2011/2012 NEWPORT & DISTRICT POOL LEAGUE
NEIL CLARK MEMORIAL TROPHY, round 1
For immediate release
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
POOL LEAGUE LEADERS SET FOR NEIL
CLARK QUARTERFINAL SHOWDOWNS
NEWPORT (Shropshire): Defending Newport & District League champions, King’s Head A, will visit last year’s league runners-up, Sutherland Arms, and this year’s league pace-setters, LSC at the Tav and NRBL A, will clash in the quarter-finals of the Neil Clark Memorial Trophy after Wednesday’s first round matches
Teams took a pre-Christmas break from league action for the first round matches in the league cup and the table-topping LSC at the Tav were made to work hard against King’s Head B for their quarter-final place against NRBL A.
Greg Heathcote potted the black by accident to gift Lucy Hennessey and the Chetwynd End side an early 1-0 lead, but Ben Longstaff held his nerve against Lyn Day to make it 1-1. A useful double by Ian Roberts put the away side in front in frame three, but Maggie O’Brien was in good form to punish Andy Miles for his waywardness and the match went into the doubles at 2-2.
Longstaff and Neil Perkins scraped through against Chris Perry and Day to put the visitors in sight of the last eight and Miles made a useful clearance to seal the win.
Antony Heathcote rode his luck to pip Vicky Winter and put NRBL A on their way to victory and Wayne Dodd and Mick Beech got the better of Vicky Hipkins and Rich Bayliss to make it 3-0. Beech opted to wheel out former league veteran Andy Dean to replace the out-of-sorts Open Champion, Colin Pink, in frame four, but he succumbed to Tony Morris to gift the visitors a chance. But the Legion quartet prevailed in the doubles to seal their home tie with LSC at the Tav. “Wim waitin’ ay we,” quipped an agitated Beech.
King’s Head A dropped just one frame in a useful 1-5 victory at Junction B to set up their visit to Tibberton. Mick Collins and Irene Whittington set the away team on their way, but Mick Ashforth edged his frame against Graham Tigwell to give the home side hope. Phil Emery beat John Owen to make it 1-3 and the King’s Head quartet won both doubles frames.
One of the upsets of the night was the 2-4 victory for the Railway Tavern at the New Inn. Ross Richards-Jones beat Adam Stone to put the home side in front, but Stu Morrey and Russ Porter beat Dave Marshall and Andy Potter to turn the match around. New Stafford league signing Dean Smith had a stinker for the New Inn against Greg Quinn as the away side moved into a 1-3 lead and, despite the fact that Ben Holmes and Potter got the better of Porter and Quinn in rack five, the Tavern sealed the match in rack six.
NRBL B continued their unbeaten start to the season with an excellent tie-break victory at Gnosall’s Navigation. Liam Matthews and Jack Jones put the visitors into a 0-2 lead, but Steve Whitlock and Julie Cheal beat Luke and Mike Jones to make it all square. Honours were shared in the doubles frames, but Mike Jones regrouped to beat Navigation landlord Whitlock in the tiebreaker and seal an away quarterfinal match at Newport Arms Hotel.
The girls team at the Newport Arms were also taken to a tiebreak frame by the Royal Navy Club at Lower Bar. Jez Price put the away team into the lead but Hannah Evans beat Gerry Nunn to level the score.
Alan Pritchett again put the visitors into the lead in rack three, but skipper Lauren Heathcote levelled the match by beating Dennis Holland. Pritchett and Price made it 2-3 to the Navy Club, only for a controversial fiasco re-spotting of the cue ball to eventually mar a victory for the home team in frame six. Heathcote duly prevailed over Price to send the Navy Club crashing out of the competition.
The Wheatsheaf beat the Horns, 4-2, to book a visit to the Railway Tavern in the quarterfinals and the Sutherland Arms produced a stunning performance to beat Junction A, the defending Neil Clark Memorial Trophy champions, with the loss of just one frame.
League action resumes at the start of January, but there will be an open ‘killer’ tournament at the Railway Tavern next Wednesday night (December 18th) from 19.30hrs. Refreshments will also be served and everyone is welcome.
1st round results:
Navigation Gnosall v NRBL B, 3-4
King’s Head B v LSC at the Tavern, 2-4
Newport Arms Hotel v Royal Navy Club, 4-3
Junction B v King’s Head A, 1-5
NRBL A v Plough Woodseaves, 5-1
Sutherland Tibberton v Junction A, 5-1
New Inn v Railway Tavern, 2-4
Wheatsheaf V Horns Gnosall, 4-2
Quarterfinal draw*
Newport Arms Hotel v NRBL B
NRBL A v LSC at the Tavern
Sutherland Tibberton v King’s Head A
Railway Tavern v Wheatsheaf
*Ties to be played on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012.
Ends
For further information:
Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, Tel: 07831 123153
www.ndp-publicity.com