Barrow Monday League snooker success for Labour Club pair

The duo landed the Pairs Snooker crown on a night of finals action at a busy Greengate venue.

Pennington and Clark beat West Shore’s Graham Edwards and Jon Richardson 4-2 in the best-of-seven frames showpiece.

It was a cagey affair from the outset, with none of the players able to get into any kind of rhythm.

The Labour Club pairing took the first frame 63-33, but the West Shore lads responded by winning the next two 51-38 and 52-27.

Pennington and Clark sneaked home 59-50 to level at 2-2, then pinched the fifth after Clark potted the final pink and black.

It was all over a frame later as they won the sixth 62-53 to take the title.

In the Crib final, Labour Club’s Manny Kane and Eric Salton and Peter Millar and Duncan Wilson met in the first match-up, the former duo comfortable 2-0 victors.

Another Labour Club pairing of experienced Keith and Stuart Williams fell 2-1 in a close affair to the equally-proficient Greengate pairing of Alan Bond and Ray Johnson in the dominoes final.

The last of the table games saw crib winners Kane and Salton fail to add the Don title against West Shore’s Nick Reilly and John Pattinson.

The first two games were non-events, as each team had a landslide. The decider followed suit, with Reilly and Pattinson comfortable winners.

A field of 16 contested the individual darts event, with Steve Monk (2-0 against Tony Macmillan), Alan Butterworth (2-0 against Dave Macmillan), Nicky Lavery (2-0 against Allan Edmondson), Len Irvine (2-0 against John Macmillan), Rod Parry (bye), Tommy Barbour (2-0 against Steve Hetherington), Alan Fraser (2-0 against Wayne Baxendale) and reigning champion Neil Knight (2-0 against last year’s runner-up Gary Barbour) reaching the quarter-finals.

Butterworth threw six tons in his 2-1 win against Monk (135, 3x100), while Irvine was clinical with his finishing to edge past Lavery 2-0.

Parry was outgunned by Barbour (2x100,98, 75 knock-up), but the last of the quarter-finals was a classic between Cottages team-mates Knight and Fraser.

Fraser threw three tons, a 76 and two 60s, but could not hit the winning double in the first leg as Knight clawed his way back and knocked up at his first opportunity.

A maximum 180, plus a 100 and two 81s gave Fraser a handy lead in leg two before Knight hit back with 140 and 100, and his opponent’s finishing let him down again as the reigning champion edged over the line.

Irvine sealed a place in the final with a 3-1 win over Butterworth, racing into a 2-0 lead with two tons in both of the first two legs.

Butterworth bounced back in sensational style with the second 180 of the night, backed up by two tons to win in 21 darts.

Irvine stepped on the gas in with consecutive scores of 125, 123 and 100 giving him a handy lead in the fourth. Butterworth responded with 123 and 100, but Irvine knocked up to advance.

Knight forced his way past Barbour 3-2, claiming the first leg with three tons in 22 darts.

Barbour levelled, but Knight led once more after scores of 140 and 123, and the highest check-out of the night of 117.

It was soon 2-2, before the defending champion went through with scores of 123, 105, 100, 91 and 80 to win the decider in 20 darts.

The Cottages team-mates started the final in cagey fashion, neither hitting the heights of earlier rounds.

Two tons and an 85 from Knight took the first leg, but Irvine bounced back to take the next two, hitting four ton-plus scores.

Knight levelled and Irvine had scores of 140, 135, 100 and 83 in leg five, but could not hit double-eight, with his opponent finishing first time.

It was game over in leg six as Knight hit 140, 100 and 85 before checking out double-19 first dart for a 22-dart leg and back-to-back titles.

The Monday League thanked Greengate WMC for their hospitality, Allan Edmondson for his organisation and all the markers and scorers.

Cottages and Soccer Bar locked horns at the Labour Club in the Tommy Snaith Memorial KO Cup final.

Soccer Bar’s Danny MacDonald and Simon Williams started brightly on the snooker table, MacDonald’s 29 break giving them a comfortable lead which they held until the end to win 63-33 against an out-of-sorts Mattie Hill and Adam Cook.

Jordan Park and Harry Bateman defeated Irvine and Paul Fieldhouse 66-60 for the Wilkie Road team, meaning it was vital the final Cottages pairing, of Alan Eaton and Wayne Baxendale, overcame Josh Howarth and veteran Harold Pearson.

It seemed to be going to plan as they went into an early 28-point lead, but this was reduced to 20 with just the colours remaining, before Howarth raised his game to clean up with a 27 break and steal the two points.

Wins on the card tables from Alan Fraser and Dave Macmillan, at crib, and Irvine and Macmillan, at don, both with 2-1 scorelines, gave the Cottages fresh hope. However, an 11-9 whist success for Soccer Bar’s Steve Martin and Bateman against Bob Robinson and Steve Hetherington ensured they only need to win one of the three darts games to take the Cup.

The pairing of Bateman and Howarth duly obliged, with a close 2-1 victory over Fraser and Hill.

The Monday League thanked the Labour Club for their hospitality, Kay and her staff for their service and buffet, Neil McMillan for his organisation and all the markers and scorers

The Monday League presentation night takes place on Monday at the British Legion, starting at 7.30pm.

The awards ceremony will follow the individual snooker final, between Tommy Barbour and Tony Mason.