MONDAY 4th DECEMBER
2006
PREMIER A
HOME
WOOLPACK
A few years ago these 2 teams would have considered
this match as a local derby as the current Tulip ‘C’ team (albeit with slightly
different personnel) were playing out of the Woolpack. This was the second time the 2 teams had met
since the move to the Tulip, with the Woolpack side losing 6-2 in the Essex
trophy last season. Missing from the
home side for the evening were MJ & Tam, both due to work commitments and
Jamie who is in Ireland.
Not a good start for the home side either with
Waspy losing despite looking to be in the stronger position throughout the
frame. Should the Tulip man have
continued the tactical play rather than go for the finish when he did? This
will remain a debatable subject. But
when he went for the clearance it was only a rattled black that was his
downfall. 0-1.
Glenn couldn’t level the scores but beat himself
rather than the Woolpack man winning the frame. Glenn was forced into a
tactical game but when he went for a double, his
object ball went for the treble instead.
Unfortunately for the badger the black was guarding the pocket and it
was loss by default. 0-2.
Ian got the home side back into the frame but was
still looking for the quality he knows he possesses. Bluetooth should have
cleared from his first visit but just seemed to struggle with the speed of the
table and it took 3 visits to complete the job. 1-2.
Gordon looked like not even getting to the table
when his opponent swept through the yellows from the black, missing only the
last ball. Gordon then played some good
safety play to give himself a chance to win.
But on the last red the Turtle Wax Kid had to run the white up and down
the table to get onto the black. But
when the side-spin failed to kick in Gordon was left with a tricky shot on the
black which he missed. His opponent
wasn’t so accommodating. 1-3.
Pete was in similar position and the frame went
almost identical to Gordon’s, with Wicksy having to
dig deep to get a result. Once again it
was a tricky last ball that proved to be the Tulip mans downfall, and when this
rattled and popped out enough to leave a gap it was curtains once more. 1-4.
Craig began the fight-back with an excellent and
well controlled frame, the Woolpack player hardly getting a look-in. 2-4.
Trevor was also very clinical in his frame but was
still made to work hard for the win.
However as the team knows well, when put under pressure, the Windows
very rarely disappoints and this proved to be the case. 3-4.
Captain Chrome Dome levelled the scores at the end
of the singles with a hard fought frame against a former team-mate. The frame should have been won by the
Woolpack man from the break but a rattled yellow gave mike the chance to enter
the frame and when a tactical frame is needed the skipper can do the job. Mike
was eventually granted a foul but his first shot went a little pear
shaped. However the Tulip man recovered
well enough to secure the point. 4-4.
Trevor & Waspy lost for the first time this
season much to Trevor’s annoyance. The
Woolpack man allegedly fluking the first ball of his clearance without so much
as an apology to his opponents. 4-5.
Scores were level again when Ian & Craig
cruised through the second doubles. Ian breaking and potting 2 balls before leaving the opposition with
an awkward pot. This ‘awkward
pot’ resulted in a potted white and Craig went to town with 2 visits but
needing only 1. 5-5.
Gordon & Pete had their chances early on but
were pegged into a tactical battle, which they were never the ones in control. When the Woolpack pair had the black over a
pocket the home side still had 5 balls left on the table. Gordon went for safety when perhaps he should
have been more aggressive and an unfortunate extra kiss gave the white full
view of the black and it was frame and match over.
FINAL
SCORE
TULIP ‘C’ 5 - 6 WOOLPACK