ALFRETON LIFT JAEGER CUP AND RUSSELL EDGES MONK

ALFRETON PALMER MOREWOOD: L-R: Stephen Eames, Kevin Rowland, Will Salt,
Andrew Beardsley, Ralph Edgson (with cup) and Jamie Rowland.

THE JAEGER Trophy Play off final showed the open nature of this end of season event as out of the eight ranked qualifiers, the no. 7 seed were paired with the no. 8 seed as the higher placed contenders all fell by the wayside en route.So Alfreton Palmer Morewood and Matlock Cons took centre stage at Belper Strutt Club as the teams hitting form at the right time and none more so individually than Andrew Beardsley, who started the opening frame in storming style.
A 26 break contributed to a 43 point lead against Chris Parker with only the same number of points available, but some wily snookers and a never-say-die attitude from the latter meant the frame was still up for grabs with pink and black remaining and now only 5pts in it.
When Parker clipped in a superb pink with black resting close to a corner pocket, it looked like a remarkable turnaround had taken place but sadly for him the cue ball dropped into a baulk pocket on its way around the table and a relieved Beardsley stepped in to eventually make sure.
The next couple of frames were largely tactical with Jack Lynch defeating Kevin Rowland 58-25 to equalise after a marathon battle and Jamie Rowland seeing off Nick Kay 44-29 to edge Alfreton ahead.
So it fell to 77-years-young Ralph Edgson to strike the winning blow, as after a torrid start in which he accrued three foul shots in almost as many visits, he took control against Charlie Hodgkinson with some great potting to win 61-39, finally securing it on the blue after a mini fight-back.
So Alfreton lifted the cup once more having already secured this particular silverware a number of times in the now sadly defunct Belper League.

BEN MONK (Belper Strutt 1) and ANDY RUSSELL (Edgefold 1), Individual Handicap finalists

Meanwhile the much anticipated "clash of the titans" took place at Alfreton as local league giants Ben Monk and Andy Russell locked horns in the Open Individual Handicap final.
Monk, aided by successive breaks of 21, took the opener 81-59 before Russell hit back to equalise and then moved 2-1 ahead with runs of 31 and 30.
A 27 clearance saw Monk pull level on the black before contributions of 38 and 26 edged the Edgefold man back in front as the match swung back and forth.
Monk took the sixth frame 74-50 to force the decider but  it was to no avail ultimately as Russell soon took an unassailable lead and ran out a 76-20 victor to take a 4-3 win.
Jaeger Trophy Champion of Champions Play offs final: Alfreton Palmer Morewood 3, Matlock Cons 1 (at Belper Strutt Club).
Open Individual Handicap final: Andy Russell 4, Ben Monk 3 (at Alfreton Palmer Morewood).
Breaks: A Russell 38,31,30,26; B Monk 27,21,21,20; A Beardsley 26.