Shifnal trio strike for Shield success
Shifnal’s Carl Walker, Matt Bailey and Ian Postans have won the Bridgnorth Snooker League’s 3-a-Side Shield.
What turned out to be a one-side final showdown saw them beat Woodfield 272-96.
The Woodfield trio of Neil Drewett, Jason Morris and Chris Jones had a meagre 17-point handicap start and that was wiped out by Walker in the first frame, who rolled in a 27 break on his way to victory against Drewett.
By the end of the frame Shifnal’s early disadvantage had been turned into a 28-point lead.
Woodfield’s Morris missed opportunities in the second frame and was even awarded seven points when his opponent, Bailey, accidentally touched a black with his clothing.
But Bailey proved far too strong, knocking in two 27 breaks as he further extended Shifnal’s advantage to a healthy 68 points.
Earlier in the season Woodfield’s Jones had notched an 80 break and being the top seeded player in the final, his opponent Postans was taking nothing for granted.
However, Jones had a frame were nothing went right for him. Meanwhile, Postans provided a masterclass in safety play and notched a 32 break on the way to an impressive 116-8 victory.
Paul Harper have been crowned the Telford Snooker League’s Handicap Individual champion – just six months after suffering a heart attack.
Harper rolled back the years with a superb display against Ian Duffy in the semi-final.
He took the first frame with a 65 break and then rolled in a 41 on his way to clinching a 2-0 victory.
In the other semi-final, Keith Price, also giving Charlie Newey an eight-point start, rolled in two 30-plus breaks to go one up. A superb yellow-to-pink clearance in frame two sealed the win for Newey.
The final was a high-standard affair. Harper, giving Price an eight-point handicap, started with a 66 break to lead 1-0. A scrappy second frame saw Price make it 1-1, and he looked in control in the next after a 39 break saw him lead 48-0. But Harper replied with a 50 to steal the frame. A run of 34 then saw Price make it 2-2.
In the decider, Price looked set to claim victory before breaking down on a 39 break. Harper responded with a run of 24 followed by a 28 to put him 14 up with pink and black remaining.
Despite Price’s attempts to get the snooker he needed, Harper potted the pink to claim the title.
