1st Division
Mere Brow A drew 3-3 with Waddington Cons A to leave them just 5 points away from guaranteeing them the 1st division title yet again. Waddington have proved hard to beat this year, taking 7 points off the champions elect here, sending the title fight into the last match of the season. Andy O’Hara continued his recent good form with a 59-22 win over Gary Flynn while Alan Tomlin beat Martin Brown 49-38 to square the frames up. Alan Wareing made yet another big break in his match, a 55 against Ali Iddon, to follow on from the 48 and 50 breaks he has had in his previous two matches. Danny Jassi lost against Paul Wilson for the second time this season when going down a 66-21 loser to the Waddy player. The final pairings were shared out as Andy Booth made short work of beating Paul Taylor with John Greenwood losing to Billy Evans 37-60, his third loss on the trot. The equation left for Mere Brow is simple, beat Argyle 5-1, there are champions. But if Tarleton manage to get all 6 frames in their trip to Banks then they have to get the 5 wins as a 4-2 win will leave Tarleton as champions as they have one more league win than them and would lose the title on that basis. Whichever way you look at it there will be text messages flying through the air next week.
Needing to stay in touch with Mere Brow should they slip up Tarleton A gained a hard fought 4-2 win over Argyle LTC with five of the six games being settled on the final pink ball. Andy Bolton beat Colin Coffey with a bit to spare leaving the Argyle player reminiscing about how good he was back in 1978, though six pints of mild might have clouded his memory there. Brian Jarrett played a superb shot to put John Nelson in a snooker with only the pink and black left, but could only watch on as John sent the white off four cushions to hit the pink, just, and eventually take the frame. Rob Iddon, 38 behind to Ste Forshaw at the time, nearly snatched an unlikely win when clearing up the colours, missing the final pink and leaving for Ste to take the frame. Chris Hoare did similar to his Captain in leaving the final pink on for Paddy Tyndall to make it 2 apiece with Chris Gill finally seeing off a gallant comeback from Ryan Curry, again potting the pink to win. Marcus Jackson cleared up the brown blue and pink to deny Peter Callaghan going for the snooker’s to gain a very hard 4-2 victory. The six point theme must continue for Tarleton next week in their attempt to snatch the title away from Mere Brow next week when they travel to Banks.
Fleetwood Hesketh beat Banks A 4-2 in their last home match of the season, guaranteeing them 3rd place in the division. Ste Crane beat Andy Bridge 49-17 as Trevor Wetton levelled things up beating Gavin Douglas 52-28. Stuart Evans and Gareth Hibbott both won to make it 3-1, Gareth claiming his 17th win of the season when beating Al Sutton. Neil Rimmer beat Andy Bintcliffe for the fourth point on the night for the Hesketh side as Roy Cookson saw off the challenge of Mike Roberts to win 56-39. Banks play hosts to title chasing Tarleton next as Fleetwood travel to play the B team at Tarleton.
Birkdale Cons v Churchtown – Scorecard not received yet.
Tarleton B beat The Cricket Club 4-2 pushing their opponents closer to the edge of relegation from the 1st division after three seasons in the top flight. Paul Parker claimed his 10th win of the year when beating Ray Forshaw 66-41 as Ste Gautrey got one back for Tarleton beating Tom Palmer 75-17. Jason Swarbrick made it six on the bounce when beating Tony Milner 53-67, which is saying something as he lost all of his seven league matches previous to his first win of the year. Specsavers, what Specsavers…!!! Neil Rigden got the better of Barney Newton, just, beating him 48-43 as Ian Gautrey kept up with the pace at the top of the Player Aggregates, gaining his 16th win of the year against Dave Palmer. Russell Thornley brought up his 10th win of the season as he got the better of John Gautrey to gain the Cricket club side a valuable second point on the night if they are to avoid relegation.
Tarleton C got back to winning ways at last when defeating basement club Mere Brow B 4-2 last week, though the visitors did turn up a player short. It was some relief for the home side after going eight matches without a win, but Mere Brow are proving to be every one’s bunny’s this year, going 21 straight in defeat. Wins for Peter Haslam, Shaun Fisher and Mark Rollins gave the home side three of the four wins, the fourth going to Jimmy Jones, his second ‘Absent’ win this year. You go Jimmy lad…!!! The highlight of the night was the superb display of potting from Paul Crabtree, putting in a fine performance with breaks of 46 & 24 in an impressive 100-17 win over Phil Keep.
2nd Division…
Congratulations go to the Waddington Cons B team as they confirmed what was always looking to happen a few weeks ago by winning the 2nd division title with a game to spare. They are currently the only team who have not lost a game in the league, something they will hope stays that way when they play Churchtown Cons B next week. Ste Cobb tops the stats for the team with 15 wins out of his 18 played with good support from Keith Percival and new member to the team Denis Woodward. It was the turn of third placed Les Dodd’s C to get the run around this week losing to the newly crowned champions 4-2. Wins for Keith Percival, Denis Woodward, Phil Gaskell and Captain Andy Linaker made it win number 15 in the league and so claim the Clare Rosebowl for their season long efforts. For Doddy’s they need, in effect, just two points in next week’s trip to British Rail to secure runners-up spot as Banks C have no game and St.Teresa’s sit a further four points behind them in fourth place.
Banks C played out a 3-3 draw with British Rail, consigning the home side to a season without one home victory for the whole of the 2014-15, though news of the tables getting re-clothed soon may mean they will enjoy playing at home again very soon. John Prescott kept up his impressive away record when beating Peter Robinson jnr 72-28, helped with breaks of 33 & 22 with Colin Nuttall beating Rennie Culshaw 52-20. Colin Peet lost out to Alan Johnson, losing 23-62 as Eddy Cracknell beat Cliff Arnold on the final colours 51-43. Paul Varney won only his second match of the season when beating Arthur Wareing 54-31, as Martin Sephton gained his 16th win of the season when beating John O’Malley 70-26.
Bretherton A came away from Banks B with a 4-2 victory, making it their 11th win of the season, seven of which have come away from home. Andy Griffiths lost at home for the first time this year after the ever green Gordon Russell beat him 58-29 with Dave Turner replying for the home side beating Jim Richards 42-30. Mike Marsh beat Bretherton’s top stick Dave Cottam 69-35 to top off a wonderful week for the lad from Banks. On Tuesday night he made a personal high break in his Rickerby Cup match against Dave Pritchard, a wonderful effort of 72. Well played Mike. But it was Bretherton who had the last say on the night taking the last three frames with wins for Harry Haslam, Jim Holden and Ron Dickinson.
The Scarisbrick A team beat Churchtown Cons B 4-2 to hand the Con club their 10th defeat of the season. It also meant that Scarisbrick had done a 4-2 double over the Churchtown in a season that has seen them only lose twice on the road this year. Jamie Barton opened the scoring for the Con club, beating Chris Starkie 63-33 as Paul Connor lost out to Peter Fenwick 55-41.One apiece became two apiece with a home victory for Colin Tennant, 78-47 over Ian Tinsley, Colin’s second score over 70 in consecutive home matches, with Graham Ball edging out Dave Pritchard 36-28. But it was the visitors who went away with the spoils as Norman Hallsworth narrowly beat Lawrence Richards on the black 54-52 with Paul Horner getting a 61 to 53 victory over Guy Hudson.
Our Lady’s final trip away from Formby proved a successful one as they came away with a 4-2 victory over Les Dodd’s A. Alan Harley got the better of Paul Heery, defeating him 54-29 as Michael Houghton gained his 10th win of the year when beating Karl Bellman 49-34. Luke Marshall got his 8th victory on the road for Our Lady’s when beating Graham Marshall 66-38 with Martin Matthews making the score line 2 apiece after beating Alan Parker 60-15. The last pairings went the way of the visitors after Keith Turner and Phil Fellows beat Peter Jackson and Mike Lount.
3rd Division…
With Southport Cons on an Open Date the four teams behind them all won with the main beneficiaries being Bretherton who joined the Bath Street side on 77 points at the top of the table. They earned this lofty position after beating Churchtown Cons C 5-1, with the Con club grateful for Roger Hughes’ victory over Nev Marsden on the final black in the last game played. Bretherton’s final match is the home fixture against their title rivals Southport Cons, which leaves the destiny of the 3rd division title still up for grabs.
Sitting two points back on Southport Cons and Bretherton, Les Dodd’s C kept up the pressure with a fine 4-2 win over Scarisbrick B. The one thing against the Doddy’s side is that they sit out the last game of the season and so will be wishing for some big wins from their last two fixtures against Fleetwood Hesketh B and Birkdale C. Martin Cusack made it win number 16 for the season after he beat John Brown 52-8 with Danny Clegg losing out to Eric Stockley 43-28. The Dodd’s pair of Harry Wilby and Kevin Woodfull made it 3-1 to the visitors with Anthony Dodd earning the team the win after beating Peter Simpson 61-26.
Birkdale Cons B played themselves back into contention for a piece of the top table action after thumping the Waddington Cons C team for 6 last week. It was the second such result in the past two weeks and amazingly Birkdale’s fifth full house of six this season. The best record by any side in all three divisions. With Southport Cons visiting Birkdale in two weeks time the four points they need to get back are not out of reach for the side form Liverpool road. But, next up for the Birkdale is the visit of 5th placed Churchtown Cons D who, although a long shot, could get into the final two positions come the end of the season if results go their way.
The main reason for Churchtown D getting back into contention is all because of the 5-1 thumping they handed out to Banks D. If they beat Birkdale next week they take on joint leaders Bretherton the following week and if results go their way be right back in the hunt for end of season honours. Having beaten Birkdale 5-1 in the first fixture and giving Bretherton their only home defeat this year as well, it could be a very close finish come Wednesday the 15th of April.
After going 4-0 up it meant that St.Teresa’s B had earned their fifth away win of the year, finally beating Fleetwood Hesketh B 4-2. Opening wins for Nobby Lee and Aiden Quinn got the ball rolling for the Teresa’s side with John McGee and Mike Langford doubling the score up with wins over Mark Beaver and Terry Gowland. Mick Orme and Brian Kimberly got some respectability back when claiming the last two frames, Brain getting his best score of the season, 95 points, in his 95-30 win over Ted Weir.
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