The Eric McMullen memorial TKO handicap trophy qualifying round three took place this week in the L&L Property Contractors Snooker League with Workington Golf Club A and Flimby Social topping their respective qualifying groups on the back of two excellent victories.
Workington Golf Club A made the short journey to Workington Veterans Club and with a solid display they ran out 5-0 winners.
Victories for Phil Sorfleet (+14 handicap), Ryan Ismay (+15) and Bryan Walker soon put the golf club A side 3-0 up. A break of 30 enabled Mark Brasted (+17) to produce the evening’s most comprehensive display and with Lewis Tilley (+40) taking the last the golf club A whitewash saw them move to the top of group 1. Vets B sit fifth in group 1.
In group 2 Flimby Social put themselves in superb position with respect to qualifying for the semi finals with a 5-0 home win over Workington’s Station Road Club. A first frame victory for Michael ‘Sid’ Walker (+30) put Flimby in the lead and as captain, Geoff Banton (+39) won the next the Social lead was doubled.
A close win for Richard Kirkham (+30) followed by a more one-sided victory for Kevin Kirkham (+5) and Flimby were now four to the good.
Even with the match victory firmly secured it didn’t stop the social side from pushing on and with an imperious display in frame five it was Sal Cakmak (+27) who completed the whitewash in emphatic fashion to put one foot in the next round.
Back in group 1 Workington’s United Club A brushed aside fellow townies Workington Veterans Club A to sit second in the table on the back of a 4-1 home win. A return to the baize for Shaun Moore (+50) saw him take the first and as Tony Hindmoor (+50) presided in frame two, under strange circumstances, the United B side went 2-0 up. Vets
A captain Kevin Basnett (Scr) offered some resistance in the next with breaks of 31 and 45 to make it 2-1 but it was victories from Mark Suitor (+32) and Dave Chapman (+29) in frames four and five that carried the United A outfit over the line to significantly increase their qualifying odds.
The final match in group 2 this week saw Workington’s United Club B make it two qualifying wins out of two with a 3-2 away victory against Workington Golf Club B.
Fletcher Hodgson (+45) gave the golfers an early lead with a win in frame one however it was Stephen Harrison (+36) who levelled the match for United B with a solid display in the next.
A victory for Wayne Sinclair (+44) gave United B the match lead for the first time at 2-1 but it was Golf Club B’s Paul Brown (+45) who took the game to a decider with a final ball victory in frame four.
The final frame of the match produced the inevitable tense affair but in taking the initiative it was Adam Sowden (+45) who claimed the match victory to the delight of the United Club B side.
Finally, the only remaining match of the week saw Whitehaven’s Rack Shack win in a decider to beat Maryport Social 3-2 and move above their opponents into a group 1 third spot. In his usual top of the order placing Ben Scott (+32) opened up the match with a win to put Maryport 1-0 in front.
Nevertheless, back came the Rack Shack and a with a crucial black ball win from Paul Cass (+40) followed by a Phil Denvir (+35) victory in the third, the Whitehaven side snatched the match lead at 2-1.
A victory for Maryport’s Andrew Scott (+34) in the next took the game to a decider but with coolness personified it was Andrew Moore (+32) who kept the Rack Shack in the qualifying hunt with a brilliant win in the final frame decider.
