Top sides record wins

Raymond Baxter got the home side off to a winning start as he took advantage of a mistake by Jeff Butcher to finish well. Damien Reid doubled the lead as he produced an 8-ball finish after Hubert Smyth had missed a red up the line.

Gary Wallace kept things tight against Old Boys captain Keith Hunter and soon made it 3-0. The first one on the board for the old boys came through John O’Donnell. Jimmy Moore looked on course for an 8-ball finish, but snookered himself on the black and John took his remaining balls well. However, Adrian O’Kane ensured a strong first session lead for the A team as he battled past Derek Allum.

Baxter took his second win of the night after Wesley Douglas made too many mistakes, but Allum got a second for the old boys, as he finally got the better of O’Kane. O’Donnell got his second scalp of the night, this time Steven McIlroy was on the receiving end. Skipper Reid stopped this mini revival in his tracks with an excellent finish against George Canning.

Wallace and Hunter met again, with the Bullseye A man coming out on top once again, although it wasn’t pretty to watch. With a 7-3 lead it looked like the match could slip away from Hunter’s side, but resilient performances from Butcher and Canning gave the some hope. Jimmy Moore returned, having been rested in the second session, and he produced an excellent finish to put his team back on track. There were two quality finishes to follow, from Wallace and McIlroy respectively to put their side on the hill. A typically composed display from O’Kane sealed the victory. Gary Wallace 3/3; John O‘Donnell 2/3

Bullseye B 7 – 11 Forge A - A win here for the home side could have left the Forge A with a genuine battle on their hands for a top four spot. However, Willie Eakin’s men, and in particular the captain himself, really let their quality shine on the night. Stephen McMullan put the home side in the lead as he beat an under par Lee Hull. Captain Eakin levelled the match, before Darren Boyd beat Stephen Warwick in a tight encounter to put the Forge in front.

Chris Wade soon made it 3-1 as he took advantage of an error strewn performance by Stephen Morton. Ady Toner broke in the next, hoping to increase the visitors’ lead, but he failed to control the white and Kenny Watton rattled home an 8-ball finish. Eakin produced the goods again to regain a two frame lead for the Forge, but a great break and finish by Watton reduced the deficit once again. The next two games could have changed to direction of this match as both Stephen Biggart and Stephen McMullan wasted wonderful opportunities, to allow Boyd and Wade to win frames they probably shouldn’t have.

This now left them 6-3 down, when it could have been different, although Morton did take the last of the second session with a break and finish to make it a miserable night for Hull. The night didn’t get any better for the Forge man as he was straight back on again, he could only watch as McMullan fluked his second last ball to land in perfect shape to take the frame.

Amazingly, the home team did manage to get back on level terms as Morton ground out a win over Boyd. However, the visitors stepped up a gear. First of all, Corey Sweeney celebrated his return to the fold with a break and finish, before Eakin won his third of the night.

A routine win for Wade over Biggart made it 9-6 going into the last session. An excellent clearance saw Eakin complete his fourth win of the night, leaving Ady Toner the chance to wrap up the match. He looked on way to a finish but a poor shot to get on to the black cost him and Chris McColgan took the win. Chris Wade did not make any similar mistakes as he got the better of Stephen McMullan to seal an important win. Willie Eakin 4/4; Chris Wade 4/4

Social Club 1 – 11 Sperrin - A routine win for the league leaders helped by a blistering first session. Wins for Billy Moore, Raymond Stockman, Allen Tosh, Neville Smyth and Paul O’Connor had made it 5-0. The home side welcomed Peter Martin back and they will be glad to have him for the run in, he got the home side’s first, and only, frame as he blew Lee Caulfield away.

Normal service was soon resumed through the dependable Moore. Further wins for Tosh, Stockman and O’Connor made it 9-1 at the halfway stage. It was took no time for the match to be wrapped up with a third for Stockman and a second for Smyth. Raymond Stockman 3/3

Mary Pats 11 – 0 Blackthorn - An impressive performance from the Macosquin men which moves them into the top eight. Andy Hutchinson took the first with an excellent pot on the black, before Leigh Sloan took out a seven ball finish to make it 2 -0. Mary Pats skipper Martin McNeill enjoyed a tight battle with Karl Doherty, but McNeill took his chance to increase the lead.

Wins for Brian Hutchinson and Davy Rosborough secured a first session whitewash. Blackthorn’s new signing ‘Neil’ was unlucky in the next as he went in off his last red, allowing Andy Hutchinson to get his second. Nolan Wilson made his first appearance for a few weeks and he took the next to make it 7-0. McNeill soon made it eight with a great break and finish before Sloan continued the rout as he beat Darryl Stirling.

Brian Hutchinson sealed another session whitewash, leaving the home side only needing one for victory. It was Robert Todd, who took the next, making his first appearance for a long time, getting two vital points.

Railway Arms 11 – 4 Roost - A welcome win for the Arms over the basement side, helped by a strong first session as wins for Barry McLaughlin, Johnny McDowell, John Huston, Scott McClelland and Arthur McMullan (walkover) saw them go 5-0 ahead. McLaughlin and McDowell started off the second session in similar fashion, before DD Campbell stopped the rot with a good win over McClelland.

Stewart Mitchell showed some fine form again to beat the returning Chris Baxter. With the visitors only having four players, a cynic would suggest that Arthur McMullan was fixing the draw, as he got the walkover win for a second time. George Cameron and Clive Robertson threatened a comeback by the visitors as the won the first two of the next session, but wins for Barry McLaughlin and John Huston put them 10-4 ahead.

The match was declared over as McMullan managed to get another walkover, gaining two points for his team in the process.

Forge Bar 6 – 11 Floyds - The visitors remain in third place with this hard fought win. Matthew Hayes had got the home team off to a good start but the visitors blasted back with wins for Darryl Watt, Scott Clarke, Ricky McMullan and Adam Watt. New signing Chris Rankin pulled one back for the home side beating Adam Watt, but brother Darryl regained the three frame lead for his side.

Chris Moore took the next, but wins for Clarke and McMullan gave Floyds a 7-3 lead going into session three. The Forge started a fight back with wins for Conor Kneeland and another for Moore, this was followed by another strong performance from Rankin and there was now only one frame in it.

Adam Watt stopped the rot and a third win for Clarke left it 9-6. The last session did not last long as wins for McMullan and Adam Watt got Floyds past the winning post. Scott Clarke 3/3

This week’s fixtures:

Social Club vs Railway Arms

Sperrin vs Bullseye B

Forge A vs Bullseye A

Bullseye Old Boys vs Forge Bar

Floyds Bar vs Mary Pats (played in the Sperrin)

Blackthorn vs Roost.