THE Drumaness A ‘Dream Team’ of captain Raymond McAllister, Peter Gray and Darren Dornan travelled to St. Michael’s needing a maximum of four frames to retain their title.
But as events turned out with nearest challengers only drawing 3-3 at home to St. Michael’s b a draw was more than enough to win the championship.
However, the evening didn’t start too well for the champions elect when popular bus driver Raymond McAllister lost the opening frame to home captain Gareth McKeever.
Despite conceding 63 points on handicap McAllister started brightly with a 26 break. But McKeever’s record at home is excellent and a couple of teen breaks kept him well ahead. When he potted the final red with yellow, McAllister conceded.
Undeterred by this setback, McAllister was a different prospect in the second frame and breaks of 30, 23 and 22 gave him the frame on the brown.
Peter Gray played Paul Megahey and after a great deal of safely Gray cut loose with breaks of 16 and 45 to take the frame on the blue.
If Megahey thought Gray might relent in the second he would be disappointed as the mercurial Gray, with breaks of 22, 16, 15 and 22, took the frame on the yellow to put the visitors 3-1 ahead.
It was at this point that captain McAllister received the news that, with Drumaness B only drawing, they were champions.
There was still a lot to play for as far as Matt Fegan was concerned. Trailing Eamon Ferris by one frame for the player of the year award the St. Michael’s C player had the daunting task of trying to defeat the mighty Darren Dornan.
To his credit he used his 56-point advantage well in both frames to stun Dornan and his 2-0 win was good enough to win player of the year on a countback of outright wins over Ferris.
ST. MICHAEL’S C 3
DRUMANESS A 3
TITLE-CHASING Drumaness B soon knew their fate when Darren Oldroyd lost the opening two frames to Mark Galbraith.
Galbraith’s play this year has been a revelation and this was no exception. Breaks of 20 and 22 gave him the opening frame on the brown and breaks of 20 and 26 the second with two reds remaining.
Captain Marty McGoran came to the table a disappointed man. All season his side had chased Drumaness A and now it had ended. However, a stylish 51 break gave him the opening frame on the yellow.
His opponent, Mark McKeown, has been in a rich view of form recently and breaks of 20 and 24 secured the second frame on the pink.
Stephen Byrne played Gary McCabe in the final set of matches. Byrne has had a brilliant season in both snooker and billiards.
Up to last season Byrne was considered mainly a snooker player but this season he has been a member of the all-conquering Drumaness billiards team and was beaten in the final of the individuals.
He wrapped up a 2-0 win in fine style. A 31 break gave him the first frame on the blue and a superb 52 break sealed the second on the yellow.
DRUMANESS B 3
ST. MICHAEL’S 3
GARETH Magorrian will be glad to see the finish of this season’s snooker league. In a season where the former player of the year only won six times it can be only be described as poor.
The ‘Silver Fox’ was good value for his 2-0 win and the opening frame he missed nothing — breaks of 18, 16 and 15 g seeing home with two reds remaining.
Magorrian was more competitive in the second but was still 20 behind going to the colours. Despite potting yellow and green Magorrian conceded when Russell potted brown, blue and pink.
Well it had to happen, just like at the wedding feast at Cana. Fra McKenny kept the best wine to the last.
Without an outright win in 14 matches, McKenny finished the season on a high. And what a player to beat in St. Mary’s captain Gerald Travers.
McKenny opened the first frame with a useful 37 and despite Travers keeping well in the frame, a timely 20 break by Fra to the brown put him one up.
McKenny was able to add to it when he took the second with breaks of 20 and 44. Well down Fra.
Andrew Porter put the visitors in front when he took the first frame of his match with Patrick Smith on the pink. However, Smith secured the final frame of the season courtesy of a useful 45 breaks to take the frame with one red remaining.
BALLYKINLAR 3
ST. MARY’S 3
DESPITE losing the final match of the season, Peter Rogan’s Drumaness C finished the season in fourth place.
First up for the home side was Eamon Ferris against Eugene Laird. Ferris, trying to retain the player of the year trophy, knew a 2-0 win would give him the title.
Everything was going to plan for the young Drumaness sensation when he took the first on the pink with breaks of 22 an 20. However, despite all of Ferris’s efforts to clinch the title Laird was always dangerous and a timely 18 break put Ferris under pressure.
Ferris trailed by 16 with only blue, pink and black remaining. Then after potting a sensational blue Ferris failed with a difficult pink into the middle pocket and Laird potted it to end Ferris’s reign as player of the year.
Bobby Douglas put the visitors in front when he took the first frame of his match with Steven Anderson on the pink. But Anderson, with breaks of 18 and 20, took the second on the brown.
Peter Rogan lost his unbeaten record this season when he was defeated in both frames by Michael O’Donnell, who has been running into supreme form.
O’Donnell, as usual, was quickly out of the traps and breaks of 20, 24 and 22 gave him the first frame on the green. Rogan gave 100 per cent, but O’Donnell was relentless and breaks of 26, 24 and 20 gave him the second on the brown.
DRUMANESS C 2
ST. MICHAEL’S A 4
BECAUSE of the wintry conditions league treasurer Robert Pollock was unable to reach Crossgar and so ex-cricket legend Bobby Poole was called in to play in only his second game of the season.
Poole drew with James Gallagher. Kenny Campbell lost 2-0 to Rocco Ritchie 2-0 and John Weston defeated Ally Jess 2-0.
CROSSGAR 3
ST. PATRICK’S 3