Spartans 8-6 Rockers
Castle 11-3 Alpha
Monkstown 6-8 Scorpions
Eastway 8-6 Dolly Mixtures
Pirates 10-4 Bees
Greenisland 7-7 Barbarians
Greenisland 7-7 Barbarians
Greenisland entertained the Barbarians and the first two frames were shared, H.Regan for the visitors and G.Burns for the hosts. The Barbars aiming for a creditable top 4 finish took the next 2 courtesy of Dk.Whiteside and S.Mitchell. But the GIs rallied and went into the interval 4-3 up with wins from R.Croft, S.Lennon and G.Burns. Barbarians came out with all guns blazing in the second half, P.Gingles and Mitchell giving them a 5-4 lead. It was nearly 6-4, but Barbars Captain A.Galloway was unlucky to pot the white as well as the black, the scores now level at 5-5. Burns won again to edge the GIs in front but Regan with his 2nd ensured the match would go to the wire, as he levelled it at 7-7. And it was the Barbarians who took first blood in the deciding two frames to guarantee themselves at least a point, but another Captains innings from GI Captain H.Warwick made it 7-7 and honours evens, both teams gaining a point. Man of the match must go to G.Burns with 3 wins from 3 frames played.
Spartans 8-6 Rockers
Tommy Maguires Whitehead Spartans have blown the title race wide open. It was a must win for the seasiders and they did just that in a pulsating match. Rockers never really reached the heights that had seen them win 14 from 14 before their short trip down the coast. R.Hawkins won the opening frame and it should have been 2-0 but a missed black was seized upon by A.Arbuthnot to level the scores at 1-1. The hosts regained the lead courtesy of a McDowell 8 ball clearance, and it was soon 3-1 with an excellent clearance from S. Burns. K.English finished well to increase the lead to 4-1, but a fantastic black out of a snooker by Arbuthnot reduced the arrears to 2 frames again. the last frame of the first session went to Spartans when D.Lowe cleared up his last 3 reds and the black. With 2nd placed Castle keeping abreast of proceedings by text, it was soon 6-2 as McDowell broke and dished, but 2 subsequent break and dishes from R.Butler and Darren Whiteside stoked up the tension in the room as Rockers aimed for a comeback. Frame 11 was vital and it was the experienced English who took it to guarantee Spartans at least a point. In the 12th Burns looked down and out, but an unexpected in off gave him an opportunity which he didn't refuse and he put Spartans over the line at 8-4. J. McClean with an excellent positional shot to get on his last colour and P. Harris with a clinical finish gave the Rockers the last 2 frames which could yet prove decisive if the league is decided on frame difference when all the fixtures are complete.