2009 COORS NEWPORT POOL OPEN
For immediate release
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
STAFFORD’S BRENDAN RUTTLEDGE
WINS 2009 CARLING NEWPORT OPEN
Pink and Manning clinch Worthington’s Newport Doubles Open
NEWPORT (Shropshire): Stafford’s Brendan Ruttledge stunned Newport’s defending champion Anthony Heathcote with a fifth-frame win in a hostile environment at Newport’s Royal Navy Club to clinch the 2009 Carling Newport Pool Open title.
The heated match threatened to boil over off the baize on two occasions and was marred by disgraceful behaviour by a member of the audience and unsporting conduct by the loser at the end of the match. But an under-pressure Ruttledge let his cue do the talking to take the prestigious trophy to Staffordshire for the first time.
The Stafford league player cleared the table off his first visit in frame one – after Heathcote had made a foul break – and looked set to stroll into a 2-0 lead. But Heathcote hit back with some stubborn safety play and a superb double into the middle pocket levelled the match.
Ruttledge was again ahead in frame three, but suffered a cruel in-off and Heathcote had his chance to move into a 2-1 lead. But he missed the black into the corner pocket and Ruttledge stunned the crowd by clearing up to take the lead.
Frame four was a thriller and the pressure caused both players to miss crucial pots. Ruttledge edged in front in terms of positional play, but he missed the black to seal the match, after Heathcote had kept him out of contention with a series of fine snookers.
With the black ball over the pocket and no chance of leaving the white safe, Heathcote launched the cue ball at a tricky yellow on the cushion and somehow the ball cannoned around the table and into the corner pocket. It was an outrageous fluke and he duly levelled the match with an easy black. It looked like advantage Newport.
The tension was threatening to spill over on to the baize. Ruttledge complained to the referee on two occasions about gestures and comments made by members of the crowd, but he settled well into the deciding frame.
Heathcote was clearly rattled and a poor safety shot enabled Ruttledge to close in on the match. When the defending champion missed a ball completely soon afterwards, the writing was on the wall and Ruttledge held his nerve to pot the remaining three balls and silence the partisan crowd in the Navy Club.
Hinstock’s Colin Pink and Market Drayton’s Mick Manning won a far more docile Worthington’s Newport Doubles Open final against an out-of-sorts Ed Keenan and Mick Collins. A useful clearance by Pink put the visitors 1-0 up, but Collins levelled with a superb long pot into the corner in frame two.
A sensational shot off four cushions out of a snooker by Manning kept his side in frame three and Collins missed a crucial pot to put the Newport duo 2-1 up, as Pink cleared the remaining balls to go 2-1 to the good. Sloppy play by the King’s Head duo on a poor playing surface gave Pink and Manning the edge in rack four and an in-off by Keenan enabled Manning to clinch the frame and the doubles’ title.
“It’s nice to have the consolation of the doubles trophy,” admitted Pink. “I want my hands on the singles’ trophy again next year though!”
Earlier in the evening John Williams and Paul Trevor had beaten Whitchurch’s Brian Sumner and Cyril Evans in straight frames to clinch third place in the Worthington’s Newport Doubles Open. Trevor was in inspired potting form to seal the match for the Newport snooker duo.
Russ Woodhouse never got into his stride against Sumner in the third-place play-off for the Carling Newport Pool Open. He won the second frame with a superb clearance, but Sumner was in his potting stride and sealed the match in four frames.
Telford’s Luke Hayward was awarded the new ‘Desert England Trophy’ for being the ‘Most Improved Player’ in the Newport league and cup season. The trophy and a signed copy of the football hooliganism fiction novel, Desert England, were donated to the league’s co-ordinator by author David Williams. Hayward enjoyed a good cup run to the quarter-final stages and was a stalwart of the Wrockwardine Wood team in the league.
A big thank you to Coors Brewers for sponsoring the competition for a third year, to the Navy Club for their warm hospitality and to Ed, Anthony, Greg and Mick for helping with the refereeing on finals’ night.
The 2009-2010 Newport & District Pool League starts on Wednesday, November 11th. There is still one spare space in the league and fixtures will be sent out next week.
WORTHINGTON’S NEWPORT DOUBLES 3rd PLACE PLAY-OFF
Brian Sumner/Cyril Evans (Whitchurch) lost to John Williams/Paul Trevor (Newport), 0-3
CARLING NEWPORT SINGLES’ 3rd PLACE PLAY-OFF
Russ Woodhouse (Newport) lost to Brian Sumner (Whitchurch), 1-3
2009 WORTHINGTON’S NEWPORT DOUBLES FINAL
Colin Pink/Mick Manning (Hinstock) beat Mick Collins/Ed Keenan (Newport), 3-1
2009 CARLING NEWPORT SINGLES’ OPEN FINAL
Anthony Heathcote (Newport) lost to Brendan Ruttledge (Stafford), 2-3
2009 ‘Desert England’ Trophy for Most Improved Player of the Season
Luke Hayward (Telford)
Ends
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