SLKPA play-off pleasure & pain

Rose Inn from Tier Two East faced the West’s Crayford A, with both sides finishing the season with the same ten wins and five losses record, so this match should be a close-run thing. 

Jeff Bailey opted for a tactical opening frame when he covered a pocket with his first shot after the break, which turned out to be his downfall, as he had to escape a snooker to pot the yellow, leaving a tough down the rail black, which he missed. 

Dean Greany-Parr laid another snooker, gained two visits and subsequently cleared the table to give Rose Inn the first frame. 

Jack Wilson was in control of the second frame from the off, finishing it in two visits to put Rose Inn two frames up. 

Frame three was a much tougher affair, with Brett Wilson needing to develop four awkward reds for an incredible clearance, but he potted a yellow in the process and gave Gary Heath two visits. 

The clearance was on for Heath however, he lost position on his final yellow, allowing Brett Wilson back to the table to clear his last three reds and the black to put Rose three in front. 

After three relatively short and straight forward frames, a longer scrappier frame ensued between Leighton Aston and Dean James. 

In a race to eight it was a frame that James couldn’t afford to lose for Crayford, and he was the first to the black, but finished too straight on it, missing the pot by quite a distance and Aston cleared, putting Rose Inn, 4-0 up. 

Lewis Hearn had opportunities and really should have whitewashed the first set, but after potting his last red he somehow snookered himself on the black and missed it giving Gary Mason two visits. 

He didn’t have an easy finish but potted his last three yellows and the black to keep Crayford in the match at, 4-1. 

 Greany-Parr kicked off the second set with an excellent break and dish, which took about two minutes, most of which was the time taken for the referee to re-spot a yellow.

Shane Burnett should have returned the compliment, with a break and dish for Crayford, but he rattled his last red and hung it over the pocket.

Aston played a couple of good snookers, the second giving him two visits and all his yellows were there for the taking, however, he missed his first visit but continued to go for the clearance. 

He looked like he was going to heap more misery on Crayford, but rattled his fourth yellow, giving Burnett an easy last red and black, to claw a frame back, making it, 5-2 and maybe Crayford’s luck was changing. 

Bailey had chances to cut Rose Inn’s lead even further, especially after doubling his only problem red then miss a relatively easy pot and performing a remarkable cut on his last red to finish snookered on the black. 

Jack Wilson wasn’t going to give him any more chances and finished off his last three yellows and the black to give Rose a, 6-2 lead and leave Crayford with a tall order to come back from this. 

I don’t think either player wanted to win frame nine, as Rose Inn Captain, Neil Mundy kept playing himself into trouble and Dean James wasn’t capitalising on the mistakes and missed relatively easy pots. 

James tried to cut the black along the bottom rail, but he missed and the cue ball went in, giving Mundy two visits however, he didn’t need them, potting the black at the first attempt to put his team on the hill, wanting one more frame for victory. 

Brett Wilson had control of frame ten however, it was a fortunate shot that put Mason in a snooker that proved to be the turning point, as somehow Mason found a gap between his yellows, giving his opponent two visits. 

Wilson didn’t need them though and potted his last three reds and the black on his first visit, to give Rose Inn the, 8-2 triumph, sending them into the Elite League without the need for a third set. 

Despite the similar league records, it was a deserved comprehensive victory for Rose Inn, who took their chances and punished Crayford’s errors on the night. 

The Tier Two relegation play-off saw Fox & Hounds from the east division face off against Academicals from the west, and this match should also be close, as both teams ended the season on 18 points. 

Saying that Fox got off to a great start with Alan Dolan, Neil Shelton and Clive Forrest all winning to give them a, 3-0 lead. 

Dean Williams prevented the whitewash, pulling one back for Academicals, but Fox Captain, Kerry Wyatt won frame five to end the set, 4-1 ahead. 

Gary Mason, not the same one who played for Crayford, halved Fox’s lead, but Fox went on to win another three in a row, with Forrest, Dolan and Wyatt all winning their second frame of the night to put their team, 7-2 ahead, needing just one for victory. 

After an early six-ball clearance, Shelton should have finished the match off, but Paul Thomas battled hard, nudging his reds into better positions and laying snookers. 

However, Thomas made a mistake and gave Shelton a sniff of his last yellow, which he took on, potted but the cue ball found its way to the middle pocket giving Thomas two visits, which he used to clear all his reds and the black to win the frame, making the score, 7-3. 

The match went into the third set, with Gary Mason playing Alan Dolan in frame eleven and nerves must have been getting the better of both players, as there were mistakes galore with neither player able to capitalise on them. 

Eventually Mason had two yellows over a pocket, which he cannoned one onto the other, pocketing one and leaving the remaining one over the pocket, but bizarrely he missed it, leaving Dolan a relatively easy black to give Fox the, 8-3 triumph. 

This left Fox with three unbeaten players on the night, as Wyatt and Forrest both scored a brace and Dolan went one better with a hat-trick. 

Like the other play-off, Tier Two East prevailed, with Fox & Hounds keeping their place in Tier Two but Academicals face relegation to Tier Three. 

This brings the team season to a close, with only the individual tournaments to be decided. 

Thanks to all those that have played this season and I look forward to seeing you all next season. 

For more information on the SLKPA including league tables visit our website at www.slkpa.com or contact our Secretary, Paul Gafa on 07443 456662 or secretary@slkpa.com with any queries.

The league is looking at potential sponsors; any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.