IBrogden

Last updated 00:00, Friday, 07 December 2007

WHITEHAVEN’S Robert Sim recorded the highest break of the season so far in the West Cumbria individual snooker league. He made 80 in the final frame against club colleague and premiership rival Vito Shipley.

Sim made 32 to win the opening frame before Shipley rallied to take the second.

Then Sim took the third before taking a black ball fourth and cementing his 4-1 victory with the excellent 80.

In his second match, Sim beat Maryport’s Simon Holm 5-0. He is now second in the premiership, three points behind Workington’s Peter O’Hagan with a game in hand.

Shipley made amends in his second fixture by defeating Workington’s Mark Tunstall 5-0 to take maximum points. He’s in third place in the premiership.

Tunstall is still bottom although there is no pressure of relegation this season due to two pre-season withdrawals.

There was a key clash between Workington’s Alan Moore and O’Hagan. Moore went 2-0 up but O’Hagan battled back to take two tight frames before clinching the tie with a comfortable final game. Moore is now fourth in the table.

In the only other recent top flight fixture, Workington’s Mike Dawson took on John Street Club’s Steven O’Hagan and won 4-1.

Dawson won the opening frame and O’Hagan the next before Dawson won the next two.

In the first division, Whitehaven’s Stuart Shepherd consolidated his place at the top by beating Workington’s Dave Chapman.

Shepherd won a tight opening frame before Chapman took a black ball finish in the second. Shepherd won the next three comfortably to run out the 4-1 winner.

Chapman reversed that score-line with a 4-1 win over Cockermouth’s Paul Hoad. Ater losing the first frame, he won the next four on the bounce to hang on to third place in the division.

Cockermouth’s Paul Killingley staked his claim to the second promotion place with a maximum 5-0 win against Maryport’s Craig Denwood.

Denwood fared better, however, against an improving Stuart Ryan, of Workington, despite losing the opening frame on the black.

He went on to win a tight second frame and a more comfortable third before clinching the match winning fourth frame on the black.

Ryan did not give up, though, and recorded a 41 break in the final frame to make it a more respectable 3-2 result.

Following-up, Ryan got the better of Seaton youngster Shaun Moore by winning a close, opening frame before losing a tight second.

Ryan then took the final three frames and claim a 4-1 win that keeps Moore at the foot of the table.

* The Intrim Trophy quarter-finals were drawn in the Workington Conservative Club by Shaun Moore and Barry Collins. Ties are to be played in the week commencing Monday, January 21.

The games are: Ryan Henry (Marchon) v Stuart Shepherd (Marchon); Mike Park (W Cons) v Peter O’Hagan (John Street); Vito Shipley (Marchon) v Alan Moore (W Cons); Stuart Ryan (John Street) v Mike Dawson (W Cons).

* COUNTY SNOOKER

VITO Shipley beat reigning champion John Airey 4-3 in the first round of the county singles championship.

Frame one saw the champion going into an early lead on his own table with the help of a 35 break and he went on to win it before Shipley came back in the second with a 37 break to level the match.

Airey took the next before Shipley secured the fourth frame to make it all square again.

Frame five saw Shipley playing some great tactical snooker after taking an early lead but Airey produced a 37 clearance to make it 3-2.

The West Cumbrian fought back for the third time to square the match at 3-3. He secured the win with the help of a 35 break in the final frame.

Neil Harrison, of Carlisle, rattled-up a 101 break as he made progress in the championship. The opening frame of his clash with Cockermouth’s Paul Hoad produced the huge break and set-up an eventual 4-2 victory.

Harrison also made a break of 70 on his way to the next round and clearly has ambitions of going further than his semi-final placing last season.

Carlisle player and previous finalist Paul Wright booked his place into the next round with a 4-0 win over Darren Michael while Kendal’s Liberal Club rep and previous county champion Andrew Milliard whitewashed Barrow’s cueist Tom Millington.

Ulverston’s Colin Wilson went down 4-0 to Mally Lancaster, of the Portland Club, Carlisle.

John Street club was the venue for a clash between Ryan Henry and past county doubles champion Steven O’Hagan. O’Hagan secured his place in the next round with a 4-1 win.

Keswick cueist Vince Peet completed a straight frames victory over Shaun Moore.

Another Derwent Club player Trevor Hildreth travelled to Great Broughton where his opponent and host Paul Killingley was the challenger. But it was the Keswick player who settled the better to take the match 4-2.

Maryport’s Mike Park went through 4-3 - and all on the black - against Barry Collins, who plays for Workington’s Railway Club.

Workington Cons Club’s Alan Moore registered a straight frames victory over Carlisle player Paul Cowing and former county champion and last year’s finalist Robert Sim overcame John Street’s Mark Tunstall 4-1.

Barrow cueist Danny McDonald travelled to Workington Railway Club where his opponent and 2006 finalist Kevin Basnett played host.

Basnett took a 2-0 lead but the Barrow player fought back to level.

The next saw McDonald take a 31-point lead with only one red remaining but Basnett took this with the blue and went on to clear the colours. He also won the next frame to claim the tie.

Workington Cons’ player Julian Plaza beat Maryport Social Club’s Ryan Ismay 4-2 and previous finalist Peter O’Hagan overcame Steve Garroway, of Workington Railway Club.

Round two: Alan Armstrong v Robert Sim; Vito Shipley v Paul Wright; Vince Peet v Alan Moore; Steven O’Hagan v Kevin Basnett; Trevor Hildreth v Mike Park; Julian Plaza v Andrew Milliard; Mally Lancaster v Peter O’Hagan; Neil Harrison v Giles Finnigan.

The closing date is January 18 and the results should be phoned to Joe Bell on 07753836742.