The top four playoff semi-finals in the L&L Property Contractors Snooker League delivered high tension, as both ties in division 1 went down to a deciding black-ball frame.
Division two didn’t disappoint however as with some quality snooker the final pairing was decided.
In the first of the division one playoff semi-finals Workington’s Vets Club A stunned the league runners-up in Workington’s Station Road with a thrilling 3-2 away victory, earning their spot in the final after a display full of grit and determination.
Vets A captain, Kevin Basnett got the visitors off to a perfect start, producing a composed 75-34 win over Tom Thompson in frame one.
Mark Tunstall followed this with a narrow 64-42 victory against Chris Hunter, doubling the Vets A lead.
Station Road refused to go quietly nevertheless, as John Teasdale sparked the comeback with a dominant 56-4 win to pull it back to 2-1, followed by Kevin Kirkham edging past Mark Tatton 61-35 to level the match at 2-2.
In a nerve-wracking decider, Paul Smith held firm under pressure to edge Darren Lawson 58-51 with a fine pink and an equally cool black, sending Vets A into the final.
In the other division one semi, fourth placed Workington Golf Club pulled off an upset by defeating league champions, Workington’s United Club A 3-2 on their own turf in another black-ball decider.
Mark Cowen gave Golf Club the dream start, beating Dave Chapman 78-41. United A hit back strongly however as Peter O’Hagan dismantled Phil Sorfleet 60-13.
Ryan Ismay reclaimed the lead for the visitors, at 2-1, with a brilliant performance in a 83-43 win over Mark Suitor.
Nevertheless, Clive Lister hit a back to draw level once again, taking a dramatic fourth frame against the Golf Club’s Brian Walker 53-46. With the tie on a knife-edge, all eyes turned to the final frame.
In a fitting end, Golf Club’s Simon Frazer held his nerve, sinking the final black for a 63-50 win over Tony Hindmoor to seal a stunning win and book their place in the final.
In division two, table-toppers Workington Conservative Club proved too strong for Maryport Social Club, delivering a commanding 3-0 win to cruise into the playoff final.
Julian Plaza set the tone with a confident 55-45 win over Ben Scott in the opener for a 1-0 Cons lead, before Alan Moore produced a fine 59-23 performance to double the advantage in a win against Andrew Sharp.
In what turned out to be the final frame of the match David Holland followed up with a composed 45-30 win over a quality opponent in Maryport’s Paul Vickers as the Cons Club sealed their final spot without dropping a frame.
Finally, in the second semi-final, Workington’s United Club B battled past a determined Rack Shack outfit 3-1 in a game that was surprisingly easier that the pre-match hype suggested.
Whitehaven’s Rack Shack made a strong start though, through Phil Denver, who edged out Richard Kirkham 59-51 in a tight opener. However, United B captain Stephen Jackson responded with a strong 56-19 win over Neil Dougherty to level the match at 1-1.
Shane Tallentire then produced a composed performance to defeat Chris McKelvey 60-12 to hand United B the lead, before Adam Sowden sealed the tie with a clinical 43-9 win against Lee Dougherty.
