2006-07: Week 12

BURTON AND DISTRICT CLUBS SNOOKER LEAGUE REPORT BY DAVE BUDWORTH In the Just Wood Premier Division Belvedere Park A have maintained top spot with a 6-2 defeat of Ivanhoe A. Ivanhoe believed that they were good enough for a draw but lady luck shone on Belvedere. In the first frame Daz Lester was unable to keep the white on the table but he got his act together and pinched the next on the final black. Craig Keen frequently got the rub of the green in his game with Barry Fieldsend and with Simon Kilmister also dropping two the writing was on the wall. Burton Cons B put in a performance to be proud of against Spot On A. The Cons surged into a 3-1 lead due to Shaun Golding and Zaheer Hussain (39 break) but with Steve Gaunt next to play it looked like it would go down to the last game. Fortunately for the Cons, Mitch Hughes is beginning to relax and find his form and put together a 68 break. Gaunt took the next and so it required something special from John Hardy to get the team draw. However Tim Hodgkinson was more than up to the challenge and took both to help his team move away from the relegation zone. Burton Cons A overcame the reformed Belmont A. Mick Simpkins and Mat Milnes took everything on offer but Belmont’s Steve Burton made sure it went down to the final game. Jonathan Fletcher and Kev Elkin, who are both regarded as having a quality cue action then took one each and gave the Cons victory. At Swad SC B it was last weeks high break setter that made the difference in his win over Phil Ball. The other players all took one a piece. Swad Cons A fell to Rolleston A. Dave Clark and Vince Draper managed one each but Mick Abbott and Kev Dixon had no answers to the consistency of Danny Thomson and Kev Norris. In Presidents Division 1 Woodville WMC A visited John Carr A and gave them absolutely no chances. This was another fantastic performance in their preparation for promotion and clearly shows that they will be able to play with the best next season. Tutbury A should be higher up the division but lost again to Swad SC C. Dave Mabbott dropping two against Steve Ayre in an otherwise drawn match. Tutbury B held Burton Cons C to a draw. A win was on the cards as Russ Banner and Greg Read took the first three between them, but the Cons used their get out of jail card and David Shipton and Steve Hathaway returned the compliment. Belmont B took the win from struggling Swad SC D but will have to make sure of more wins in the coming matches if they want to stop the league leaders from getting away. Last week Belvedere Park B handed out a whitewash defeat but this week nearly lost by the same score to Stapenhill B. Only Neil Swindale survived the onslaught in his shared game with Nathan Clarke. Stapenhill A also looked impressive in the home win over Drakelow A. Simon Orpwood, with a 38 break, gave Drakelow their points as he beat Steve Ford but Rob Kent, Dave Shenton and Paul Smith took the rest to keep them in touch with their B team. In Furniture King Division 2 Swad SC F are starting to look like a division 1 side and with the 7-1 defeat of John Carr B will be hard to stop. They rest next week so it is up to the rival teams to reduce the gap and make a fight of it. Swad SC G hosted the match against Measham WMC A and showed that they ought to be nearer the top. Mark Hadley hit a 30 break to draw with Paul Eaton and Clint Sherratt also halved with Paul Boyle. Simon Mansfield took the next two but as the two teams proved to be an equal match Nigel Dutton took both to level things up for Measham. Swad SC E shot into a 7-0 lead thanks to Ray Stretton, Andy Jefferies and Tony Mitchell only for Swad Cons C’s Ian Jardine to stop the whitewash and take the last frame off Phil Maddocks. Alrewas B continue to impress and this week made short work of Swad Cons B. Micky Morris, Tony Truman and Brian Aldridge all took maximum points but it was Bob Birch that picked up Swad’s frames against Brian Eckleston. Burton Cons D need to put in more performances like the one that defeated Newhall B. It is too late to make a play for the top of the division but results like this will get them clear of the drop zone. Bottom half of the table clash between Newhall C and Alrewas A should have ended all square. Alrewas set the early pace by going four up but Rob Press and Andy Rice were playing well enough to take the rest. Rice took both as Press finished his first leaving the game resting on the final frame. This was a tight affair that went down to the pink where John Sharp double kissed the match ball into the pocket for the win. In David Wain Insurance Division 3 John Carr D are the only team in the league to have won every match played and this week was no exception. They were at home to Belmont C and the match was no gimme. Mark King made the difference on the night with a superb 38 break and two frames won against Doug Lees. Woodville S&S A were on a high after last weeks win and began with the same determination by going four up. Stapenhill C had other ideas however and Simon Piechowicz & Robbie Jeffcoate dug deep for the draw. Willington B is putting in a good performance in their first season and has done well to hold Rolleston D to a draw, especially after losing the first three frames. The highlight of the match was the 32 break from Rolleston’s Dean Parker in his drawn game with Lee Cooke. Rolleston C also showed the quality of their side and punished visitors Newhall D. Rolleston were not to be denied as Alex Smith, Anthony Rushton and Dave Bentley all took two each but it was Mick Stubbs that came to Newhall’s rescue by taking their only frame of the evening against Ian Welby. Rolleston B put the pressure on Swad Cons D with Tim Farrington and Joe Docksey putting the home side four up. Dave Bodie gave the Cons a glimmer of hope but Darren Rowlands secured the Rolleston win in his draw with Jon Petcher Competition Draw Jason Hyde round 2 (best of 3 frames) to be played by 14th Jan 2007 Carl Jeffcoate R28 (5) v Arron Vaughan R39 (7) Simon Orpwood R24 (13) v Daz Lester R4 (12) Mark Sherratt Scr (9) v Neil Townsend R3 (9) Tim Hodgkinson R22 (1) v Simon Smith R16 (11) Mark Vaughan R16 (7) v Ryan Gilmore R4 (12) Alan Davies R6 (12) v Mick Morris R18 (8) Greg Read R28 (2) v Paul Smith R22 (5) Craig Keen R2 (12) v Tom Eggington R25 (1)