NPL NRBL close the gap on King's Head A in Newport Pool League
2010/2011 NEWPORT & DISTRICT POOL LEAGUE
For immediate release
Thursday, May 5th, 2011
BEECH’S BARMY NRBL ARMY STUN KING’S HEAD A
NEWPORT (Shropshire): Mick Beech’s NRBL side stunned King’s Head A and threw the Newport & District Pool League title race wide open with nine matches remaining.
The defending champions now trail the Chetwynd End side by just seven points with 27 still to play for. The victory also enabled the Sutherland Arms at Tibberton to close back to within two points of the leaders following their 6-0 demolition of the hapless Wheatsheaf A.
Beech got the NRBL off to a fine start by beating the out-of-form Ian Perry and Luke Hayward prevailed against Irene Whittington to make it 2-0. Graham Tigwell silenced Colin Pink to give the league leaders hope and the clash of the former Carling Newport Open champions ended in favour of Mick Collins over Anthony Heathcote, as the match was levelled.
But Beech and Colin Farge managed to overcome Whittington and Perry to seal at least a draw for the under-pressure NRBL team and Pink and Heathcote redeemed themselves for earlier defeats with victory in the doubles frames to seal a priceless three points.
While Tom Fisken’s Tibberton side were reducing the King’s Head’s lead to two points, Ben Longstaff’s in-form LSC at the Tav were leapfrogging Junction A and Shakespeare C to snatch fourth place in the league with a 5-1 win over the Royal Navy Club.
Greg Heathcote, Longstaff and Neil Perkins put the home side into a 3-0 lead, but Alan Pritchett pulled a frame back for the visitors. Andy Miles and an inspired Will Dorsett sealed the points for the LSC in rack five and Perkins sealed the final frame after teaming up with Roberts against Pritchett and Gerry Nunn.
The Junction A were held to a 3-3 draw by the Shakespeare A and a weakened Shakespeare C side were unable to benefit. Ben Clewes’s team emerged from the haze on the back of a 4-2 hiding by the Plough at Woodseaves.
Sion Richards put the Junction A in front at Upper Bar, but Dan Brennan and Ben Holmes swung the crucial tie in favour of the home side. Ian Mason left the fixture nicely poised by mashing Dave Marshall in the fourth singles frame and honours were shared in the doubles frames with Hyla Marklew and Richards putting the Junction in sight of the finishing line, only for Andy Potter and Brennan to force the draw with a superb frame win against Keith Rogers and Ian Mason.
That left the door open for the Wheatsheaf B to close the gap on the leading pack and climb to seventh with a 4-2 win over Shakespeare B. Liam Matthews, Tom Sayce and Mike Jones put the ‘Sheaf into a 3-0 lead, but Kim Rigby delayed the home side’s celebrations by beating Jack Jones.
The Upper Bar side nearly pulled off an upset as well: Rigby and Lauren Heathcote won the fifth frame and it took a steady nerve by Matthews and Jones to seal the points in the final doubles rack against Jane Hilditch and an expectant Hannah Evans.
The Railway Tavern ended their miserable run of form with a 5-1 demolition of the Junction B at Norbury. Greg Quinn, Adam Stone, Rob Hill and Randy Porter sealed the points in the singles racks, although John Owen and Mick Ashcroft pulled one consolation doubles frame back for the home side.
The Navigation at Gnosall bounced back to form by beating the King’s Head B 1-5 in Newport. Rob Patterson and Louise Anyon were the only successful players for the Chetwynd End side in the doubles racks.
2010-2011 Newport & District Pool League - @ 04/05/11
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Pts
|
|
King’s Head A
|
21
|
17
|
2
|
2
|
89
|
37
|
53
|
|
Sutherland Arms
|
21
|
16
|
3
|
2
|
95
|
31
|
51
|
|
NRBL
|
21
|
14
|
4
|
3
|
83
|
43
|
46
|
|
LSC at the Tav
|
21
|
11
|
7
|
3
|
78
|
48
|
40
|
|
Junction A
|
21
|
11
|
5
|
5
|
79
|
47
|
38
|
|
Shakespeare C
|
21
|
11
|
5
|
5
|
70
|
56
|
38
|
|
Wheatsheaf B
|
21
|
10
|
6
|
5
|
71
|
55
|
36
|
|
Shakespeare A
|
21
|
10
|
5
|
6
|
71
|
55
|
35
|
|
Plough Woods’vs
|
21
|
7
|
4
|
10
|
56
|
70
|
25
|
|
Navigation
|
21
|
8
|
3
|
10
|
59
|
67
|
24
|
|
Railway Tavern
|
21
|
5
|
5
|
11
|
51
|
75
|
20
|
|
Wheatsheaf A
|
21
|
4
|
7
|
10
|
54
|
72
|
19
|
|
Junction B
|
21
|
3
|
6
|
12
|
46
|
80
|
15
|
|
Royal Navy Club
|
21
|
3
|
2
|
16
|
43
|
83
|
11
|
|
Shakespeare B
|
21
|
3
|
2
|
16
|
32
|
94
|
11
|
|
King’s Head B
|
21
|
1
|
4
|
16
|
33
|
93
|
7
|
Week 21 results:
NRBL v King’s Head A, 4-2
Sutherland Tibberton v Wheatsheaf A, 6-0
Plough Woodseaves v Shakespeare C, 4-2
Shakespeare A v Junction A, 3-3
LSC at the Tav v Royal Navy Club, 5-1
King’s Head B v Navigation Gnosall, 1-5
Junction B v Railway Tavern, 1-5
Wheatsheaf B v Shakespeare B, 4-2
Team of the week: NRBL
Player of the week: Mick Beech
Numptie of the week: Ben Clewes
Ends
For further information:
Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, Tel: 07831 123153
www.ndp-publicity.com
