BOTH ALFRETON CHALLENGERS ENJOY A WINNING WEEK

RALPH EDGSON equalied for ALFRETON No 1

THE home straight is on the horizon in this season's Joinery Joint Snooker League and some of the main protagonists pitted their wits against each other in the latest round of games.
Matlock Golf Club, who fell to a 3-2 defeat at Edgefold No 2 the previous evening (Tom Chambers and Sam Lavelle winning both their singles and doubles frames to inflict the main damage), were looking to make amends as they entertained Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 1 next up.
And with Paul Roe ending the undefeated league record of Jamie Rowland in the opening frame, that looked a distinct possibility until the evergreen Ralph Edgson, with a 71-53 verdict in frame two, and Kevin Rowland with a black ball clincher in the third turned matters on their head.
Tony Blant made it all square before Paul Pilsworth and Jamie Rowland produced a cracking doubles display to settle the issue.

Alfreton No 2 defeated Edgefold No 2 4-1 the same night to move level on points with their other team with Derek Smith top scoring whilst Rob Dicken was on target for the visitors.
At the top Edgefold No 1 increased their advantage to four points, defeating nearest rivals Bolehill No 1 4-1 with Rob Muxlow and Andy Russell in emphatic form in their singles games and then taking the concluding doubles leg on the final black after Ricki Slack had engineered his own black ball success for the vanquished earlier in the night.

And Matlock Club gained a thrilling 3-2 home win over Belper Strutt Club on the final black with Paul Holmes and Keith Manlove keeping cool heads in the deciding doubles leg after Justin Weller had top scored to equalise.

Duncan Harwood reached the individual handicap final with a 3-2 win over Alfreton's John Smith (30 break)  after a marathon battle.

League: Edgefold Matlock No 2 3, Matlock Golf Club 2; Matlock Golf Club 2, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 1 3; Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 2 4, Edgefold Matlock No 2 1; Edgefold Matlock No 1 4, Bolehill Institute No 1 1; Matlock Club 3, Belper Strutt Club 2.
Open Individual Handicap semi final: John Smith 2, Duncan Harwood 3.
Breaks: J Smith 30; A Russell 25,23; R Slack 20.

The Joinery Joint Snooker League
                                          P      W      L      Pts
Edgefold Matlock No 1     14       8       6     44
Matlock Golf Club             14       7       7     40
Alfreton P Morewd No 1   13       9       4     39
Bolehill Institute No 1        13       9       4     40
Alfreton P Morewd No 2   13       8       5     39
Bolehill Institute No 2        12       5       7     27
Belper Strutt Club             13       6       7     26
Edgefold Matlock No 2      14       6       8     25
Matlock Club                      14       2     12     20
Leading breaks: P Roe & R Slack 46
Leading wins: J Rowland 10/11; R Slack & R Muxlow 10/13; A Russell 10/14.