Last updated 19:05, Saturday, 09 February 2008

LEAGUE fixtures resumed again in the West Cumbria Individual Snooker Championships and the overall picture regards final standings has become a little clearer.

In the premiership Maryport’s Mike Park has been playing catch up, completing three fixtures in one week.

First up was Workington’s Mark Tunstall who lost the two opening frames. The third frame was very tight with Tunstall coming out on top to signal the start of his comeback.

He comfortably took the fourth to level the score and then compiled a 30 break in the decider to eventually take the spoils 3-2.

Park’s second match was against Maryport’s Simon Holm and in this he lost a tight opening frame. Park fought back with a break of 37 to win easily the second before edging a tight third for a 2-1 lead.

But Holm went on to take the final two frames and win the match 3-2 which was the sixth time that Park has lost by the odd frame in five.

In his third rearranged fixture Park met Peter O’Hagan just 10 days after being knocked out of the Intrim Trophy 3-2 by the Workington player.

O’Hagan made a break of 30 to register a comfortable win in the opening frame before Park replied by snatching a black ball second for 1-1.

Then O’Hagan compiled breaks of 49 and 33 to take the third and fourth frames comfortably and seal the victory. The John Street cueist then added the final frame for a 4-1 win.

O’Hagan jumped to the top of the premiership with a key result against title defender Robert Sim of Whitehaven.

The Workington player was helped by a 45 break as he won the opening frame and he followed up by taking the second as well.

Sim then battled back with a break of 57 for a comfortable third frame but despite some high scoring O’Hagan clinched the all important tight fourth to earn the win bonus and extend his table lead although Sim took the final frame for a more respectable 3-2 score.

Workington’s Alan Moore took on Steven O’Hagan in his latest fixture and registered a comfortable opening frame win with a break of 54.

Moore went on to take the next three frames, including a 32 break to earn a 4-0 lead before a break of 39 from O’Hagan restored the final frame for a 4-1 loss.

Former county champion Moore is now one point behind Peter O’Hagan and nine in front of last season’s champion Robert Sim, although the Whitehaven player has three matches in hand.

In division one it’s beginning to look more and more like a three way battle for two promotion places with the long time two front runners, Paul Killingley of Cockermouth and Whitehaven’s Stuart Shepherd, having games in hand which should see them back near or at the top alongside new pace-setter, Workington’s Alan Stephenson.

A key match last week was that of Stephenson against Shepherd. Shepherd took the opening frame only for Stephenson to hit back by taking the next three frames and the vital win bonus point. Shepherd took the final frame for a more respectable 3-2 defeat.

Stephenson had a useful 5-0 win over Stuart Ryan of Workington while the championship’s youngest competitor Ryan Ismay of Maryport had a good 5-0 win away to Seaton’s Shaun Moore.

Workington’s Dave Chapman also kept his fading hopes alive with a useful 3-2 away win over Whitehaven’s Alex Chiesa.

Whitehaven’s Ryan Henry had a 5-0 win over Maryport’s Craig Denwood and remains mid-table.

Players are reminded that fixture must be completed by March 16.

Intrim Trophy Individual Knockout semi-finals draw: Stuart Shepherd (Marchon) v Vito Shipley (Marchon), Mike Dawson (Workington Cons) v Peter O’Hagan (John St).