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INTER
TOWN LAST 16: TELFORD A V OLDBURY at Shifnal
Tom Maxfield opened up for
Telford against Luke Higginbotham. Tom pots a great first
red and manages to compile a fantastic break of 44 with some
superb fast potting. Tom then manages to open up a 58
point lead and when left another opportunity the 'Ginger
Magician' rattles in another break of 22 after which Luke
concedes the frame.
Frame score 81-5. 1-0 to Telford
On the other table Shifnal man
John Fallows is up against the full time tour player Callum
Downing who on his last visit to Shifnal knocked in a 130
break. John starts well potting a good first red but
unfortunately misses a blue which lets Callum in who makes a
break of 38. John comes back to the table and is very
unlucky to go in off to which Callum replies with another
break of 28. John concedes the frame.
Frame score 76-14. Match score
1-1
Frame 3 and its 'Maximum Man'
Matt Davies v Oldbury's Jamie Brown a semi finalist in last
years English Amateur. Matt gets in first with a great long
red but breaks down on 12. Jamie doubles a red and makes 20
before running out of position. With good safety play from
both players Matt eventually manages to pot a fantastic long
red and compiles a break of 29 to open up a 37 point lead
with only 35 remaining. When Jamie pots the last red
and misses the pink he concedes the frame and explains that
some of the balls Matt was potting on the table he thought
he was playing 9 ball!!
Frame score 60-24. Match score
2-1 to Telford
Frame 4 on the other table saw
'Lightning' Ian Duffy up against the experienced Milan
Krstanovic. Milan gets in first with a break of 34 and when
he runs out of position he puts Ian in a really good
snooker. Ian narrowly misses the escape and from this Milan
makes another solid break of 46. Ian the hero of the
last round who never had a chance to get going concedes the
frame.
Frame score 92-11. Match score
2-2
Frame 5 sees Telford's Captain
Paul Lloyd up against the experienced Oldbury captain Neil
Beckley. After a few good safety exchanges from both players
Paul gets in first potting a fantastic long red but
unfortunately snookers himself behind the pack of reds. With
no easy escape Paul makes a great effort to play off 3
cushions to hit the green but narrowly misses. With 2 reds
over corner pockets much to everyone' surprise Oldbury's
captain applies the miss rule. After 6 attempts and with no
prospect of Neil wanting to play the game in the right
spirit, Paul pushes the white out of the pack and
leaves his opponent with no choice but to play on from which
he makes a good break of 44. When the break finally
breaks down Paul is left a chance to still turn things
around and win the frame but misses a red in the middle
pocket and duly concedes.
Frame score 98-45. Match score
3-2 Oldbury
Frame 6 sees Telford's 'Mr
Temperament' Darren Weston go up against Oldbury's West
Mids snooker veteran Roy Stokes. This is a close one all the
way through with both players potting well and playing some
good safety. With everything hinging on the colours and
the possibility of Telford going out of the competition 4-2
Darren is left a chance on the pink to steal the frame.
Needing both pink and black Darren pots a superb long pink.
With the black on its spot its looking good but
unfortunately the white keeps travelling and eventually comes
to a halt in the jaws of the corner pocket. Much to
everyone's surprise Darren calmly drops the black in and
Telford are all square 3-3!
Frame score 64-54. Match score
3-3
Frame 7 the decider sees Telford
veteran Shaun Harris up against the little known Dave Green
from Oldbury. Shaun rolling back the years gets off to a
flyer after a simple missed red from his opponent and
compiles a magnificent break of 62. A missed red into
the middle when the magic 100 seemed likely sees end of
break. With 7 reds left score is Telford 62 Oldbury 0. Dave
comes to the table and makes a remarkable 47 break from
nowhere.
1 red left and only 15
points between the 2 players. After a period of around 10
minutes of solid safety play from both players and now only
7 points separating the teams the atmosphere was electric.
Shaun is eventually presented with a long green which he
pots superbly and takes brown and blue leaving Oldbury
needing a snooker. Shaun pots pink and Telford are jubilant!
Frame score 82-59. Telford win
4-3!
Fantastic team effort from all
the players and a special thank you to Chris at Shifnal
War Memorial for laying on a superb buffet after the match!
(Thanks to Paul Lloyd for the report)
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