KNOCK OUT CUP SEMI FINALS
HEADLINES
PIRATES SUNK ~~~ SCORPIONS STING HARD IN PLAY OFF FRAMEPirates 3-8 Spartans
Scorpions 8-7 Castle
Jonny Thompsons Scorpions will face Tommy Maguires Spartans in the Knockout Cup Final on Monday 19th December (Venue TBC). In The Brown Cow, the hosts The Pirates, offered little resistance to the rampant Spartans but it was a night of very high drama in The Light House Bar in Whiteabbey as The Scorpions edged out Castle in a play off frame after the match had concluded at 7-7. Castle had led 3-1 but a super 6 frames in a row burst put the Scorpions on the hill at 7-3. Back came Derek Whiteside's Castle to level the match at 7-7 and force the match into a single frame sudden death shoot out. And the hero of the hour for the hosts was Colin Montgomery Sr who held his nerve to sink the final black of an intriguing match. Unlucky to Castle, who played their part in one of the best matches of the season so far. In the Brown Cow, Roy McMurtrys Pirates never found the form that has seen them deservedly rise to 2nd place in the League table. A pressure black by Kenny English in the last frame of the first half was key, as it gave his team a 5-2 lead instead of a much closer nailbiting 4-3 lead. Scorers for Spartans were Ed McDowell (3), Ellis.Martin (2), Kenny English (2) and Stephen McWhirter (1). For Pirates Steven Carson (2) and Alan Corrigan (1).