2014/2015 NEWPORT & DISTRICT POOL LEAGUE
For immediate release
Thursday, July 2nd, 2015
STAG FINISH SECOND SUCCESSIVE LEAGUE-WINNING
SEASON WITH DRAW AT PLATE-WINNING SHAKESPEARE A
NEWPORT (Shropshire): League champions, the Stag, drew the curtain on their successful season in the Newport Pool League with a hard-earned draw against Newport League Plate winning-Shakespeare A.
The Market Drayton side finished their year with 31 wins, this draw and two defeats from their 34 games and, like Shakespeare A, now head into next week’s Neil Clark Memorial Trophy finals’ night chasing a league and cup double.
George Allen outwitted Russ Woodhouse to give the visitors the lead, but a Mick Manning error let in Tom Vernon to level and Gary Lewis beat Neil Dale to make it 2-1. Dean Smith clinched a re-racked fourth against Charlie Hayward to give the home team at least a point, but the Stag dug deep in the doubles to seal the draw.
LSC at the Tav finished as the league bridesmaids for the third time in four years and gifted their final match of the season to Haberdashers Arms rather than put together a makeshift team. They led the league until well into the New Year before a run of inconsistent draws cost them ground on the eventual winners. But it was a pitiful end to their season not to show up for the final game and they were docked two points to boot.
Newport Legion finished third after grinding out a 3-3 draw at the Honeysuckle on the final night.
King’s Head A finished fourth after coming from 0-3 down to seal the draw against Pheasant A. Trevor Smith, Alex Davidson and Irene Whittington lost out in the openers, with Davidson going in-off on the black against Ant Allen in her singles rack. Ed Keenan pulled a frame back and the quartet dug deep in the doubles to seal an unlikely draw.
The Railway Tavern entertained the Horns in a mid-table clash in Upper Bar and ended their season with a thumping defeat. Russ Porter started well against Martyn Holford, but the Horns hit back hard and Wayne Baker, Jamie Wright and Dave Jolley put Stu Morrey, Adam Stone and Greg Quinn to the sword and also secured the doubles frames to snatch a 1-5 win.
Pheasant B suffered a disappointing second half of the season but finished their league campaign with a 4-2 home win against King’s Head B. They now face Shakespeare A in the Neil Clark Consolation Shield final at the Royal Navy Club.
Bobby Perry won the opener against Jack Jones to make it 0-1, only for Mike and Luke Jones and Craig Hutchinson to hit back with wins over ‘Bonsey’, Lorna Phee and Maggie O’Brien. Perry and ‘Bonsey’ won the fifth to make it 2-3, but the home team prevailed in the final frame to seal both points.
The Navigation shared the spoils with Junction B in Gnosall and Junction A finished the season on a high with a 4-2 victory over the Wheatsheaf.
Honours in the bottom-of-the-table clash between the Royal Navy Club and Shakespeare B went to the home side by the odd frame, with veteran Gerry Nunn returning to his old stomping ground after many months off through illness.
2014-2015 Newport & District Pool League – final table
Team |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
Stag Mkt Drayton |
34 |
31 |
1 |
2 |
167 |
37 |
63 |
|
LSC @ Tavern |
34 |
25 |
7 |
2 |
147 |
57 |
55* |
|
Newport Legion |
34 |
23 |
8 |
3 |
142 |
62 |
54 |
|
King’s Head A |
34 |
21 |
9 |
4 |
128 |
76 |
51 |
|
Pheasant A |
34 |
20 |
7 |
7 |
126 |
78 |
47 |
|
Horns Gnosall |
34 |
16 |
7 |
11 |
110 |
94 |
39 |
|
Honeysuckle |
34 |
15 |
10 |
9 |
119 |
85 |
38* |
|
Shakespeare A |
34 |
17 |
4 |
13 |
116 |
88 |
38 |
|
Railway Tavern |
34 |
13 |
6 |
15 |
99 |
105 |
32 |
|
Pheasant B |
34 |
12 |
8 |
14 |
99 |
105 |
32 |
|
King’s Head B |
34 |
11 |
6 |
17 |
86 |
118 |
28 |
|
Haberdashers |
34 |
10 |
7 |
17 |
88 |
116 |
27 |
|
Navigation |
34 |
8 |
8 |
18 |
82 |
122 |
22* |
|
Junction B |
34 |
7 |
9 |
18 |
80 |
124 |
22 |
|
Junction A |
34 |
8 |
6 |
20 |
77 |
127 |
22 |
|
Wheatsheaf |
34 |
5 |
10 |
19 |
72 |
132 |
20 |
|
Royal Navy Club |
34 |
2 |
5 |
27 |
52 |
152 |
9 |
|
Shakespeare B |
34 |
0 |
6 |
28 |
45 |
159 |
6 |
*Honeysuckle, Navigation and LSC deducted two points for missing fixture
2014-2015 Newport & District Pool League Plate – final table
Team |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
Shakespeare A |
17 |
10 |
2 |
5 |
60 |
42 |
22 |
|
Haberdashers |
17 |
8 |
4 |
5 |
52 |
50 |
20 |
|
King’s Head B |
17 |
7 |
1 |
9 |
44 |
58 |
15 |
|
Junction B |
17 |
4 |
5 |
8 |
43 |
59 |
13 |
|
Navigation |
17 |
3 |
5 |
9 |
39 |
63 |
11 |
|
Junction A |
17 |
3 |
3 |
11 |
39 |
63 |
9 |
|
Wheatsheaf |
17 |
2 |
4 |
11 |
31 |
71 |
8 |
|
Royal Navy Club |
17 |
2 |
2 |
13 |
29 |
73 |
6 |
|
Shakespeare B |
17 |
0 |
3 |
14 |
21 |
81 |
3 |
Week 34 results:
Junction A v Wheatsheaf, 4-2
Shakespeare A v Stag Market Drayton, 3-3
Honeysuckle v Newport Legion, 3-3
King’s Head A v Pheasant A, 3-3
Pheasant B v King’s Head B, 4-2
Railway Tavern v Horns Gnosall, 1-5
Royal Navy Club v Shakespeare B, 4-2
Navigation Gnosall v Junction B, 3-3
Haberdashers Arms v LSC at the Tavern, 6-0 W/O
Ends
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