HEADLINES
SPARTANS BACK FROM THE DEAD TO KEEP LEAGUE HOPES ALIVE ~ ROCKERS STAY TOP ~ CASTLE STAY IN TOUCH ~ WINS FOR BOTH MONKSTOWN TEAMS AND WHITEHEAD TROJANS ~ HONOURS EVEN IN DERBY MATCH Scorpions 6-8 Rockers
Pirates 6-8 Spartans
Teddy Bears 5-9 Castle
Alpha 3-11 Monkstown
MSC Trojans 9-5 Eastway
Whitehead Trojans 9-5 Valkyries
Barbarians 7-7 Greenisland
Pirates 6-8 Spartans. After losing out to Scorpions in a nailbiting Cup Semi Final the previous night, Spartans looked to have all but blown their Title hopes too when they trailed Roy McMurtrys Pirates by 6-5 and looked down and out in frame 12. But when he unexpectedly got back to the table, an absolute wonder shot from recently crowned Larne League Individual Champion Kenny English brought them back to 6-6 with 2 to play. Ellis Martin as he has done so many times this season rose to the occasion to edge the visitors ahead at 7-6 and all of a sudden Spartan tails were up. In the 14th and final frame Stephen McWhirter and Alan Corrigan couldn't seperate their lags and it was the former who just edged the relag. And how important that lag proved to be as McWhirter broke the balls and proceeded to run them out to send Manager Tommy Maguire wild with delight. But a big mention must go yet again to Ed McDowell, whose patience and knowhow seen him bag another hat trick to drag the visitors back level in this match 3 times. Indeed the first time they led was at 7-6 as frames were traded one for one right up to 6-6. Scorers for the away side were E.McDowell (3/3), K.English (2/2), E.Martin (1/3), S.McWhirter (1/2) and R.Hawkins (1/1). For Pirates it was S.Carson (3/3), C.Carson (2/3) and P.McCaffrey (1/3)
Barbarians7-7 Greenisland. Barbarians will feel a bit flat this morning after leading 7-3 with 4 to play and only finishing the match with a point. It had all looked so good for Michael Lowrys team as they led 4-3 at the interval before taking the first 3 of the 2nd session to go 7-3. But Greenisland are improving and they rallied to take 4 in a row to take a deserved point in this derby affair in the Greenisland WMC. Scoring for the Barbars were G.Harrington (2/3), H.Regan (2/3), M.Lowry (2/3) and M.Porter (1/3). For Greenisland it was N.McCandless (2/2), D.Baird (2/3), W.Morrison (1/3), G.Burns (1/3), and team captain H.Warwick (1/3)
Whitehead Trojans 9-5 Valkyries. The hosts drew level on points with the Teddy Bears in the League Table after this derby win over stablemates The Valkyries. J.McIlroy got the Valkyries off to a good start but the evergreen S.Hamilton levelled at 1-1. The next 2 were shared A.Galloway for the visitors and G.McCormick for the hosts. Trojans took the next 2 through G.Fee and A.Matthews before L.Ruddock won the final frame of the first session for Valkyries. Hamilton got his 2nd of the night next but a brace from A.Galloway and L.Ruddock drew the away side level at 5-5. But that was Valkyries final frames of the match as Fee and McCormick with their 2nds, Hamilton with his hat trick and G.Jones, reeled of the final 4 for Trojans to seal a 9-5 win and 3 welcome points.