Ballykinlar show they have stuff of champs

Ballykinlar show they have stuff of champs

16 November 2011

BALLYKINLAR 5

DRUMANESS C 1

IT seems that the handicapper has still not caught up with Gareth Magorrian's side.

Despite two of their players being cut at a recent handicap meeting, they still lead the table by a staggering seven points.

Gareth Magorrian was first up for the hosts when he played Daniel Savage. The Ballykinlar captain dominated the opening frame with breaks of 24 and 20 and despite a late flourish by Savage, the frame was conceded on the blue to give the hosts the perfect start.

Savage played much better in the second frame and a 30 break gave him a 14 point lead going to the colours, but a 27 clearance from yellow to black gave Magorrian the frame and his side were 2-0 in front.

Darren Tumelty then played Peter Rogan and it looked like the concession of 35 points to Rogan was going to take its toll as Rogan led by 23 going to the colours.

However, these Ballykinlar players never gave up and a 27 clearance from yellow to black stunned Rogan and them home side were now 3-0 up.

It shortly became 4-0 when Tumelty, buoyed by his first frame success, started with a useful 21 break and won it when he potted brown, blue and pink.

Patrick Smith then made it 5-0 when he took the first frame of his match with Matt Madine on the blue. Smith opened with breaks of 21 and 18, but Madine's determination paid of when he potted brown, blue and pink to prevent the whitewash.

ST. MICHAEL'S A 1

EAMONN'S 5

THIS superb 5-1 away result has put Eamonn's up to second place in the table.

The two captains, Mark McKeown and Tom Hogan, were pitted together in the first match. It soon became evident when Hogan opened with a break of 16 that the concession of 42 points was going to be beyond McKeown and so it proved as Hogan won on the brown.

The second frame was a lot closer with McKeown needing a snooker with only pink and black remaining. Hogan was relieved to pot the pink for a superb 2-0 win and inflict only McKeown's second defeat of the season.

Over on the other table Paul Doran, also recalled back for this match, lost the first frame against Frankie Taylor, who won on the pink. But Doran battled back with breaks of 16 and 14 to win the frame on the blue.

John Northrop then put the visitors 4-1 in front when he took the first game of his game with Bobby Douglas on the blue. Douglas played much better in the second, but went 22 behind with only four colours remaining. Northrop had luck on his side when he got out of a difficult snooker and Eamonn's had come away with a superb 5-1 win.

DRUMANESS D 5

ST. MARY'S B 1

GARY Rodgers' Drumaness D side have now, with their sixth win of the season, moved into fifth place in the table.

Owen Maguire was first up against Lorcan Tumelty and it was a game of two halves. Maguire, with breaks of 16 and 19, was dominant in the opening frame to win on the green, whilst in the second it was Tumelty's turn to impress with breaks of 20 and 19 to win on the green.

Benny Savage then played Ryan Doyle and the young Drumaness player scored on nearly every visit to the table to put Savage under pressure and Doyle was forced to concede as early as the yellow.

It was the same in the second as Savage continued to play well and breaks of 18 and 17 gave him the frame on the green.

Gary Rodgers then played Ryan McAleenan in the final set of matches. McAleenan's poor form continued and Rodgers was to win his first match of the campaign.

The first frame was won on the green and in the final frame Rodgers again potted everything in sight to win as early as the yellow.

ST. MARY'S A 6

ST. PATRICK'S A 0

GERALD Travers' St. Mary's A side are doing all they can to stay in the race for the title.

Travers was first up against St. Patrick's Gary McMaster. Travers took the opening frame on the green with a 28 break. The second frame saw McMaster play better with breaks of 20 and 19, but again Travers, with a timely break of 27 to brown, put the home side 2-0.

Chris Carolan continues to impress and in his game with Stevie Massey an early 31 break had Massey in trouble and further breaks of 18 and 16 gave the home player the frame on the green.

Massey improved considerably in the second and looked certain to take the frame when  he only needed the black for victory, but Carolan doubled the black into the yellow pocket to put his side 4-0.

Colly Hughes, playing on his third match of the season, was up against Neil Ross. Hughes and Ross were involved in a tactical battle and Hughes took the match on the yellow. Buoyed by the first frame success, Hughes began the second frame well with breaks of 18 and 16 to again win early on the yellow.

CROSSGAR 4

ST. MICHAEL'S B 2

THIS was a welcome home win for John Weston's side, who remain in eighth place in the table.

Kenny Campbell was paired against Anne Jamison in the opening match. The first frame saw Jamison play exceptionally well with breaks of 18 and 14 and held a 16 point lead going to the colours, but Campbell cleared from green to black for a 25 clearance and the frame.

Campbell began the second frame with a superb 63 break. But all credit to Jamison, who fought back with breaks of 14 and 19, to get within 20 going to the blue. However, when Campbell potted the blue he secured the frame.

Bobby Poole played superbly to take the first frame from Gerald Davey, who fought back valiantly to take the second on the black.

John Weston and Colin Flanagan met in the final set of matches and Flanagan stunned Weston by scoring consistently on every visit to the table to win in the yellow.

Weston played much better in the final frame and a 23 break to yellow secured the win for the hosts.

ST. PATRICK'S C 4

DRUMANESS B 2

LEAGUE champions Drumaness B have lost further ground in their bid to retain the championship when they were defeated by an inspired Rocco Ritchie side.

John Gelston got the home side off to a perfect start when he took the first frame against David Madine. However, Madine, with a 22 break towards the end of the frame, put him 10 in front and when he potted pink and black had levelled the match.

Rocco Ritchie was in trouble in his first frame against 13 year-old Eamon Ferris, losing with still two reds left on the table. But Ritchie hit back to take the second on the brown.

J. P. McMullan then played Gerald Walsh in the last set of matches and in the opening frame breaks of 17 and 22 gave him the win on the green.

The second frame also saw both players playing well and again McMullan took it to give the home side only their second win of the campaign.

• In the Martin Cup there were wins for Drumaness D over St. Michael's A, St. Michael's B over Crossgar, St. Mary's B over Drumaness C, St. Mary's A over Drumaness B, St. Patrick's A over St. Patrick's C and the quarter-final line-up which will be played tonight is: Ballykinlar v Drumaness D, Drumaness A or St. Patrick's B  v St. Michael's B, St. Mary's B v St. Mary's A, St. Patrick's A v Eamonn's.