SENIORS SNOOKER: GOLD MAINTAIN STANDARD
Week 11 fixturesin the Dumfries & Galloway Seniors Snookerseason, sponsored by M&S Engineering Ltd, took place on Monday, the matches constituting the end of the first half of the league programme.
Team Performances
Leaders Sands Gold were expected winners at Locharbriggs ‘B’ whilst Ex ‘A’ bounced back after dropping a point in the Ex derby last week to comfortably beat the Blue Bell in the Annan derby. Two black ball finishes in favour of the visitors saw Albert ‘A’ take the points at Locharbriggs ‘C’. The Albert Club v Locharbriggs Auto match also saw two black ball endings, one to each team, with the spoils shared. Annan Ex managed their 4th win of the season against newcomers, Albert ‘B’ ,whilst Locharbriggs ‘A’ will be more than content with their away whitewash against Sands Copper.
Monday’s Results:
ANNAN EX‘A’ 4 / BLUE BELL 0ALBERT ‘B’ 1 / ANNAN EX 3
LOCHARBRIGGS ‘B’ 0 / SANDS GOLD 4
SANDS COPPER 0 / LOCHARBRIGGS ‘A’ 4
LOCHARBRIGGS ‘C’ 0 / ALBERT ‘A’ 4
ALBERT CLUB 2 / LOCHARBRIGGS AUTO 2
Victory for the top two teams mean that Sands Gold remain two points clear of Annan Ex ‘A’. Despite their away defeat, the Blue Bell cling on to 3rd spot, although their six point deficit to the leaders means their championship hopes are all but gone. Unless the 2nd half of the season sees significant upsets, the league championship is in the hands of either Sands Gold or Annan Ex ‘A’, the sides’ remaining fixture on 18th January being the crunch tie of the season.
Individual Performances
The Albert Club’s Derek Cannan pulled his team back from the brink of defeat against Locharbriggs Auto courtesy of a black ball denouement in his frame against Robert Gordon. Earlier in the match, his Albert Club teammate, Alex Currie, made a dramatic recovery, clawing back at least three snookers on the brown to force a potential black ball respot, only to see opponent Mike Kirk pot the black for victory!
Albert ‘A’ veteran Bill Redpath is again on the winner’s rostrum, this week’s disappointed opponent being Locharbriggs ‘C’s Alan Gibson.
Breaks (this week)
Although difficult to believe, after last week’s plethora of breaks, in both quantity and quality, this week saw only 5!In the Main category, sponsored by Industrial Pipework Services (Scotland),Neil Sharkey topped the bill with a 32, George Pool scored a 28 whilst Ian McKnight landed a 23.
In the SOS category (breaks of 16 and over), , sponsored by Max Hall Plumbing and Building Maintenance,Neil Sharkey added a 17 to his 32 whilst Brian Marshall also scored a 17.
Breaks (to date)
In the High Break Award, Main Category,Roy Handley’s 72 continues to lead.
The Aggregate Break award, sponsored by Nithsdale Plumbing and Heating, sees Paul Jamieson remain in a dominant position.
In the SOS equivalents, Ex ‘A’s Neil Sharkey broke his previous record by 1 point to register 32 this week whilst his leading accumulated break stands at 217.
Best Performance
In the Main category, sponsored by Kingsmoor Training Solutions Ltd, Sands Gold’s Paul Jamieson continues to lead (played 11 won 11) with Ex ‘A’s Richard Andrewand Paul Whelan his closest rivals, one win behind. Two players sit a further win adrift.
In the SOS equivalent, sponsored by Building Craftsmen, the Bell’s Jim O’Donnell slips off a share of the top spot after his defeat, leaving Lindsay Currie in the lead (played 10 won 9).
Singles and PairsKOs
The first four quarter finalists in the Singles Championship, sponsored by Lee Glover Roofing, became known this week, with wins for last season’s runner up Paul Jamieson, current champion Paul Whelan, Rob Kerr and Ian Wells, whilst Paul Whelan and Glen Mundle reached the last 8 of the Pairs Championship, sponsored by John Gibson & Sons.
Billiards Championship
Entries for the 2016 Dumfries & Galloway Championship are now being taken. This is an ‘open’ KO event, hence players of all ages are eligible to enter. Please contact the Association Coordinator for details. The draw will take place on 21st December.
Next Week
The opening matches of the Team Singles Handicap KO take place. Annan Ex travel to Albert ‘B’, Locharbriggs ‘C’ face Ex ‘A’ in Annan, whilst the Locharbriggs ‘A’ and Auto teams have home ties against Sands Copper and Gold respectively. The Blue Bell, Locharbriggs ‘B’, the Albert Club and Albert ‘A’ have byes.