Home & Away Cup Semi Final (1st Leg)
Spartans 7-7 Pirates
Scorpions 5-9 Monkstown
This seasons City Air Express Home and Away Cup continues to throw up surprises. Both home teams were expecting to take a lead of sorts into the 2nd leg in 3 weeks time but, Pirates and Monkstown hadn't read the script. Roy McMurtrys Pirates played some excellent stuff and were never behind in Whitehead where The Spartans were relieved to scrape a 7-7 draw from 5-7 down. Best for the home side was S.McWhirter on 2/2 and E.McDowell 2/3. For the visitors A.Corrigan and J.McMurtry both registered 2/3. It's all to play for up in the Harbour Point Bar on May 3rd.
And in North Belfast Jonny Thompsons Scorpions were on a high after knocking out League leaders The Rockers last week, but a bouyant Monkstown team soon brought them back down to earth as they left the Arthur Ward Bar with a splendid 9-5 advantage, requiring only 6 frames from the return leg on their home table. Monkstown raced into a 3-0 lead with wins from S.Walker, R.Hendrson and P.Charles. The next 4 were shared, Scorpions Captain J.Thompson and C.Howard for the hosts and the Henderson brothers Paul and Robert for the visitors. The confident Howard reduced the arrears to 3-5, but Monkstown were in the mood and P.Charles, R.Henderson and S.Greenberg added a hat trick of frames to make it 8-3 in Monkstowns favour. Scorpions were in trouble of getting a hammering but the experienced C.Montgomery and J.Thompson both won to bring it back to 5-8. Another for the home side would have left the tie well balanced at 6-8 but the reliable P.Henderson sunk the final 8 ball of the night to give Monkstown a 9-5 win to take back for the return leg. It would be hard to bet against them now on their tight home table, but watch out for a wounded Scorpion. Best on the night were R.Henderson 3/3, P.Henderson 2/2 and P.Charles 2/2.
Home & Away Plate (Semi Final 1st Leg)
Barbarians 9-5 BeesRockers 11-3 Greenisland
In the Plate Semi Final 1st Legs Barbarians go into the 2nd leg with a somewhat fotunate lead. It was nip and tuck for the whole night. The always impressive A. McMeekin took the first for the Bees, but Barbarians equalised through newcomer A. Wright. D.Montgomery put the visitors ahead again but it was level at 2-2 soon with a win for G.Harrington. H.Regan and Derek Whiteside gave the Barbars a 2 frame advantage but the Bees were having none of it and raced to a 5-4 lead courtesy of McMeekin, Montgomery and R.McMaw. But alas it was not to be for the Bees as Regan, Harrington, Wright, P.Gingles and Whiteside rattled off 5 in a row to give Barbarians quite a healthy lead to take to Monkstown for the 2nd leg. The game was a lot tighter than the scoreline suggested though, as 2 missed blacks in frames 12 and 13 cost the Bees a draw, but you can be sure they will be fired up to try and overturn it in the return leg.
Down in Jacqs Bar in Carrick, John McCleans Rockers turned on the style with an 11-3 drubbing of Harry Warwicks Greenisland team.