Ballykinlar are red hot

21 December 2011

GARETH Magorrian’s strong Ballykinlar trio have extended their lead over serious rivals Drumaness A to four points as the league reaches the halfway mark.

It was Magorrian up first against Paul Doran and Magorrian, last year’s player of the year, showed his undoubted class in the opening frame when he potted from third last red to black for a brilliant 48 break to take the frame.

The second frame saw Magorrian take the lead with six reds to go and although Doran battled valiantly, Magorrian took it on the blue.

Darren Tumelty has not been at his best recently, losing three out of four games, but hit back to take both frames from a lacklustre performance by John Northrop.

Northrop’s form has really dipped in the last three matches and in the opening frame Tumelty, with breaks of 14 and 13, won on the yellow. It was the same story in the second with Tumelty dominating and Northrop conceded with still one red remaining.

Patrick Smith then played Eamonn’s captain Tom Hogan looking for a clean sweep of the points, but Hogan began the opening frame with a timely 16 break to extend his lead to 58.

Smith reduced the deficit to 28 going to the colours. Hogan took yellow and green with Smith potting the brown to require three snookers. Smith then got two of the snookers, but when Hogan potted blue he had given his team their first point of the night.

It was to be their only point of the night as Smith took the final frame, despite Hogan producing the shot of the night. An escaped snooker with the rest went around four cushions to hit the red, which even had captain Magorrian applauding.

BALLYKINLAR.................5

EAMONN’S.......................1

GARTH Magorrian’s strong Ballykinlar trio have extended their lead over serious rivals Drumaness A to four points as the league reaches the halfway mark.

The second frame saw Magorrian take the lead with six reds to go and although Doran battled valiantly, Magorrian took it on the blue.

Darren Tumelty has not been at his best recently, losing three out of four games, but hit back to take both frames from a lacklustre performance by John Northrop.

Patrick Smith then played Eamonn’s captain Tom Hogan looking for a clean sweep of the points, but Hogan began the opening frame with a timely 16 break to extend his lead to 58.

CROSSGAR.......................2

DRUMANESS A................4

FOR the first time this season Seamus McGivern fielded the dream team of Dornan, Gray and McAllister and they came away with a splendid 4-2 win.

First up was Darren Dornan against Kenny Campbell and the first frame could have gone either way until Dornan took blue and pink. However, if Campbell had a chance in the first frame, he certainly did not in the second as Dornan completely dominated it with breaks of 29 and 48 to win with still two reds remaining.

Michael Pollock then played Peter Gray, fearing the worst, but when Gary proceeded to score heavily with superb breaks of 46 and 50 he was forced to concede on the green.

Pollock, with a couple of 13 breaks, had Gray under a bit of pressure. However, Gray is a class player and a 23 break to brown put him level and then took the final three balls to put the visitors 4-0 ahead.

The third member of the dream team, Raymond McAllister, was then faced with the maestro John Weston. The question on everybody’s lips were could Weston stop McAllister.

Just like in his table tennis days, when he played against the late Gerry Carson and Pat Morgan, he was capable of beating the very best and in his match with McAllister he showed him that he is still a force to be reckoned with.

In the opening frame the maestro potted everything in sight to win easily on the yellow and in the second he again dominated to win on the pink.

ST. MARY’S A...................4

ST. PATRICK’S B...............2

GERALD Travers’ side have moved to third place in the table with this comprehensive win over fading St. Patrick’s B.

Cormac Carolan was first up against Daryl Wallace and the in-form Carolan began well with breaks of 20 and 18 to open up a substantial lead.

Wallace just couldn’t get going and it was no surprise when he conceded on the yellow. Wallace has been having a successful season and he played much better in the second frame.

However, Carolan should have won the second, but left the final black over the middle pocket for Wallace to take it.

Ally Jess then put the visitors in front when he took the opening frame of his match with the silver fox Christy Russell on the blue. But Russell hit back with breaks of 18 and 19 to take the second on the brown.

Not for the first time this season, St. Mary’s A relied on Gerald Travers to see them through in his match with James Gallagher.Breaks of 25 and 53 gave the talented Travers an easy first frame, but Gallagher can count himself very unlucky in the final frame, leading by 26.

Travers cleared from yellow to black to steal the frame and give his team the win 4-2.

DRUMANESS B................4

DRUMANESS D.................2

DECKY Byrne got the home side off to the perfect start when he beat the unbeaten Marty Singh in both frames.

The first frame hinged on the final black and after each player had several chances to sink it, the frame went to Byrne when he potted a sensational winner along the cushion into the pink pocket. Byrne also took the second on the brown.

David Madine then extended the home side’s lead to three when he took the first from Owen Maguire on the blue. However, Maguire stopped the home side’s progress when he took the second on the blue.

Young Eamon Ferris held his nerve to take the opening frame of his match with Benny Savage on a re-spotted black. Savage then showed what he is capable of with a splendid break of 54 to take the second.

DRUMANESS C................4

ST. MICHAEL’S B.............2

DRUMANESS supremo Seamus McGivern was brought in for only his third game of the season to face St. Michael’s B.

Like good wine, McGivern matures with age and he was much too good for his opponent Gerald Davey. In the first frame, breaks of 27 and 22 were good enough to give him the win on the yellow and in the second breaks of 26 and 20 gave him the frame on the brown.

Peter Rogan then battled hard to win the opening frame on the blue from Anne Jamison, but Jamison took the second frame on the pink.

Matt Madine and Darren McCartan shared the last two frames to give Drumaness C the win 4-2.

ST. MICHAEL’S A.............3

ST. MARY’S B...................3

MARK McKeown was first up for the hosts against the dangerous Johnny McQuaid and the St. Michael’s ace, whose form has been poor of late by his own high standards, showed that he is still a force to be reckoned with.

The first frame was won by McKeown on the green, but in the second a superb clearance from the second last red to pink for a 34 break gave him a 2-0 win.

Frankie Taylor took the first frame with ease against Ryan McAleenan winning on the brown, but McAleenan hit back with several teen breaks to take the second on the blue.

Lorcan Tumelty rediscovered some of his former good form when he played Bobby Douglas.

The first frame saw Tumelty put together breaks of 18, 20 and 22 to win on the yellow. In the second Douglas played much better and a timely break of 23 put him in front. However, Tumelty was not to be denied and a clearance from last red to blue gave him his first win of the season.

• There was no result for the match between St. Patrick’s C against St. Patrick’s A.