Forge hit back to move top

FORGE A moved top of Division 1 as they came from 3-2 behind to defeat Sperrin 5-3 in a hard fought contest at the Newmarket Street venue.

Defending champions McNulty’s are hot on their trail, as they comfortably saw off the challenge of Darren Boyd’s Forge Bar team.

Forge B continue to blaze the trail in Division 2, with Railway Arms still only two points back. Both teams registered commanding victories this week.

Division 1

Forge A 5, Sperrin 3

Lee Hull started for the home side against Johnny White. In a nervy opener it was Hull who took his chances to go one up.

White had a great chance in the second, however a poor positional shot on his last red left a difficult pot. He did manage to make the pot however had no control over the cue ball, and could only watch as it found its way into the top pocket to leave Hull a simple finish.

These two met again in the first doubles match as Hull played alongside Neville Smyth, and White partnering Billy Moore. In two quickfire frames the Forge pair started with a break and finish before Moore and White returned the favour to level. The decider was not as exciting though as both pairings struggled to make their mark. It was the Sperrin pair who eventually pulled through to make it 1-1 on the night.

Smyth and Moore squared up in singles action and the Forge man drew first blood, after Moore missed an initial opening, Smyth fired home in excellent eight ball finish. Moore started to slow things up after this, and Smyth allowed himself to get embroiled in a tactical battle. Moore’s excellent tactical knowledge shone through as he managed to grind his way through the next two frames, putting his side in front in a game which took almost an hour.

Forge captain Willie Eakin was up next and he took the opener after opponent Aaron Moffatt had run out of position when attempting a difficult finish.

The second was touch and go, after Eakin missed the black, Moffatt had 2 yellows left in reasonably safe positions. What followed can only be described as a comedy of errors as both players had numerous chances to take the frame.

However, after missing half a dozen clear shots on the black, Eakin managed to escape from a snooker to pot it, levelling the match once again.

akin played the next doubles match, alongside Allen Tosh. They took the opening frame with a solid finish, before opponents Moffatt and Lee Caulfield replied with a confident finish of their own.

The Forge pair looked in control in the decider, however an absolutely cracking pot on the second last yellow by Caulfield, combined with perfect position on their last ball, swung the game in their favour, putting the Sperrin back in front.

Raymond Baxter was up next for the Forge and he ripped out a great eight ball finish to take the lead against Sperrin captain Raymond Stockman. Baxter looked like sealing the win in the next, however he went in off his last yellow to hand Stockman a lifeline.

The Forge man was not to be denied, though, as he controlled the decider to level the match for the third time.

Young Scott Clarke made his singles debut for the home side, with the daunting task of facing singles champion Lee Caulfield. The Sperrin man looked to be well in control in the opener, however Clarke showed the typical no fear attitude of youth, as he took out an awesome five ball finish which never looked possible.

This finish no doubt rattled the Sperrin man, as he never looked comfortable in the next frame. After making a total mess of two shots, he left young Clarke a great chance to seal the win. Clarke potted all his remaining balls, but slightly ran out of position on the black.

He missed his pot, but just as Caulfield was about to chalk his cue, the black travelled the full length of the table into the opposite corner pocket. A slice of luck for the young Forge man, but it would be hard to argue that he didn’t deserve the victory.

The final, crucial doubles match saw Baxter and Eakin take on Moore and Paul O’Connor. The Sperrin pair handed the first frame to their opponents as O’Connor potted the black while attempting a tough pot on their last yellow.

The Forge pair looked to have sealed it, after potting all seven reds, Eakin was left with a routine black, but amazingly, after his earlier exploits, he missed another one.

However, yet again, he managed to escape from a snooker two shots later, and seal a great victory for the home side.

McNulty’s A 5, Forge Bar 1

Ady Toner was in top form in the opening match as he opened up with a break and finish. He was on his way to another eight ball finish after young Corey Sweeney failed to pot from the break, but Toner missed the black to allow Sweeney in to level.

However, Toner made up for the miss in the decider as he broke and finished yet again.

Andy Park and Davy Tosh then doubled the lead as they ran out comfortable winners over Darren Boyd and Alan McBride.

McBride fared no better in his singles encounter with Marc Hutchinson. With neither player at their best, both frames were quite scrappy, McBride had a couple of chances but could not take them, and Hutchinson was able to put his team three up.

Darren Boyd stopped the rot as he recovered from losing the first, to a break and finish by opponent Willie Boreland, to take the next 2 and put his side on the scoreboard.

Andy Park won his second doubles match, as he teamed up with Jimmy Moore, to beat Boyd and Sean McNicholl, including a fine finish in the second.

McNulty’s captain Davy Tosh opened with a break and finish in his match against Adam Watt, however the Forge man replied with an excellent finish of his own to level.

Watt was very unlucky in the decider as he went in off his last ball, and Tosh stepped up to take out the game in typically calm fashion.

Division 2

Forge B 6, Roost A 2

The leaders continued their fine form as they saw off the stubborn challenge of the bottom side.

John Huston took his chances against Charlie Speight in the opener. Steven McIlroy and Aaron McCorkell made it 2-0 but they were made to fight all the way by DD Campbell and Steven McMullan.

McMullan, however, won his singles match as he showed too much tactical nous for Dijon McCorkell. Julie Henderson and Clive Robertson shared the opening two frames in their singles battle, but the Northern Ireland Ladies international was too strong for Clive in the decider, restoring her team’s two game advantage.

In the next doubles match, Dijon McCorkell and Huston proved too strong for George Cameron and Stewart Mitchell. Cameron started well in his singles match but Daniel McAuley knuckled down and took the next two frames with some great play to seal the victory.

DD Campbell won the final singles match for Roost, with Forge pairing of McAuley and Andy Hutchinson taking the last doubles game.

Sperrin B 1, Railway Arms 6

After their demolition of McNulty’s B , Sperrin B were brought back down to earth as the Arms’ handed out some punishment of their own.

Scott McClelland continued his recent form as he proved too strong for Simon McIlreavy. McClelland made it two from two as he teamed up with Wahib Ziani, beating Andy Lindsay and Peter McMullan in straight frames.

A high quality contest next as Ziani met Steven Spence, two players who have been in fine form this season.

They shared the first two frames, before Spence produced an excellent break and finish in the decider. Ronnie McMullan restored the visitors’ two game advantage as he recovered from a frame down to beat Declan Kneeland.

McMullan then combined very well with Stephen Blair to register a comfortable victory in the second doubles match. Blair registered a second victory as he came back to haunt his former team mates, beating Peter McMullan with a great finish in the second frame.

With the points in the bag, captain Arthur McMullan put the gloss on the scoreline with victory over his opposite number John Sweeney.

Roost B 2, McNulty’s B 6

McNulty’s B got back to winning ways with some good performances in this encounter. Kenny Watton returned with a bang as he took out John Cameron in commanding fashion.

A similar result in the first doubles match, as Watton and Hubert Smyth got the better of Cameron and Rodney Leighton in three frames.

Leighton managed to get his side off the mark as he was too strong for Jeff Butcher. Keith Hunter restored McNultys advantage as he got the better of Uel White in three tough frames.

Geoff Butcher and George Canning combined extremely well in the next doubles match, chalking up a fine victory over White and Eddie Mullan.

However, Mullan got his revenge in singles, as he just about came through against Canning. Steven Warwick sealed the victory for his side as he outputted Tommy McDonald to win 2-0.

Fixtures

This week

Sperrin A v Sperrin

Forge A v Forge Bar

McNulty’s (bye)

Roost B v Roost A

Railway Arms v McNulty B

Forge B v Sperrin B

Next week

Sperrin (bye)

McNulty’s A v Forge A

Forge Bar v Sperrin A

Roost A v McNulty’s B

Railway Arms v Forge B

Sperrin B v Roost B

Tables

Division 1 Pld Pts

Forge A 5 8

McNultys A 5 7

Sperrin 5 6

Sperrin A 5 5

Forge Bar 5 4

Division 2

Forge B 5 10

R Arms 5 8

Sperrin B 5 5

McNultys B 5 4

Roost B 5 3

Roost A 5 0