‘A’ team’s plan comes together in snooker final

Niall McElroy put the Strikers in front in the first frame of his game with Rodney McFall with a good long pot on the pink to the yellow pocket.

Hugh Larkin then used his years of experience on the green baize to put the Strikers two frames up by taking the first frame of his match with Drew Sloan on the other table.

The ‘A’ team, favourites to lift the Shield before play began, were struggling when they were handed a chance to get back into the match.

Niall turned down the chance of a pot on the brown after potting a red electing instead to run the cue ball tight behind the yellow. Unfortunately for Strikers most consistent performer this season the white failed to make contact with the yellow.

This left Rodney a free ball and he needed no second invitation as he pieced together the top break of the final a run of 35 which took him well clear in the frame. Niall failed to gain the necessary snookers required and Minnesota a had their first frame of the night.

The tally soon doubled as Drew proved too strong for Hugh in the second frame of their match.

With the match finely balanced at the halfway mark Bill McKane edged the Division 2 side ahead again as he ran away with his opening frame against Robin Shirley. Jordan Millar however soon restored parity as he took a scrappy opening frame against Trevor Alexander to leave the outcome of the overall match resting on the final two frames.

Unfortunately for the Strikers the rub of the green totally deserted them in the vital closing stages of both frames. Jordan held a narrow 8 point lead over Trevor with just blue, pink and black left.

As in most sporting events the vital piece of luck seemingly always favours the better team and Jordan put the ‘A’ side ahead as he fluked both blue and pink to take the frame.

Players from both sides then focused on the final frame of the other game and after potting a great blue along the cushion to the green pocket Robin lined up the pink needed to win the Shield.

There was much shaking of heads on both sides as Robins attempted pot to the right corner pocket careered round the table before trickling into the yellow pocket to give Minnesota A the victory.

The league would like to thank the Parochial club for the use of their premises in hosting the two semi- finals and the final.

In Division 1 of the league Minnesota B registered their first league win with a 3-1 success over a spirited Parochial Hawks team.

Willie Dobbin, Davy Swann and David McClintock all hit breaks in the forties although Willie eventually lost to Pat McNally it was left to Glen Craig to help post the reigning champions third point as he defeated Danny MCGarry.

Triangle Aces moved to the top of the table however with a 4-0 success in Dunloy against Dunloy United. Captain Willie Eakin was taken to a decider by his United counterpart Michael Crilly but Marc Hutchinson, Willie Boreland and Corey Sweeney ensured the Coleraine men should be around the top of the table at the business end of the season.

There was better news for another Dunloy side in Division 2 in the form of Dunloy Galaxy. After a disappointing showing in the Charity Shield competition the North Antrim youngsters moved to the top of the table following a 3-1 win at Parochial Lions.

Chris Connor ,Miceal Murphy and Bobby Darragh got the points for the Galaxy with Rodney McAleese replying with the Lions lone point.

In the Fountain clubrooms the host Aces came back from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 draw with Minnesota Strikers. Niall McElroy and Hugh Larkin had the visitors wins but Sean French and Jason Smith helped the league’s draw specialists to their sixth stalemate in all competitions this season.