● The Whiteabbey Legion team travelled to Greenisland Working Men's Club to play the Colts who it must be said in recent weeks have been on somewhat of a roll
The Legion took the first frame via Andy Arbuthnot
Colt Joe Patton would soon even things up however in the next game
Legion player Porter took the following game but Colt Captain Harry Warwick would take the next against the well respected Legion stalwart Rab Butler
Colts Christopher McCurry and Aarron Watters would win the following two before Legion player Butler would take the final frame of the first half
Following the interval once again The Legion began on a positive note with another win for Arbuthnott
However once again Colt Captain Warwick would pull rank with another winning perforformance spurring his team on which would lead to his Boy's taking the next three in a row with Colts Patton, Watters and McCurry all performing well to secure another Colts league vIctory
Legion team member Butler received an early Christmas present from Colt Vice Captain Colin Beckinsale however Beckinsale's usual killer instinct by this stage had subsided somewhat knowing his team where safe as houses and had already secured victory on this particular evening the same can be said of Colt Patton who relinquished the final frame to Legion player Porter
Some may perhaps consider this a shock win for the Colts against a team further up the league table but this is not the first time and I have a feeling it certainly won't be the last that we'll hear take the Colts for granted and write them off at your peril
This fixture was indeed
testament to our exciting, friendly yet competitive and unpredictable Carrick & District Pool League
Final Result Colts 8
Whiteabbey Legion 6
● Q Club 9-5 Times Tigers
After 2 defeats on the road, Q Club were looking to get back to winning ways against the Times Tigers of North Belfast. Both teams weren’t short of numbers, 9 Q Club players and 7 Tigers, great to see that commitment on a cold Winters night halfway through the season.
Q Club got off to a strong start winning 3 of the first 4 which included a fine Jason Voorhees clearance in frame 2. The Tigers have fighting spirit though and through Tom McGurk they got it back to a frame difference at the interval, Tom winning a titanic tussle between Q Club Vice Captain Rorie McAllister.
Over the last few weeks the leagues most unluckiest player has maybe been Ian McCalmont. From potting the black half way through a frame twice to being broke and dished twice ,last week by Gary Wallace, Ian got back to winning ways getting an important 8th frame to go 5-3 up. The Tigers showed no sign of quit and despite Jason Voorhees making it 6-3, Stephen Simpson and Steven McWhirter took frames 10 and 11 to leave a tense finish.
Tense they certainly were with chances aplenty on both sides however Marty Kane and Ciaran O’Toole scraped over the line to give the Larne men 3 points and another home win. Tom McGurk could still get the visitors a bonus point in the last frame but was very unfortunate on his last ball and VC Rorie McAllister took out a nice finish for a final scoreline of 9-5.
● Match Report: The Bowlers vs. Greenisland Galacticos
Venue: Carrickfergus
The Bowlers faced a formidable challenge as league leaders Greenisland Galacticos arrived at Carrickfergus, and it didn’t take long for the visitors to assert their dominance. Chris Carson set the tone early with a clinical break and dish, giving the Galacticos a dream start.
Throughout the first half, the Galacticos showcased their quality, capitalizing on any single error from the Bowlers to maintain their momentum. By the break, the scoreboard reflected a commanding 7-0 lead, a testament to the visitors' ruthless efficiency.
In the second half, the Bowlers struggled to find their footing as further mistakes proved costly. The Galacticos, relentless and composed, continued to exploit these errors with ease, extending their lead. The match ultimately became a one-sided affair, with the Galacticos demonstrating why they sit top the league.
Despite the result, the match was played in good spirits, with both teams showing respect and sportsmanship. Congratulations to Greenisland Galacticos on a well-earned 13 - 1 victory, and best of luck to them for the rest of the season.
● League leaders, Q Club Titans travelled to Times Bar to face the Scorpions. ‘Mr consistent’, Davy Blair put the Scorpions 1 up with some crispy potting. Dean McDonagh attempted a pot to the left middle only to hit both knuckles of the pocket and fluke it into the opposite middle pocket, landing plumb on the black to level at 1-1. Lee McIlreavey took the next soon followed by Paul Kerr. Ryan McKillop brought it back to 3-2. Aaron Leslie ripped out a delightful finish before Dean McDonagh methodically kept his team in it at 4-3 at the interval.
Ryan McKillop levelled for the Larne men before Aaron Leslie put the Scorpions ahead once more. Paul Kerr made it 6-4 and Ryan McKillop chipped in his hat trick to reduce the arrears. Tyler McKee ripped out a lovely break and dish to draw level at 6-6. This match was always going to go all the way. With the points on a knife-edge, Darren Whiteside ripped out the finish of the night. It came after laying a tactical snooker to create the opportunity for a cross double followed by banana combination to free up a controlled pocket, another couple of pots and another skill shot to land perfect on the black. Scorpions were on the hill at 7-6. Andy Quinn looked like securing the draw as be broke beautifully and the finish was on but he broke down and Captain Fantastic, Lee McIlreavey calmly cleared his 8 balls and secured all 3 points for the Scorpions. The Tigers Bay men go joint top of the league… for now. There are couple of games in hand to be played by their closest rivals though. MVP on the night was Ryan McKillop with 3/3.
