Con's Take Advantage As Rivals Falter
By Graham Clark

In the first weeks games of the New Year in the Formby & District Snooker League Con Club B have taken advantage of slip-ups by their nearest rivals to go 5 points clear at the top.

Con Club B beat Ince by 6-0 with Peter Brown and Mark Bellas both winning well, the former hitting a 20 break in his 77-24 defeat of Mike Pope. Mark Pope notched up a 24 break but unluckily lost on the Black to Graham Clark as he did in the previous game between the two sides last month.

Les Dodd’s A could only manage a 3-3 draw with their C team. Stephen Metcalfe stole the show inflicting the first defeat of the season on Formby Champion Andy Rae by an emphatic 80-32. Stephen scored a 37 break and was unlucky not to go on, only a mis cued attempt at a Black stopping his chance of a half-century.

Les Dodd’s B also dropped two further behind the leaders as they beat Con Club A 4-2. Paddy Tyndall starred for the Southport based side with a 28 break en route to a 76-33 defeat of Allan Corlett. Allan Parker won well for the visitors, defeating Jamie Rae 66-12.

Crosby Comrades won 5-1 at home to Legion B with impressive performances from Robbie Radford (59 break), Robbie Wilson (26 & 30) and Anthony Mackay (26). Carl Finlayson scored the solitary win for the visitors, notching up a 30 break in the process.

Our Lady’s A lost 4-2 at home to Holy Trinity. Dennis Warren carried on where he left off before Christmas with a 68-3 win against Tom Sanders while Gerry Murch lost out on a re-spotted Black to Luke Palethorpe.

There were mixed fortunes for the two Legion teams playing at home. The C team won 4-2 against Our Lady’s B while the D lost to the Brook by the same score. Mike Radcliffe, Ray Lavelle, Terry Barlow and George Howells won for the C team while the D team scored their two wins with Black Ball successes from Chris Wagstaff and Eric McLean. Andy Hesketh won well for Our Lady’s while Phil Harbon and Steve Hollinshead starred for the Brook.