Moat Aces wrap up Division One title in Towers League

The Harryville side clinched the championship in style with a 6-0 win at Rolling Stoners in a rearranged match.

There is only one other issue left to be resolved in the first division with Knockeden Jokers taking on Social Inbetweeners in a play-off to determine who finishes runners-up after both sides finished level on 21 points. No date has yet ben set for the game.

PREMIER DIVISION

Social Cobwebs 5, Fairhill Hustlers 1: Social finished a creditable third in the top flight after this win, which came about after Ritchie Irwin beat Darren Magee to put Fairhill ahead.

Neil Marrs’ come-from-behind win over Robert Graham put Cobwebs back on level terms and they never looked backs, with further wins from Liam Erwin, Barry Kernohan, Jimmy Knowles and Gary Richardson, against George McCullough, Justin Kilpatrick, Chris Stockman and Bryan Logan respectively. MOM - Liam Erwin.

DIVISION ONE

Horse and Jockey 1, Knockeden Jokers 5: Jokers claimed a runners-up play-off spot with this win against an under-strength Horse and Jockey, who could only field four players.

Nevertheless, it was the home side who drew first blood when Ricky McNeill beat Jamie Magill in straight frames.

From there, however, it was one-way traffic with straight frames wins for Raymond Lynn, Philip Houston and David Gillespie, against Philip Houston, Rodney Barnes and Mark Gillespie, while two walkover wins completed the scoring. MOM - Raymond Lynn.

Rolling Stoners 2, Social Inbetweeners 4: Inbetweeners raced into a 3-0 lead through Chris Penny, Robert Hargan and Gary Ormandy, who beat Shane Stirling, Jason Peacock and Jimmy McKeown respectively.

Stoners pulled one back when Ron Robinson beat Fintan Long in straight frames but Inbetweeners captain Derek Dunlop clinched full points by beating Archie Simpson 2-0 - an important win as Social didn’t have a sixth player, giving The Cullybackey side a walkover win. MOM - Gary Ormandy.

Social Inbetweeners 3, Moat Aces 3: In a game that Inbetweeners had to win to keep alive their title challenge, they raced into a 2-0 lead with straight frames wins for Chris Penny and Gary Ormandy over Darren Gilmore and Alan Rainey.

Aces halved the deficit when Barry Weir beat Robert Hargan but Fintan Long came back from a frame down to beat KD Crabbe and put Inbetweeners 3-1 ahead.

Simon Turner kept Moat in touch by beating Derek Dunlop and in the crucial sixth game, Paul Smyth was Moat’s hero, rescuing a point with a three-frames win over Barry Johnston. MOM - Paul Smyth.

Rolling Stoners 0, Moat Aces 6: This was the result that clinched the title for Moat, who were set on their way by Jimmy Duffy who beat Jason Peacock despite losing the first frame.

Further wins for Darren Gilmore, Simon Turner - who had an eight-ball clearance - KD Crabbe, Division One Player of the Year Alan Rainey and Barry Weir, wrapped up the title for Moat, at the expense of Archie Simpson, Rodney Holmes, Jimmy McKeown, Shane Stirling and Ron Robinson.

STANDINGS

Premier: Minnesota Eight-Ballers, played 8, points 14; Inn-Offs 7-11; Social Cobwebs 8-10; Fairhill Hustlers 7-6; Michelin Masters 8-5.

Division One: Moat Aces 20-24; Social Inbetweeners 20-22; Knockeden Jokers 20-21; Slemish Hotshots 20-15; Rolling Stoners 20-14; Hardly Potters 20-12; Social Sports 20-11; Horse and Jockey 20-8.