2015/2016 MARSTON’S NEWPORT & DISTRICT POOL LEAGUE

For immediate release
Thursday, January 14th, 2016

NEWPORT LEGION PILE ON PRESSURE BY CRUSHING KING’S HEAD A

NEWPORT (Shropshire): NRBL A faced a stiff test in their challenge for honours in the Marston’s Newport & District Pool League with a visit to the inconsistent King’s Head A.

But the match became anything but a test for the visitors, who put out a second string side and only managed to win one frame. Bobby Perry was that man and the Shropshire county player wiped the smirk of Simon Walley’s face to make it 1-0 to the home team.

That’s as good as it got for the King’s Head, however, and Jack Dicken edged his frame against Ed Keenan to level, Mick Beech made it 1-2 with a win over Alex Davidson and Ant Heathcote broke and cleared against Irene Whittington, as landlord Mick Collins and Phil Emery looked on from the sidelines. They were next to fall in rack five against Heathcote and Dicken and Walley and Beech made it 1-5 in the final frame.

Market Drayton’s Stag continued their unbeaten start to the season and hold a two-point lead after thumping the Pheasant in Newport. The match was actually closer than the score line suggests. George Allen and Mick Manning got the better of Craig Hutchinson and Gaz Davies – with the opening frame going to a re-rack and Davies having a chance to take out the black in his frame on two occasions.

At 0-2, Alistair Griffiths fell to C. Thompson and Neil Dale made it four with a win over Tom Sayce, before the visitors edged two doubles frames.

Sutherland Arms remain in contention for the runner-up spot, despite fighting back to earn a draw in a thriller against Honeysuckle Harriers in Tibberton. Tom Tonna edged a marathon safety opener against Wayne Dodd to put the visitors into the lead, only for Ian Swinnerton to level in another tight contest with Neil Perkins.

Tom Fisken went around the Wrekin three times to put the home team in front with a win over Dean Smith, but Russ Woodhouse held his nerve to take out his final three balls to level the match against Jack Hooper. Perkins missed a clearance from the break to seal the fifth frame against Swinnerton and Andy Fishwick and several minutes of skull-duggery from both sides gave Swinnerton a chance to clear his remaining six reds. One mistake was all it took, however, and up stepped Tonna with two shots to tap in the black and make it 2-3.

Woodhouse and Owen Rigby were on top against Matt Mansell and Fisken in the final frame as the pressure mounted, but two tricky missed blacks by a distraught Rigby and a wayward shot by Woodhouse gave Mansell two shots and he held his nerve to seal the clearance and the draw.

WWFC cruised passed the Shakespeare with the loss of one frame. Craig Williams and Tom Vernon made it 2-0 with a couple of comfortable victories and Chris Nolan got in the mood for next week’s bruising encounter by beating Callum Day to make it 3-0. Kevin Genner was outplayed by Kim Rigby, who gave the Shakespeare a lifeline, but the Telford side were not to be denied the doubles frames and a command of fourth in the league.

Junction A got the better of the Haberdashers in the all-Staffordshire clash. Skipper Hyla Marklew undid Nathan Shepherd to put the Norbury side in front, but the ‘Dashers hit back through Janet Lane and John Stanley taking out Steve Roycroft and Gordon Sidebotham. Sion Richards levelled the match against Dave Heeley and the Junction quartet bonded well to seal the points and the doubles racks.

The Horns were held to a 3-3 draw in Gnosall by King’s Head B. In-form Jamie Wright got the home team off to a perfect start against Adam Barnes, but Ryan Langford hit back to pip Martyn Holford and level at one apiece. Jordan Clay beat Lorna Phee to make it 2-1 and the experienced Ian Perry maintained the form he has displayed to win the Telford Video League this season to beat Kev Thackwell and make it 2-2.

Holford and Clay responded well to give the Horns the advantage in frame five, but Perry and his wife Chris sealed an impressive point for the visitors by beating Wright and Thackwell in the final frame.

The Royal Navy Club entertained Junction B. Mark Kijuk set the home team on their way, only for Jamie Morris and Ryan Morris to pull the Norbury side back into contention. The Junction prevailed in both doubles frames, with Ryan Morris potting the black in the final frame to seal the win.

There were byes for Honeysuckle Hawks and the Wheatsheaf.

2015-2016 Marston’s Newport & District Pool League @ 13/1/16

Team

P

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

Stag Mkt. Drayton

10

10

0

0

50

10

20

Newport Legion A

10

9

0

1

47

13

18

Sutherland Arms

9

6

3

0

39

15

15

WWFC

9

7

0

2

33

21

14

H’suckle Harriers

9

5

2

2

34

20

12

King’s Head A

11

5

2

4

36

30

12

H’suckle Hawks

10

4

2

4

34

26

10

Wheatsheaf

9

4

2

3

25

29

10

Junction A

10

3

2

5

25

35

8

Pheasant

10

3

1

6

23

37

7

Junction B

9

2

3

4

21

33

7

Haberdashers

10

2

2

6

22

38

6

Horns Gnosall

10

2

3

5

26

34

5*

Royal Navy Club

10

1

2

7

20

40

4

King’s Head B

9

1

2

6

17

37

4

Shakespeare

9

0

0

9

10

44

0

*Horns deducted two points for missing a fixture

Week 11 results:
WWFC v Shakespeare, 5-1
Sutherland Arms Tibberton v Honeysuckle Harriers, 3-3
King’s Head A v NRBL A, 1-5
Pheasant v Stag Market Drayton, 0-6
Junction A v Haberdashers Arms, 4-2
Horns Gnosall v King’s Head B, 3-3
Royal Navy Club v Junction B, 2-4
Wheatsheaf and Honeysuckle Hawks, BYES

Week 10 result:
Haberdashers Arms v King’s Head A, 0-6

Neil Clark Memorial Trophy – round 1 result:
Haberdashers Arms v Honeysuckle Hawks, 2-4

Ends

For further information:
Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, Tel: 07831 123153
www.ndp-publicity.com

Published On: 14 January 2016