Dawley B   vs   Bayley D

Last year saw the first undertaking of the playoff's which delivered an amazing amount of drama, so what would this season's ties produce. The lower league match up saw 2nd division Dawley B taking on 3rd division Bayley D to earn the winners a 2nd division slot for next season. The tie took place at Shifnal War Memorial club, who had presented the tables in top condition befitting of the match that was to come. Frame 1 saw Doug Morrey take on Adrian Smith, with Adrian the quickest out of the blocks with some assured early potting. However you can't keep Doug at bay, so it was no surprise that he mounted a comeback, with scores fairly even Adrian once again fought to forge ahead and held his nerve to take a clinical pink and the frame 68-54 to put Bayley 1-0 up. Frames 2 & 3 got underway at the same time, with frame 3 between Liam Goodman and Mark Beddall concluding the quickest. From the outset the frame took a set course, with Liam landing some consistent pots and Mark never quite getting the right side of the "rub of the green", Liam maintained his form to wrap it up on the colours winning 51-24 and levelling the match at 1-1. Frame 2 between Billy Fletcher and Dave Dudley seemed like a tactical war of attrition which was going to run and run, and so frame 4 also concluded before this. Frame 4 saw Wally Harper take on Dave Williams, although Wally got off to a shaky start (including a sporting nod of a foul by himself on the blue) once he got flowing he never looked back. Wally glided in a very well taken 23 break, followed up very soon with a 21 break. With balls potted from all positions on the table Dave could only stand and watch as Wally ran out a 61-9 winner to put Dawley 2-1 up. By now frame 2 was nearing an end with Billy Fletcher requiring a snooker with only the pink and black remaining. Billy played an impressive array of well weighted safety shots, but a rare lapse in standard gave Dave Dudley the chance he needed to take the pink winning 60-39 to even the scores at 2-2 and force a decider. So it all come down to Frame 5 with a very heavy weight bearing down on Barry Roden and Jim Lewis, it was understandable that a nip & tuck frame followed. It was evident that the tension was building with each shot, Jim with a shake of the head, Barry with a regular vocal displeasure as neither could open up a lead. Jim made the first clear push for the line on the colours but Barry was hanging on in requiring the 3 remaining balls. The blue was dispatched after an error by Jim, and a few shots later an opening arose where Barry potted an awkward cut on the pink coming round the table to leave a tricky potential pot on the black. The black would decide the outcome overall and Barry held his nerve and serve up the tricky pot coolly dispatched in the corner pocket, which was deserving of such a close match win in favour of 2nd division Dawley B to a rapturous delight from his team. My commiserations to the Bayley D lads who were very sporting in such a close defeat, and my thanks to Chris Fletcher who assisted me in refereeing. Report by Steve Weatherall

In the first division playoff it was another Bayley team, the B side who had finished third in division 2 up against third from bottom in division 1 Maddocks C.  This fixture was won by the second division side twelve months ago and history repeated itself once again with the Bayley lads running out 3-1 winners in another tight game.  Congratulations to the Bayley side who I’m sure will give a good account of themselves in the top flight next year.