L & L Property Contractors Snooker League fixtures stepped aside this week as cup action featured with the Eric McMullen Memorial TKO Handicap Trophy.
The final qualifying matches took place with Group 1’s Workington United Club A and Workington Golf Club A making the semi-finals alongside Group 2’s Flimby Social and Workington’s United Club B.
In Group 1 the United Club A powered their way to a 4-1 away victory against Whitehaven’s Rack Shack for a result that saw them top the table.
Dave Chapman (+29 handicap) opened up with a solid win and as this was matched by team mate Tony Hindmoor (+50) the United A side moved 2-0 ahead.
Needing just one more frame to guarantee qualification Mark Suitor (+32) produced a determined performance to do just that, and as Peter O’Hagan (+5) took the next for 4-0 the United Club’s chances of topping the group increased.
The final frame may have gone in favour of the Rack Shack’s Andy Moore (+32) but with other results not going in their favour not only did the Whitehaven side miss out on qualification but they also failed to make the plate competition.
In the second Group 1 game Maryport Social pulled off a surprise 4-1 away victory at Workington Golf Club A but with a favourable total going into the last qualifying game the golfers still made the semi-finals.
Ben Scott (+37) got the Maryport outfit off to the perfect start with a win in the first but it was Simon Frazer who levelled the match (+23) with a victory on the last couple of balls in frame two.
At this point in the match the Golf Club A seemed to take their foot of the gas and with Maryport quick to capitalise Andrew Sharp (+37), Gary Miller (+45) and Greg Todd (+50) all won to stun the former champions.
Maryport Social not only make the plate competition on the back of a brilliant victory but their convincing scoreline also sees them awarded a home tie.
The final game in Group 1 saw a match between the two Workington Veterans Club sides.
Both teams were unable to make the main competition but in a match that was essentially a battle for a plate place the Vets A team proved to be the stronger of the two sides running out 3-2 winners.
A Mark Tunstall (+23) victory put the A team 1-0 up but with Lewis Staughton (+50) taking frame two the B team cueist levelled the match.
A victory in frame three put the Vets A outfit in a good position at 2-1 and in clearing the colours in the next it was Vets A captain Kevin Basnett (Scr) who made it 3-1 to secure a plate semi-final place.
The final frame of the match may have had no further bearing on qualification however it didn’t stop Luke Richardson (+50) delivering an assured display to take frame and finish the match with a Vets B positive.
In group 2 Flimby Social made it a qualifying clean sweep as they defeated Workington’s United Club B 4-1 away.
The result may have seen Flimby top the group but with the defeat being United B’s only qualifying loss they too made the semi-finals.
The first frame saw the ever reliable Richard Kirkham (+30) put Flimby 1-0 up but with a thumping Wayne Sinclair (+44) victory in frame two the match was in the balance at 1-1.
If Flimby needed a player to reassert their authority in the match they had the ideal exponent in frame three as Kevin Kirkham (+5) took the table. A super confident Kirkham win soon followed and with Paul Vickers (+21) backing this up in frame four a 3-1 Social lead was gained.
Playing the anchor role Geoff Banton (+39) stepped up in the last and in continuing his fine run of form the Flimby captain delivered the win to end his teams’ qualifying campaign unbeaten.
The final Group 2 game saw Workington Conservative Club beat Workington Golf Club B 3-2 at home.
However with the victory being their only qualifying success, on the back of a six frame total, they were eliminated from both the sem-finals and the plate competition.
The match begun with an assured Julian Plaza (+19) win and with a Dave Holland (+26) break of 44 in frame two the Cons outfit motored to a 2-0 lead.
An Alan Moore (+8) contribution of 40 in frame three would normally have been enough for the win but with Ryan Pearson (+45) making most of his handicap advantage the Golf Club B cueist pulled one back for 2-1.
Ryan Barker (+26) battled hard in frame four to win on the last few colours as he assured the Cons side went away as match winners.
In the final frame Fletcher Hodgson (+45) showed some solid tactical awareness to record a superb victory, reducing the deficit in a result that still sees his side qualify for the plate competition.
Tables
Group 1
1. W’ton United Club A – P5 W4 F16 (Q)
2. W’ton Golf A – P5 W3 F14 (Q)
3. M’port Social – P5 W2 F13 (P)
4. W’ton Vets A – P5 W2 F12 (P)
5. W’haven Rack Shack – P5 W2 F10 (E)
6. W’ton Vets B – P5 W2 F10 (E)
Group 2
1. Flimby Social – P4 W4 F16 (Q)
2. W’ton United Club B – P4 W3 F11 (Q)
3. W’ton Golf B – P4 W1 F9 (P)
4. W’ton Station Road – P4 W1 F8 (P)
5. W’ton Cons – P4 W1 F6 (E)
Key:
Q = Qualified for semi finals
P = Plate competition semi finals
E = Eliminated
Eric McMullen Memorial TKO Handicap Trophy Semi-final Draw (28th Feb 2024):
W’ton United A v W’ton United B
Flimby Social v W’ton Golf A
Plate Semi-final Draw (28th Feb 2024):
W’ton Golf B v W’ton Vets A
M’port Social v W’ton Station Road
