Snooker

Last updated at 12:56, Thursday, 29 March 2012

BOTH divisional crowns hang in the balance going into the final two weeks of the Eddie Shimmings Individual Championships.

Clive Lister : Moved to the top of the league

In the top flight long time front-runner Peter O’Hagan edged closer to the title as he was made work hard for his 4-1 win. The Workington player who lost out in this year’s county semi-finals took the opening frame of his encounter against Maryport’s Mike Park. Despite a break of 33 from Park in the second O’Hagan was able to complete a 56 clearance at the very next visit to take the frame on the black. O’Hagan then carved out an unassailable 3-0 lead with another clearance of 31 to take a tight third frame. Park was able to notch up his first frame with the help of a 40 break for 1-3 but O’Hagan produced another break of 33 to take a close fought final frame to maintain his top of the table status while Park moves up to fourth place.

Whitehaven’s Vito Shipley continued to breath down the leader’s neck closing the gap to just three points of the leader with his latest two fixtures but with games running out it would take a monumental effort with Shipley needing a convincing victory over O’Hagan in his final match with O’Hagan also needing to slip up in his other remaining tie. Shipley earned a solid 5-0 victory over Flimby’s Kevin Kirkham with little resistance as Shipley notched up breaks of 30, 40 & 37 in frames two, three and five respectively. Kirkham ends his season currently in fifth.

In the second tier Workington’s Clive Lister moved to the top of the table for the first time since the opening few weeks of the season with a hard earned 3-2 victory over Michael Walker of Cleator Moor. Despite a solid start with a break of 32 from Lister it was Walker who opened up the early lead taking the first frame. Lister hit back to level the match with close second and then moved into a 2-1 lead with a convincing third frame. Walker refused to lie down as he levelled the match at 2-2 with a competitively won fourth but Lister managed to keep his nose in front to take the deciding frame for a vital win which propels the United Club cueist to two points clear of the field. Walker is fifth. Lister now has two tough final fixtures against second placed Ryan Henry and fourth placed Richard Nelson which could see the title and promotion places go any of probably three ways.

Finally Clifton’s Mike Dawson was looking to make inroads into the promotion places but found the going tough against Harrington’s Andrew Mitchelhill. In a see-saw battle throughout Dawson came back twice to level the match before Mitchelhill claimed the deciding frame in convincing fashion. Dawson moves up one place to third and must now only have an outside chance of promotion with just one match remaining. Meanwhile Mitchelhill cannot be completely ruled out with two games in hand of those above him but would require solid wins to be in the mix also with Henry and Nelson to play.

This season’s presentation night will be held in the Workington Conservative Club on Monday, April 23 at 7.30pm.

First published at 11:07, Thursday, 29 March 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk