The new season of the L&L Property Contractors Snooker League has begun with some fascinating line-ups as the opening week didn’t disappoint.
Division One league champions, Workington Golf Club got off to monumental start in their first game of the season with a 5-0 win over Division Two’s Maryport Social.
A tight first frame saw Mark Brasted pip Ben Scott with a victory on the last few balls to put the golfers 1-0 up and with a thumping win, that included a break of 42, Phil Sorfleet saw off Maryport’s Andrew Scott to extend the champions lead to 2-0.
A workman-like performance from Bryan Walker, in defeating Andrew Sharp, put the Golf Club side 3-0 up but it was team mate Mark Cowen who moved it up a notch in making it 4-0 with confident triumph over Gary Miller.
The final frame of the match had an inevitable feel about it, and as Lewis Tilley took the table he gave Greg Todd little time to get going in taking the frame convincingly to complete a superb Golf Club whitewash.
Workington’s United Club B produced the first shock result of the season with 3-2 home victory over Division One’s Workington’s Veterans Club A.
The Division Two side made the most of their home advantage with an excellent display of potting as Stephen Harrison defeated Mark Tunstall relatively comfortably.
Frame two saw Vets A’s Mark Tatton come from behind to force a black ball game but in going in-off it was Shane Tallentire who took the frame in a brilliant debut performance.
At 2-0 to United B Andrew Carter capitalised on a couple of nice touches to take out Paul Smith for 3-0.
In the next, after an unwanted spell out of the game, Stephen Jackson looked to have maintained his form but with a second half burst it was the Vets A team who pulled one back for 3-1.
In the last five time county singles champion, Kevin Basnett, missed very little and with breaks of 30 and 31 the Vets cueist triumphed over Adam Sowden to reduce the final score deficit to 3-2.
Division One’s Station Road Club held off a spirited effort from Whitehaven’s Rack Shack with a 3-2 home victory to start their campaign on a high.
The match kicked off with brilliant win for Whitehaven’s Peter McAvoy as he beat the very capable Tom Thompson. Darren Lawson produced a key pot in frame two with a winning shot on the final ball to defeat Phil Denvir for match parity at 1-1.
In the next Station Road’s new signing, Kevin Kirkham, delivered another superb potting display to preside over Neil Dougherty for the former county snooker champion to take the match lead at 2-1.
Station Road’s John Teasdale started well in frame four and with minimal resistance from Adam Morilla the Workington potter won easily to give his side an unassailable lead at 3-1.
In the last frame of the match an even game went down to the last couple of balls. However, holding his nerve it was Chris McKelvey who nicked it to defeat Chris Hunter as the Rack Shack sharpshooter pulled a frame back to end the match just one adrift at 3-2.
Finally, last season’s Division One runners-up, Workington’s United Club A, travelled the very short distance to the Vets Club and in facing the Division Two B team the visitors came back from the brink to win 3-2 from 2-0 down.
A resolute victory for Wayne Sinclair in the first frame over Dave Chapman put the Vets Club B side 1-0 up, and as Lewis Straugton produced an equally dogged display in frame two, in a victory over Clive Lister, the Vets B team were 2-0 to the good.
The third frame needed a calm head to get the tier one side off the mark and with Peter O’Hagan up for the task he surged past Vets B’s Paul Johnston to pull one back for 2-1.
Mark Suitor chipped away in frame four to move his points total along nicely and in completing the job in hand he swept aside Jordan Ferguson to drag the United A side back level at 2-2.
Any deciding frame is usually a nervy one, however Andrew Mitchelhill showed no signs of following this trend and in winning by nearly 70 points the United A captain completed a brilliant comeback victory to end at 3-2.
