Forge A open up a gap at the top

However, Sperrin A will get the chance to close that gap as their match against Bullseye A was postponed due to a player being on international duty.

With both scheduled matches in the Railway Arms Top 7 being postponed also, it was a reasonably quiet week in the Tennents Coleraine Pool League. However, the players will be glad of the rest as we are only two weeks away from this year’s Festival of Pool in the Sperrin Club.

The two semi finals in the Roost Bar Bottom 6 did go ahead and the final will see the battle of the Forge as Jamie Boyd’s Forge B will be up against his father Darren’s Forge Bar, with both teams recording resounding victories over Mary Pats and Social Club respectively.

Division 1

Forge A 4 – 1 Forge B

This was expected to be a comfortable victory for the leaders, but they were gifted the victory, after the B team’s last player failed to show on time.

Marc Hutchinson is bang in form at the moment and this continued as he showed Steven McIlroy no mercy in the opening contest. Although, McIlroy did miss an easy yellow in the first frame, Hutchinson never missed one after this, as he took out two good finishes.

Neville Smyth and Lee Hull were next up in the doubles for the A team and should have took the first, however a lack of concentration saw Smyth miss one of the easiest blacks you would ever see.

This allowed McIlroy and partner John Huston to go one up, McIlroy played an excellent double on the last red.

Hull and Smyth did recover from the early setback although they continued to make things hard for themselves. However, they pulled out the long pots when they had to and levelled as Smyth potted an excellent black to redeem himself.

They managed to take the next two including an 8-ball finish in the last, after McIlroy went in off from the break.

Smyth and Huston met in the next singles match, Huston had the first chance but missed a red to the middle. Neville still had work to do but played a good snooker to swing the frame in his favour.

Having gone one up, Smyth would have expected to close the match out, however Huston never gave in and after a bad miss by Smyth on his way to the finish, John was able to level the match.

Huston was pumped up after this as he looked for his biggest scalp of the season. The B team cueist went for a tough finish in the decider and he pulled out some great pots including a full length black down the cushion to take the win.

Lee Hull stepped up to try and restore the two game advantage for the A team, as he met Dijon McCorkell.

McCorkell attempted a tough combination shot in the opening frame, failing to pot his yellow. Hull made no mistake to go one up.

The second was more straightforward for the Northern Ireland internation as he put the Forge 3 -1 up.

Unfortunately, the Forge B’S fourth man had not shown and this handed the contest to the leaders. Player of the match – John Huston (Forge B)

Social Club A 5 – 1 Forge Bar

These two teams have proven to be quite evenly matched through this season, but it was Daniel McAuley’s men who got the upper hand on this occasion.

The Social Club skipper stepped up first himself this week but he fell to defeat in a tough battle with Paul Baird.

McAuley got his revenger in the first doubles match, helped by the guidance of Allen Tosh. The Social Club duo beat Baird and Alan McBride in a game that went all the way.

Tosh and McBride met again in the singles but Tosh kept his good record this season going as he won in straight frames.

Paul O’Connor produced an excellent performance as he secured a point for the home side beating Darren Boyd.

O’Connor secured the win as he teamed up with Chris Moore to beat Boyd and Chris Wade in the second doubles match. Player of the match – Paul O ‘ Connor

Roost Bar Bottom 6 semi finals

Forge B 11 – 4 Mary Pats

Forge Bar 11- 1 Social Cluh

This week’s fixtures

Division 1

Forge Bar vs Bullseye A

Sperrin A vs Forge B

Social Club A vs Forge A

Division 2

Mary Pats vs Social Club

Roost Bar vs Bullseye B

Bullseye Old Boys vs Sperrin B

Railway Arms - Bye