Match Report, League Match, May 24th 2006 Home versus Cue Ball Daggers (4-4)

Cue ball bakers home match versus our local venue rivals cue ball daggers ended in a 4 all draw. The early frame lead taken by Bakers of 4 to zero, left their leader of the player stats, Tony Cossey, needing to win to secure a winning lead approaching the 5th frame. However an uncharacteristic mistake in the weight of the shot when playing the simplest of ‘roll up’ snookers, let his opponent in to make the clearance with 2 shots with the frame at Cossey’s mercy given his clearance form this year. This undid the hard work put in by Steve Thomson, Stuart McClements, Dale Bennett and Matt townsend.

The opening frames involved a great win by Stuart McClemments outplaying, in a ‘grinding’ frame, the leading player of the opponents, a difficult black again proving ice water course through his veins. Dale Bennett on the comeback trail after a back problem played a cool tactical frame to close out with a simple but well executed 4 ball clearance. The newest player in the team, Matt Townsend broke his duck by winning his first game with his ‘pot them off the light shade’ style. Steve Thomson continued his run of good fortune by again winning after his opponent missed a clearance with 2 shots.

Things now swung against bakers in the match after the now infamous Captain Cossey mistake, Scott Rose was beaten, a mistake by Mitch lead to another defeat, all the pressure now on our number 8 Peter Kempster. In perhaps one of the most bizarre mistakes ever seen, Peter on his 2nd visit after a fould by his opponent played the wrong colour, mistaken that he was that nomination of colour. This gifted the frame to undoubtedly the opponents worst player, Peter had just come off a long shift and only tiredness and a thick skull can be blamed the final frame debacle. Jesus Plank……

Highlights
Dales return and win
Stuarts continued hitman attitude
Yons luck
Matts virginity being broken
Winning the doubles with Terry Greenwood and Tony Cossey after an opponent fouled a yellow with his cue but did not call the foul on the blind side of the ref

Lowlights
Cossey inexplicable mistake
Mitch and the twitch
Peter and Stella

Match Report, League Match, May 17th 2006 Away versus Admiral Vernon

Cue Ball Bakers suffered an away defeat last night at the hands of opponents near the relegation zone of our own league division 1. Unlike the champions league final which was showing on the pub’s TV, this game was over long before the end. Playing with just 7 team members in this away venue should not have presented a problem as our league position dictated this should have been an ‘away’ win.

The evening started well with Yon & myself playing in the doubles, myself going for a clearance after our opponents break only to see the last ‘thin cut’ yellow lip out leaving a perfect black begging to be potted. However our opponents did not take advantage, they to attempted to clear when clearly a set of snookers would have been the best tactic, a clever Snooker from Yon after the opponents bungled clearance attempt left me a simple black to drop in.

Peter Kempster lost the first singles in a tight frame which came down both players conjuring up a series of touch snookers with just one red and the black left. The frame could have gone either way but Peter used his patented ‘touch of a hippo’ to leave his last safety short and leave an easy clearance. The opponent bungled the 2 shots on black and another tense series of shots left Peter’s opponent a shot on the back which he finally potted.

Yon in frame two played a frame based on his normal ‘waiting game’ which paid dividends with a 4 ball clearance with 2 shots. Stuart McClemments run of good form continued as he played a tactical frame to always keep the advantage with himself and keep his opponent on the back foot. This resulted in an almost inevitable victory with a straight black.

The shot of the night came from Mitch Dawson in the next frame with a 3 ball combination shot to start his clearance attempt to much praise in the pub. However in totally uncharacteristic form he missed two attempts at his last red to leave his opponent to clear, sleepless nights all round with that frame will be had. The Bakers newest player, Matt Townsend again put a impressive potting display together only again to be foiled by a tactical player blocking pockets, his slumped to a second defeat and again learned some lessons on league pool tactics.

This left the frame score at 3-2 to the Admiral Vernon, as we had no 8th player, we knew this was in effect 4-2, thus we needed the last two frames from Terry Greenwood and myself to draw.

Terry in his frame made a gallant clearance attempt to find his last red knocked onto the cushion by his previous shot, once he missed that ball, a series of snooker’s lead to his defeat and the bakers match loss, this leaving me to play the 7th frame with only pride at stake. My frame was a drawn out affair as the black was tied up early but with myself always keeping the advantage with some excellent touch snookers, the frame was decided once I snookered my opponent behind the black hiding his three yellows, with two shots I easily cleared to remain top of the teams singles averages.

All in all a bad 3-5 defeat, this left a bad taste in the mouth as we played one player short, not helped by the matched coinciding with the televised champions league final.

Highlights
•Arsenal losing in the last 5 minutes (sorry gunners)

Lowlights
•Our spare players watching the football instead of playing.
•Chelsea not beating Barca in the first place

Match Report, League Match, May 3rd 2006 Home versus Roundhouse

The bakers pool team fought out a close home victory last night against the roundhouse public house. A lucky start by bakers was welcomed by the home side, in which bakers found ourselves two frames up. A great frame from Stuart, but a very lucky mishit ‘round the table’ 8 ball resulted in a win and Yon capitalising on his opponent not taking advantage of very simple chance to win opened the account in frame one. By the halfway stage bakers lead 3 – 1 after mitch won his frame with his usual cool clearance and peter was the victim of losing a frame from a winning position by failing to clear when the opportunity came his way. This lead to our new player Matt Townsend’s chance to impress his new bakers team mates, his potting was impressive but his opponent managed to win through a solid tactical performance leaving Matt without an chance to clear by trapping a red ball over a covered pocket. Scott lost the next frame to the opponents leading player in the league averages, being out played with a tactical game and clearance. This left the match at a tense 3 – 3 frame score with just myself and terry left to play. My frame resulted in a win and a nice clearance from 4 yellows out, although the black was harder than it should have been. Terry closed the match with extended 8th frame but played through the nerves to pot a cool black to clinch a much needed home win.

Highlights
2 lucky opening frames!
Mitch’s & Tony’s clearances
Terry the iceman!
Matts promising start

Lowlights
The table having the slowest playing surface ever at our home venue!

Player of The Year Current Standings including Last Night
T.Cossey 19 points
S.Thomson 17
M.Dawson 15
T.Greenwood 15
Stuart ‘Mac’ 9