Underdogs Gosberton C continued their incredible run in the Spalding & District League Knockout Cup.
Division Three’s bottom-placed club are into the final after again confounding the form book with a 3-2 win at Division One basement boys Pyramid A.
Mark Payne (o14) put them ahead and Chris Sibley (r14) made it 2-0 with a black ball win. Back came the hosts with Jim Benner (r14) winning on the black and John Twell (o7) making it 2-2. A place in the final was all down to the fifth frame and it saw Stuart Tamplin (r7) hold his nerve to see Gosberton through.
Awaiting them are Consti G, who won 3-2 at Division Two title chasers Gosberton A. It was all over inside three frames with wins coming from Joe Garland (scr), Darren Woodberry (o35) and Martin Deacon (o14) for the mid-table Division One side. Alan Jackson (scr) pulled one back with a black ball 48-44 win over Neil Grant (scr) before Jamie Mumby (o21) added another.
Meanwhile, in Division One of the league, Services C clung on to their lead but their grip is slipping. They won 4-2 against Services A but are now only one point clear after Consti E saw off Pyramid A 5-1, and the chasers also have a match in hand.
Martin Spencer (o28) put the visitors ahead but Shane Cummins (o21) and Kev Fitter (o7) turned things around. Vince Fitter (o42) made it 2-2 but Nigel Cherry (scr) decided things with a fifth-frame victory.
Consti also lost their opening frame, to Jim Benner (r14), and needed a black ball win from Martin Ulyatt (o21) to level matters. They didn’t look back after that though with Tom Horspool (o55) hitting a 28 break in his win and James Kingston (o28) and Jack Chilvers (o21) wrapping things up.
Pyramid C whitewashed Holbeach B 6-0 to stay in the title hunt. Wins from George Neary Philips (o21), Richard Skellett (o14), Spencer Dawkins (o56), Dave Pearson (o14) and Jason Green (p56) puts them four points off top spot and with a game in hand. Green bagged a 23 break, with Dawkins managing a 22.
Donington C slipped up and dropped to fourth place with a 4-2 defeat at home to Consti G. Remarkably, four of the frames went to the black ball after Joe Garland (scr) had opened the evening with a win for Consti. Ady Sibley (o35) squeezed through 68-67 before Neil Favell (o14) pulled one back 60-53. Darren Woodberry (o35) won 71-69 to make it 3-1, with Mat Turner (o28) striking back for Donington with a 56-54 success.
Pyramid D completed a 5-1 double over Consti H, having won the home meeting by the same score. Marcus Hamilton (o28), Pete Sharpe-Grose (r14), Ryan Burton (scr) ad Josh Agger (o21) were the away winners, with Doug Garfoot (o28) notching the consolation.
Holbeach C hit back from 2-0 down to earn the derby honours at Holbeach D. Andy Spearman (scr) won the opening frame with a black ball 47-45 and Denis Hix (r7) doubled the ‘home’ lead. Terry West (r7) pulled one back with a black ball win and it was 2-2 thanks to a win from Nick Edwards (r14), despite Wayne Forbelets’ (o21) 25 clearance. Dan Ashton (o7) won the fifth frame to decide the match.
A re-arranged match saw Consti H triumph 4-2 at Holbeach B thanks to a last frame black ball 63-52 success for Olly Turner (o7). Charlie Mullane (r28) put the hosts ahead but Doug Garfoot (o28) hit a 21 break in a 62-60 black-ball game to level. Mark German (o28) restored the away advantage only for Neil Harvey (021) to make it 2-2 to set up the thrilling finale.
The Division Two title race is shaping up into a two-horse race after the leading pair both chalked up 4-2 wins to pull 13 points clear of third-placed Services D.
Boundary A lead by three points thanks to beating the Services side despite losing the opening frame to Paul Spicer (o21). Elliot Cox (r7), Andy Mowforth (scr) and Tim Burrows (r7) put the away side 3-1 ahead before Russ Morse (o7) narrowed the gap.
Gosberton A matched that result against Consti I after a solid start that saw Carl Wand (o7) make a 22 clearance and Jamie Mumby (o21) a 38 break to go 2-0 up. Phil Tweddell (r7) pulled one back but Andy Adair (r14) made the points safe before Pete Stokes (r7) won on a re-spotted black.
In fact, all six games in this section ended 4-2. Donington A saw off Holbeach A, despite Stuart Atkin (o42) winning his black ball game 84-82 to give the visitors an early lead. Kev Hawes (o7), Nigel Brasier (o28) and Glenn Ryan (o21) decided things before Matt Smith (o28) pulled one back. Brasier had a 22 clearance.
Bryan Turnell (r14) decided things in favour of Consti F at Holbeach F after the hosts had hit back from 2-0 down, thanks to wins from Dan Mayfield (o28) and James Quinton (o7). Darren Stanley (r28) and Martyn Stanley (r14) had given Consti the early advantage.
Wins from Steve Thompson (r14), Adrian Sharpe (o21) and John Clapton (r7) secured success for Pyramid E against Services B. Jeff Collins (r7) scored both away points.
Consti B avenged their early season 6-0 home defeat by Holbeach E with a 4-2 success in the reverse fixture. John Pike (r14) and John Christian (scr) put them ahead, with Mick Johnson (o21) adding a third win after Phil Coatem (o21) had raised home hopes with a third frame win. James Crampton (o14) pulled one back.
Pyramid B moved top of Division Three on games difference, and with a match in hand, thanks to a 5-1 win against Donington B. However, hopes of completing a second clean sweep after a 6-0 win at Donington earlier in the campaign were dashed in the last frame when Darren Templeman (o7) emerged triumphant.
Pyramid had settled things by then thanks to wins from Darren Hibbins (o7), Philip Cooke (r7), Dennis Pearson (scr) and Richard Clark (o7).
Whittlesey A dropped to second place, despite a 4-2 victory at Consti D where their winners were Lance Clarke (r14), Andy Bythe (o7) and Steve Jennings (o35). Ray Digby (r28) and Martin Perkins (o21) got the home points, with Perkins scoring a 35 break.
Third-placed Donington D are nine points adrift of the top two after going down 4-2 at Consti J. Paul White (r7) put them ahead and they led 2-1 thanks to Alan Stanley’s (r7) black ball 48-47 win against Trev Braybrook (r21). However, that was as good as it got with the home points secured thanks to wins from Adam Braybrook (scr), Nev Vickers (r7) and Stew Davies (o14).
Derby glory went to Gosberton D courtesy of wins from Neil Simmons (o14), James Parrott (r7) and Paulo Gensiorskys (o7) to see off Gosberton C 4-2. Mark Payne (o14) and Stuart Tamplin (r7) got the away points, with Tamplin hitting breaks of 28 and 21.
Paul Spittlehouse’s (o56) breaks of 32 and 20 proved to be in vain for Boundary B as they fell 4-2 at home to Consti A. His win made it 2-2 to go with John Tidswell’s (o21) success in which he hit a break of 29. Chris Hall (r21) and Wayne Wilding (o7) were victorious for the visitors, with Martyn Johnson (r21) hanging on for a 67-65 success in the deciding frame.
Mark Howlett’s (scr) breaks of 29 and 23 for Gosberton were mere consolation for Gosberton B in a 4-2 defeat at Whittlesey B. He won the fifth frame 58-16 but, with only Nigel Goodwin (r21) joining him in the winners’ enclosure, it was the hosts who took the plaudits thanks to the Skutelas, Andy (r14) and Kerry (r28) and Michael Foster (o14).
Results – Div 1: Bourne SCA – bye, Consti E 5 Pyramid A 1, Consti H 1 Pyramid D 5, Donington C 2 Consti G 4, Holbeach B 2 Consti H 4, Holbeach D 2 Holbeach C 4, Pyramid C 6 Holbeach B 0, Services C 4 Services A 2.
Div 2: Donington A 4 Holbeach A 2, Gosberton A 4 Consti I 2, Holbeach E 2 Consti B 4, Holbeach F 2 Consti F 4, Pyramid E 4 Services B 2, Services D 2 Boundary A 4, Whittlesey – bye.
Div 3: Boundary B 2 Consti A 4, Consti C – bye, Consti D 2 Whittlesey A 4, Consti J 4 Donington D 2, Gosberton D 4 Gosberton C 2, Pyramid B 5 Donington B 1, Whittlesey B 4 Gosberton B 2.
KO Cup, semi-finals: Gosberton A 2 Consti G 3, Pyramid A 2 Gosberton C 3.
