TITLE RACE GOES DOWN TO LAST WEEK FOR TOP TRIO

GRAY ASTLE ... gritty display

TANSLEY POTTERS completed their league programme with a 3-2 home win over Belper Strutt Club and hang on grimly to top spot as two points separate the top three teams going into the final week of re-arranged T & M Motors Snooker League fixtures.
Joe Neville continued his fine form with his 13th win from 18 games as he edged the opener 57-49. Steve Hawkins added to the lead with a 57-32 verdict in the next.
Paul Jarrett reduced the arrears in frame three but Gray Astle ground out a crucial black ball win to settle the match before Strutt took the concluding doubles leg courtesy of Justin Weller and Mark Newby.
With Matlock Golf Club inactive, the focus was on Alfreton Palmer Morewood No 2 to see if they could gain a foothold in the title race.

But opponents Edgefold No2 were in no mood for a victory parade just yet as they returned from Hall Street with a stunning 4-1 win.
Jamie Wright took the opener on the black and with Steve Burton, Rob Muxlow and Roy Taylor adding to it the hosts were reeling until Ben Monk and Kevin Rowland showed their class with a century points haul in the remaining doubles leg. In fact Monk was in excellent nick throughout the evening, with defiant runs of 44,38 and 30 as he battled to stem the tide.

A few of these teams were in action again later in the week and a sense of normality was resumed with Alfreton No2 defeating Strutt Club 3-2. Monk was again inspirational as he gave his team an early lead which soon became 3-0 before the hosts struck back with Justin Weller taking his singles and doubles legs.

Edgefold No2 meanwhile returned to Alfreton to play the host club's No3 team but this time the Amber Valley cuemen held sway 3-2 as Ady Lowe and Steve Burton top scored respectively.

Alfreton No3 had also been in action earlier in the week but fell 4-1 to the Edgefold No1 team despite Graeme Wood striking first for the vanquished. Chris Taylor top scored for the Matlock team.

And Alfreton No1 signed off for the season with an excellent 4-1 defeat of Crich Comrades. Andrew Haggarty was successful in both singles and doubles for the victors while Paul Trevett notched 83 points en route to the solitary success for the Tramwaymen.

In the competitions, Ben Monk and Simon Mays reached their third successive pairs final in the Denis Morton Trophy while Ady Lowe saw off Justin Weller to take his place in the Open Individual Handicap final.

League week 18 results: Tansley Potters 3, Belper Strutt Club 2; Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2 1, Edgefold Matlock No2 4; Belper Strutt Club 2, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2 3; Alfreton Palmer Morewood No3 3, Edgefold Matlock No2 2; Edgefold Matlock No1 4, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No3 1; Crich Comrades 1, Alfreton Palmer Morewood No1 4.
Breaks: B Monk 44,38,30,30,29,27; J Weller 24; M Newby 22; S Mays 21.

T & M Motors Snooker League         P        W       L       Pts
Tansley Potters                                  18        14       4       52
Alfreton P Morewood No 2                17        12        5       51
Matlock Golf Club                              17        11        6       50 
Alfreton P Morewood No 3                18          9        9       45 
Alfreton P Morewood No 1                18          8      10       42
Bolehill Institute                                 17          6      11       41
Edgefold Matlock No 2                      18          8      10       40 
Edgefold Matlock No 1                      16          7        9       40
Belper Strutt Club                              18          6      12       39
Crich Comrades                                 17          6      11       35
Leading breaks: S Donner 92, R Mulliss 67 & 60.
Leading wins: G Jones 14/17; J Neville 13/18; L Mooney 12/17.

GOLF CLUB HIT THE SUMMIT AS TANSLEY ARE EDGED OUT

GRAHAM JONES ... 14 wins out of 17

WITH three matches taking place over the Easter period, Matlock Golf Club capitalised on Alfreton No 2's inactivity and a narrow defeat for Tansley to take over leadership of the T & M Motors Snooker League going into the final scheduled round of games (plus a few re-arrangements).
The golfers travelled to Alfreton No1 but it did not go their way early doors as first Des Smith and then Phil Longden put the home team 2-0 to the good.
Les Mooney produced a trademark steady performance to reduce the arrears and after Graham Jones had notched his 14th win in 17 outings, meaning he has already secured the Player of the Season award for most wins, everything rested on the final doubles leg.
And with the frame going down to the final black, it was the pairing of Jones and Mooney who emerged victorious by a nail-biting 62-56 scoreline.

Tansley Potters travelled to Bolehill Institute and the home team recorded their sixth win out of eight on their own baize courtesy of a 3-2 verdict.
Again it looked unlikely in the early exchanges with Joe Neville and Steve Hawkins taking the first two frames respectively before Simon Zoppi started the fightback with an excellent exhibition of potting.
Ian Birks levelled and then teamed up with Ricki Slack to seal the deal in the doubles.

The other match saw a convincing win for Edgefold No1 who defeated Crich Comrades 4-1. Duncan Harwood took both singles and doubles legs, latterly with Chris Taylor, while Ade Smith was on target for the Tramwaymen.

Harwood also excelled with Steve Clarke in the doubles semi final as they knocked out the holders Des Smith and Tom Broughton 3-0 and Belper Strutt Club's Justin Weller will contest the scratch final after a 3-1 defeat of Keith Robertson.

The last remaining Elliott Carpets Billiards League contest resulted in another win for runners-up Mayfield Institute, defeating Tansley Potters 12-7 with wins for Mark Jennings and Joe Neville respectively.
Snooker League week 17 results: Alfreton Palmer Morewood No1 2, Matlock Golf Club 3; Bolehill Institute 3, Tansley Potters 2; Edgefold Matlock No1 4, Crich Comrades 1.
Breaks (inc. comps): D Harwood 25; K Robertson 25; R Slack 24; R Neville 20.

Billiards League (re-arranged): Tansley Potters 7, Mayfield Institute 12.

T & M Motors Snooker League         P        W       L       Pts
Matlock Golf Club                              17        11        6       50 
Tansley Potters                                  17        13       4       49
Alfreton P Morewood No 2                15        11        4       47
Alfreton P Morewood No 3                16          8        8       41 
Bolehill Institute                                 17          6      11       41
Alfreton P Morewood No 1                17          7      10       38
Edgefold Matlock No 1                      15          6        9       36
Belper Strutt Club                              16          6      10       35
Edgefold Matlock No 2                      16          7        9       34 
Crich Comrades                                16          6      10       34
Leading breaks: S Donner 92, R Mulliss 67 & 60.
Leading wins: G Jones 14/17; J Neville & L Mooney 12/17.

Elliott Carpets Billiards League       P     W      D       L     Pts
Bolehill Institute                                 12     10       1       1    141
Mayfield Institute                               12       7       1       4    136
Whitworth Institute                             12       4       0       8    115
Tansley Potters                                  12       2       0     10    109
Leading breaks: J McCann 57, S Hawkins 46.
Leading wins: R Slack 10/12; J McCann 9/12.