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| ALAN HOPKINSON, long term servant of the Darley Dale & District League. |
It was fitting in the circumstances that Bolehill Institute No 1 team, whom Alan captained for many years, should turn on probably their best performance of the season resulting in a 4-1 win at A Division leaders Marehay Miners Welfare, which they immediately dedicated to their former captain on hearing the bad news.
It started out looking like just another day at the office for the hosts with Ben Monk taking the opening frame thanks to breaks of 28 and 23, but that didn't tell the whole story as reserve Keith Robertson had been very unlucky to pot the blue when in with every chance only for the cue ball to drop into a pocket having all but rested on the lip initially.
Simon Zoppi mopped up from yellow to pink to make it 1-1 in the next and then Ricki Slack took yellow to blue to make it 2-1.
Thereafter Ian Birks with a 63-30 win sealed the deal in frame four and then he and Ricki took the final doubles match courtesy of a re-spotted black after Ben had potted a stormer to level the scores at 55 apiece.
Bolehill's No 2 team were also well poised as they took a 2-0 lead over Belper Strutt Club No 1, Martin Forster and Mick Bunting doing the business.
However, the B Division leaders fought back strongly to take a 3-2 win thanks to Mark Newby and Steve Bullock remaining undefeated in the remaining singles and doubles frames.
The No 2 team from Strutt were edged out 3-2 by Matlock's Gladiators Social Club, with the pivotal frame being the doubles clash, as Troy Brett and Dwayne Martin came from the snookers required stage on pink and black to take it against all the odds.
Matlock Club couldn't maintain their recent upturn in fortunes as they lost 5-0 at home to Matlock Golf Club, who fielded six players on the night, all of whom were in fine form, Graham Jones (40 break) and Ian McKay (29 and 22) particularly so.
And there was also an excellent 5-0 success for Matlock's Edgefold Club at Jaxx Q Club of Belper. Robert Muxlow top scored on a night which featured a strange conclusion with the Jaxx players drifting out one by one until Kevin Holmes was left on his own and unable to find a partner to play the doubles frame with!
He had gained some compensation earlier in the night with a 3-2 win over team-mate Paul Ogden in the Open Handicap semi final, highlighted by a break of 37.
League week 13 results: Marehay Miners Welfare / PJ'z 1, Bolehill Inst No 1 4; Bolehill Inst No 2 2, Belper Strutt No 1 3; Belper Strutt No 2 2, Gladiators SC Matlock 3; Matlock Club 0, Matlock Golf Club 5; Jaxx Q Club Belper 0, Edgefold Matlock 5.
Open Handicap semi final: K Holmes (Jaxx Q Club) 3; P Ogden (Jaxx Q Club) 2.
Breaks: G Jones 40; K Holmes 37; I McKay 29,22; B Monk 28,23; P Ogden 27;
R Slack 22; S Zoppi 20.
A Division P W L Pts
Marehay MW / PJ'z 12 9 3 41
Bolehill Institute No 1 13 8 5 38
Edgefold Matlock 13 6 7 31
Matlock Golf Club 12 6 6 30
Jaxx Q Club Belper 13 7 6 26
Leading breaks: B Monk 47 & 44; I McKay 44.
Leading wins: B Monk & R Slack 11; A Gratton 9.
B Division P W L Pts
Belper Strutt No 1 13 9 4 37
Gladiators SC Matlock 13 7 6 36
Belper Strutt No 2 13 5 8 31
Bolehill Institute No 2 13 5 8 29
Matlock Club 13 2 11 21
Leading breaks: T Brett 58 & 54; S Bullock 45.
Leading wins: C Stubbs & W Shooter 9; I Peacock & M Newby 8.
