Results from Tuesday 17th April

HEADLINES

NERVY WINS FOR TOP 2 ~ CASTLE NOT GIVING UP ~ MONKSTOWN SINK THE PIRATES ~ WINS FOR SCORPIONS, BEARS & MSC TROJANS

Alpha 6-8 Teddy Bears
Whitehead Trojans 2-12 Castle
Pirates 5-9 Monkstown
MSC Trojans 10-4 Valkyries
Barbarians 5-9 Spartans
Scorpions 11-3 Eastway
Rockers 9-5 Greenisland (played in Greenisland)

Barbarians 5-9 Spartans. Spartans anticipated a tough match at Barbarians, and that's exactly what they got. After last weeks reverse at The Rockers and subsequently losing top spot in the League table, to say Spartans were relieved to leave Greenisland with the 3 points, is an understatement. As fate would have it Rockers were playing on the table next and both teams had more than one eye on what each other was doing, cheering on every success for their title challengers opponents. But to the match, and the consistent machine that is H.Regan took advantage of an in off from the break in frame 1, to duly clear the table and G.Harrington finished well in frame 2 to put Barbarians 2-0 ahead. S.McWhirter took frame 3 but H.Regan restored the 2 frame advantage winning the 4th. Spartans finally edged their way back into the match with a nervy brace from K.English and D.Lowe and the in form English finished well in the 7th to put the visitors ahead at the interval by a 4-3 margin. The 8th was vintage Regan again as he secured another hat trick which takes him up to 19/21 wins since the turn of the year. 4-4 now and looking back frame 9 was probably the pivotal one, N.McKelvey unluckily went in off to give 2 shots away. He wasn't expecting to get back to the table but when he did he made no mistake. A trademark English clearance in the next made it 6-4 to Spartans giving them the comfort of a 2 frame lead with 4 to play. And they were soon on the hill at 7-4 with a superb McWhirter break and dish. McKelvey had a classy clearance of his own to secure the win as Spartans breathed a sigh of relief that their title challenge was still alive. The final 2 frames were shared, J.Regan for the Barbars and R.Hawkins for Spartans.

Rockers 9-5 Greenisland. D.Harris put the hosts 1-0 ahead but wins from P.Harris and R.Butler soon had the League leaders and defending Champions in front at 2-1. D.Baird levelled at 2-2 but 3 on the trot from A.Arbuthnot and G.Crawley (2) gave John McClean's Rockers a comfortable 5-2 advantage at the interval. With their title challengers The Spartans struggling early on, on the next table, Rockers maybe weren't concentrating enough on their own table as Greenisland won the first 2 after the interval to reduce the arrears to 4-5. But after J.Johnston won frame 10, albeit quite luckily, Rockers kicked on as we know they can, and raced ahead to 9-4 securing the 3 points that keep them top of the table. Morrison won the final frame of the night for Greenisland who can take heart from a very good performance.