 |
| JOSH DAKIN ... magnificent comeback win |
With both players finding their feet in the opener, Hage was first into his stride and finished off nicely with a colours clearance to take the frame 79-24.
It was soon 2-0 following an in-off on the green and the Clay Cross player stepping up to take green, brown and blue out of baulk for an 87-53 scoreline.
The next was nip and tuck until Hage bobbled a green around the middle pocket and Dakin produced an excellent 19 break from last red down to blue to make the frame safe at 60-36.
Buoyed by this, there was no stopping the Edgefold cueman in the fourth and he levelled at 2-2 with a pair of twenty breaks contributing to a 77-3 romp.
Hage was not to be phased however as he hit back with a run of 31 in frame five though it still went down to pink and blank with the Matlock man going close with a long pink before Hage took a straight pot from mid-range for 3-2.
Dakin took blue and pink in the next after the Clay Cross cueman had overcut match ball and eventually it was 3-3 with the Edgefold player clipping in a long range black-ball decider into the bottom pocket in fine style.
And with the home player holding sway in the decider with a thirty point lead and two reds left, the decisive moment came when Hage just caught the pink which was semi-blocking the object ball from the pocket and Dakin thereafter made sure with a teen break to seal the deal and an eventual 68-36 win.
The top pair met in the T & M Motors Snooker League at Bolehill Institute where Edgefold No1 secured the title outright with their 16th straight win, coming from 2-0 down to edge it 3-2.
Rob Muxlow was the catalyst, forcing a re-spot in the third frame by taking pink and black and then sinking it at the first time of asking after Colin Marchington and Ricki Slack (31 break) put the hosts on the front foot.
Tommy Smith then levelled and the two victors combined to take a hard fought pairs leg with Muxlow again getting the decisive pink at the end.
The following night however, Edgefold No1's unbeaten league run did come to an end with a 3-2 victory for Clay Cross Brotherhood in a re-arranged encounter.
Ian McKay, Tony Blant and Duncan Waring reeled off three straight frames to do what no one else had found possible all season (barring Tansley in the cups).
Steve Burton (36 break) pulled one back before teaming up for a black ball success with Duncan Harwood to narrow the gap.
Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2 had defeated Clay Cross 3-2 the previous night with Ben Monk's 42 break making sure he got some kind of revenge for his recent OMYA Cup loss to opponent Duncan Waring where both players were in break-building form with a couple of forties and a thirty.
They soon made it a quick double with another minimum margin victory over Crich Comrades in another re-scheduled fixture.
Nick Berry and Paul Trevett had the visitors 2-0 in front but wins for Carlos Zaragoza and Jack Lowe levelled it up and they then paired up to take the doubles leg.
Edgefold No2 saw off Belper RBL 4-1 as Trevor Wright took the opener on the black, Josh Dakin top scored and the pair teamed up to take the doubles at the end. Wayne Shooter was on target for the visitors.
 |
| JIM McCANN and ROB LOWE, double cup successes |
T & M Motors Snooker League week 17: Bolehill Institute 2, Edgefold Matlock No1 3; Clay Cross Brotherhood 3, Edgefold Matlock No1 2; Alfreton Palmer Morewood No2 3, Clay Cross Brotherhood 2; Alfreton Palmer Morewood 3, Crich Comrades 2; Edgefold Matlock No2 4, Belper RBL 1.
Open Individual Handicap final (at Edgefold, Matlock): Josh Dakin (Edgefold No2) 4, Lee Hage (Clay Cross Brotherhood) 3: 24-79(27); 53-87; 60-36; 77(20,20)-3; 47-58(31); 67-60; 68-36.
Breaks (inc. comps): B Monk 43,42; D Waring 42,37; L Hage 31,27; S Burton 36; R Slack 31; G Jones 25; J Dakin 20,20.
Edgefold Matlock No 1 17 16 1 59
Bolehill Institute 17 11 6 50
Alfreton P Morewood No 2 17 10 7 47
Leading wins: S Bullock 13/16; S Brooks 12/14; I Birks 12/16.
