Crosby Leapfrog Rivals To Go Top
By Graham Clark

In the latest games of the Formby & District Snooker League, Crosby Comrades have leapfrogged the Con Club and Les Dodd’s B teams to go top in the race for the Championship.

Crosby went top courtesy of a 6-0 home win over Legion D. Neil Farrington (37 & 24) and Robbie Radford (28) again impressed while Robbie Wilson and Andy Entwistle both gained narrow victories, how important they may be in the weeks to come.

Con Club B and Les Dodd’s B shared the spoils with a 3-3 draw at the Con Club. Les Dodd’s B were smartly out of the blocks with Jamie Rae comfortably defeating Graham Clark and Peter Tomlin scoring a Black Ball success over Brian Kenyon. Paddy Tyndall (21 & 22) quickly put the visitors 3 up and with Mark Hopgood’s two 20 breaks on the other table, looked like extending that lead to 4-0. However, Mark Bellas came back to grind out an impressive Black Ball success and thus keeping the Con Club in the match. Alex Tyrer and Ritchie Bell were then spared on by Mark’s heroics and both won to secure an unlikely draw.

Les Dodd’s A are still many peoples tip for the title after a 5-1 home win over the in form Con Club A. Andy Rae starred for the Princes Street outfit, chalking up yet another 50 plus break in his 101-20 defeat of Richard Wilson. These breaks are such a fixture of Andy’s matches that not even Richard could say,”I don’t believe it!”. Dave Mills, aided by a 22 break also won impressively while Allan Parker kept his decent form going for the visitors,beating Trevor Ford 65-18.

The ‘Joe Rigby’ Handicap League is looking like a Two horse race between the Legion and Our Lady’s B teams. Legion B won 6-0 against Les Dodd’s C at the Legion. Gary Rimmer and Carl Finlayson shone for Gordon Dale’s cue men with Carl beating Stephen Metcalf 61-36. Our Lady’s B meanwhile had a decent 4-2 away win at Ince. Roger Wilkins, Andy Hesketh and Phil Kershaw all recorded comfortable victories, Phil notching up a 20 break for good measure.

Holy Trinity and the Brook Club drew 3-3 at Trinity. Luke Palethorpe recorded a fine 53 break in his 73-15 defeat of ‘Living Flames’ Semi-Finalist James Kilduff while Phil Harbon kept his recent high scoring run going with a 77-35 win over Costa Pittounikos.

The Final league match of the week resulted in a 4-2 home win for Our Lady’s A against Legion C. Jimmy Tristram hit breaks of 29 & 33 in his 91-45 win over Mike Radcliffe while Colin Bennett (22 break) again won a Black Ball thriller, this time 67-59 against Peter Kershaw.

Congatulations to Andy Rae for again representing our League so impressively by reaching the final of the Merseyside Champion of Champions at Derby Lane. Andy beat Dave Talent in the Quarter Finals 3-1 avenging the defeat by Dave in last years Final. He then went on to beat the Widnes Champion 3-2 recording breaks of 54 & 64 in the Semis before narrowly losing 4-2 to Prescot’s John Welsh in what was a thrilling encounter of the highest standard.

Finally, Congatulations to Mark Bellas, Mark Hopgood, James Kilduff and Norman Lee who made it through to the Semi-Finals of the ‘Living Flames’ Handicap. The Semis and Final are scheduled for Monday 2nd April at a venue to be arranged.