Dawley Social A. Their final push towards the title ended at Dawley when Dawley produced a fine performance to beat the Broseley side 3-2. G. Long started well for Broseley by taking the first frame 59-49 playing Chris Woods. Mark Jones, a very capable player, hit back to take the next frame off Carl Walker 65-42. A close affair in the next game, but Pete Nolan for Dawley just pipped P. Humphries at the post, 64-59. Mick Brezwyn then beat Rick Bailey 62-47 before Sean Nolan wrapped the match up for Dawley with a 65-14 win over Simon McLeod.

Maddocks A travelled to Audco where they played the W. B.H. A side. This was an important match for the Wellington side, but, with a player short, they can only thank Andy Kendrick’s for the solitary point that they scored when he beat Ian Skelton.

L.D.S. A found themselves two games down at the Bayley club when they played Bayley E. But then the three musketeers, Tim Hicks, Matt Bailey and Darren Pountney made the great escape, taking the three remaining points to keep their unbeaten second half of the season intact.

Shifnal A will finish a comfortable fifth in the table after beating Min Fats A 3-2 at home, but Min Fats A find themselves relegated to the second division.

Talking of relegation, it’s all happening at the bottom of the table, and the W.B.H.A side after a string of poor results find themselves in battle with Codden B, and Dawley A. to remain in the first division, albeit, under a different name!

As mentioned earlier, the Dawley side did themselves proud at Broseley, but Dawley and the Wellington side clash in the final match of the season, and this match will decide which of the two favourites for the drop, Wellington or Codden go down.

Codden B are just two points behind Wellington after beating the Anstice D side 3-2. The Codden side made the most of their home advantage, but have a tough match away to Bayley E for their final match of the season.

In the second division, according to the score card, champions, Bayley A beat Maddocks D at the Bayley, 4-1, however the scores on the card add up to five wins and this is how I have entered the result. That solitary point may well have helped Maddocks D in their plight to avoid the drop, but it looks like they now have it all to do.

It’s a long haul over the season to maintain positions, and nothing proves it more, especially in the case of Maddocks C whose promotion hopes took a serious knock this week when they were thumped 4-1 by visitors, Min Fats. G. What on paper should have been a reasonable win for the foundry men, things just took a reverse ending.

Craig Davies clinched the first frame on the brown for the Cannongate lads as he conquered Dave Thomas for a score of 61-46. Colin Smith then levelled the points with a 59-43 victory over Jamie Price followed by Tony Marshall taking the last four colours coolly to beat graham Hoof and make it 2-1 to the visitors, with Aaron O’Donnell making it 3-1 after Bill Rushton missed an easy winning pink and went down 53-47. Nev Whitehead looked to have salvaged another point for the hosts but after potting the final black saw his white sail into the bottom pocket to give Wayne Weeks a 53-48 victory.

Without key players like Joe Oliver and Jim Hill. Maddocks must now pull out all the stops when visiting L.D.S.G. next week. Report courtesy of Nev and Pat Whitehead.

Dawley B are still knocking on the door of promotion and with Maddocks C losing 4-1, Dawley with their 3-2 win over Anstice C move to within two points of the Maddocks side.

Bayley F, at home with a slightly weakened team, lost 3-2 to L.D.S.G which will leave the Bayley side mid position but this win is a massive boost for L.D.S.G. although they meet the foundry men from the other end of the table for their last match.

Shifnal F, despite losing 3-2 away to the Second club Trench, are third from bottom in this division, but two points ahead of Maddocks B.

Maddocks B were at home and were dealt a huge blow by the Codden C team. Wally Harper started well for Maddocks winning his frame against A. Hedgecock narrowly by 58-45, but after that game, although Les Hicks lost on the black, it was all downhill for Maddocks B and the final result was 4-1 to the Codden side.

In division three Bayley D are two points in front of the Anstice B, side but only because the scorecard has not arrived from the Anstice side. A shame this at such an interesting and important time for the teams involved! However, Bayley D did well to get the result when they visited L.D.S.X. and came away winning the match 3-2.

This was no easy match for the Bayley men when Craig Whitehead won the first game on the black playing Phil Padmore with a score line of 59-56. The next game was more comfortable for the Bayley side as Dave Dudley strolled to an easy win of 53-3 over Matt Hickman. So all going well, but the battle continued when Dave Williams just shaded the game 60-59 to get a third point from Ryan Jackson.

That was the Bayley sides last point from the match and after two very close games, earlier, Jason Hickman then beat Daz Rhodes 53-26 and Sean Jackson beat Jim Lewis 68-24 to give the Little Dawley side two points.

LDS J and Hadley will finish as the bottom two of division three now, after the Bayley B side beat LDS B 3-2, and of course the result that Bayley D and all of us would like to see, that of Anstice B versus Hadley A.

Newport Legion can be well pleased with their achievements this season and in their match at home to Little Dawley J returned a winning score line 3-2.

Min Fats C entertained the W.B.H.B. side and gained a 3-2 win. Both sides will be hoping to improve their showing next season I’m sure.

Shifnal D have just missed the boat in the current campaign but still recorded a 3-2 win over the improving Bayley Q lads. Terry Askew made a break of 29 whilst beating Chris Durham 71-17 followed by Sanjay Chauhan; also with a break of 26 during his fine win of 76-7 over Chris Fletcher.

Pete Smith, playing very well this season, hit back to get the Bayley’s first point on the card with an 81-41 victory over Geoff French. Steven Weatherall continued the comeback beating Arthur Aston 68-28 until Barrie Easthope for Shifnal took control of the last game and made it 3-2 for Shifnal beating Richard Tranter 66-23.

Alan Turner    

Alan.Turner@telfordsnooker.com

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