Swift 8-6 Greenisland Galacticos
Warriors 4-10 Whitehead Spartans
Alpha 3-11 Hit Men & Her
Teddy Bears 6-8 Greenisland WMSC
Scorpions 10-4 Eastway
Whitehead Trojans 4-10 Doagh Weapons
Greenisland Colts 8-6 Cowboys
The New Year got off to a cracking start with the Champions
travelling to league leaders The Swift. The Galacticos, with a full strength
team, got off to a great start winning the opening 3 frames and looked to be
carrying their recent Knock-Out Cup final form into this tie. However the Swift lads woke up and ran out
the next 6 frames to take a 6-3 lead. The Greenisland men took 3 out of the
next 4 and with the Swift on the hill at 7-6, Derek Whiteside’s lads had a
chance to head back up the road with a point. Paul Harris and Paul Roberts
played out a very cagey last frame each potting then hiding, the first real
chance fell to P Harris only for an unlucky positional shot to let him down. Swift manager Paul Roberts then took his
chance and all the points, not to mention completing his hat-trick to go along
with teammate Dee Irwin’s well taken hat-trick. Best for the visitors T
Whiteside 2/3 & S McAlister 2/3.
The Whitehead Trojans played host to The Doagh Weapons and
were hoping that a change of year would bring better fortune. At the break the
Whitehead lads trailed 3-4 and given the opposition the form seemed to be on the
up. However Tyler McConnell’s Weapons
got down to business in the second half winning all but 1 frame to take the
match 10-4 thanks to an all-round team performance with a hat-trick for Rab
McCullough and braces for Wayne Lewis, Craig Loughlin and manager Tyler
McConnell. Best for the hosts was Gary Fitzsimmons
Back in Carrick The Teddy Bears hosted The Greenisland
Working Men’s Club, and other than losing the opening frame, they dictated this
very tight match until the eleventh frame when the visitors won 2 out of the next 3 to
put themselves on the hill and set up an all Joe final frame. A very controlled
frame from Joe Patton made sure of all the points for the Greenisland lads in a
result that could’ve very easily been reversed only for lady luck. Best for the
visitors R Brown 3/3, H Reagan 2/3 M Lowry 1/1.
New boys The Greenisland Colts got their New Year off to a
flyer with the result of the evening, beating Knock-Out Cup finalists The
Cowboys 8-6. Pete McCaffrey opened the evening with an 8 ball clearance
followed by Marty Goudie breaking and clearing. With Hugh McMurtry’s Cowboys leading 4-3 at the break, the Colts
found some momentum running out the second session 5-2 thanks to a well taken
hat-trick from manager Harry Warwick and braces for D McCandless & N
McCandless, best for the visitors Hugh McMurtry (Hat-trick) , Marty Goudie 2/3.
The Hitmen & Her travelled to the Alpha and gave a
season debut to new signing Tom McCorry, and he didn’t disappoint with a well
taken hat-trick. Manager Robert Henderson, fresh and tanned, found his missing
form, putting together a fine hat-trick of his own. The Alpha started well
taking the first, middle and last frame of the opening session to only trail by
1 at the break. The visitors took it to a higher gear in the second half
claiming every frame to record the highest score line of the evening. Also for
the visitors Paul Henderson 2/3 & Andy McMeekin 2/3, best for the hosts
Johnny Blair 2/3.
The Whitehead Spartans travelled to play Clare Roberts’
Warriors with a full squad in tow and went about their work in a business-like
manner, winning both sessions 5-2 despite a Gee Crawley hat-trick for the hosts.
Best for the visitors L Topping 2/2, Robert Hawkins 2/2, Kenny English 2/3
& William Irvine 2/3.
The Eastway travelled the short distance to Whitehouse Working Mens Club to take on Johnny Thomson’s Scorpions, the Rathcoole lads quickly found themselves 5 nil down before pulling 2 back before the break. The second half seen Darren Whitside and Paul Kerr complete their hat-tricks and Mervyn McIlvenny with a well taken brace. The Scopions made sure of the points to keep their own titles hopes alive.
The Eastway travelled the short distance to Whitehouse Working Mens Club to take on Johnny Thomson’s Scorpions, the Rathcoole lads quickly found themselves 5 nil down before pulling 2 back before the break. The second half seen Darren Whitside and Paul Kerr complete their hat-tricks and Mervyn McIlvenny with a well taken brace. The Scopions made sure of the points to keep their own titles hopes alive.