By Scunthorpe Pool League remains wide open at the top
The Scunthorpe Pool League remains wide open at the top end of the table after it reached the quarter point of the season on Tuesday night.
The match of the evening was at Showmans as Army and Trojans – two of the big guns – went head to head in an early title decider.
The away side took the lead on three occasions, but braces from Beardshaw and Steeper ensured it was honours even by the time 10 o’clock hit.
Showmans Fu Cue whitewashed bottom side Redbourne on their own turf to open up a four-point gap on the chasing back at the top of the league.
An encouraging 11-2 win at Beacon A for perennial fourth-place finishers Chaos moved them up into third spot.
Beacon’s heavy home defeat means that Showmans Cobras moved up to seventh after they claimed a 7-5 home victory against Broughton Club Pirates.
Division Two champions Mulligans Majestic Sausage Dogs moved up to joint-fifth following their deciding frame 7-5 win over fellow-promoted side Improvers.
The results mean that Improvers and Mods have a lot of work to do to retain their Division One status for another season.
Cocked Hat B are now one of only two sides in the league to have won all of their matches so far, with their latest victory coming against Division Three champions Showmans Rat Outcasts 7-5, opening up a four-point gap at the top of Division Two.
In joint second is RAOB Club, who failed to capitalise on Cocked Hats’ narrow win, as they lost for the first time this season away at seventh-placed Fedoras.
Dan Walker of RAOB is now the only player out of about 700 league players to have won a perfect 10 league frames out of 10, gaining the title of Iron Man for the season.
Joining RAOB on 37 points is Winterton Jubilee, who moved level on points in joint-second with a good 9-4 win at Black Beauty.
The first Brumby Hall derby of the season went in favour of the fourth-placed A team – a side aiming for an immediate return to the top flight after thrashing clubmates Hall-Stars 10-3, leaving the hosts bottom and six points from safety.
Messingham Crown also claimed an excellent 10-3 win at Mill Road Black Cats to move within five points of the top spot.
The top-of-the-table clash in Division Three was at Bottesford Town Club this week, with the hosts gaining an important 7-5 victory over fellow hopefuls Mulligans ST.
Ashby Crown also staked their claim for honours at Glennys Poachers, winning 8-5 to move up to second. The poachers find themselves rooted to the bottom of the division, but they can take heart in being a mere 13 points from top spot and averaging five frames per match.
Showmans Spartans just got the better of Old Farmhouse in the mid-table clash, securing an 8-5 win. Both sides currently have 32 points and are just six points from the top spot.
Pig & Whistle picked up their first win of the season in style with an emphatic 9-3 victory, leapfrogging ninth-placed Harry’s Bar into eighth spot.
Mulligans Tight Rack remained in contention for promotion after their 6-6 draw with Cocked Hat A – one of the longest-serving teams in the Pool League.
Showmans Bandits scored a comprehensive victory for the second week running, with their latest triumph an 11-2 win at bottom side Redbourne Madness.
Mill Road Dynamite kept up the pace once again in second following their 7-5 win over RHH Hospital Club, while Chancel Flyers’ 9-3 win at home to promotion-chasing Mulligans misfits catapulted the hosts up into third and the away side dropped to sixth.
Broughton WMCA moved up to fifth with their 7-5 win over Chancel and Redbourne NnC’s surprise 9-4 away win at Liberal Club provided them hope of survival in the fourth tier.
Mill Road B were one of the big winners in Division Five this week, as they blew the Beckwood Bombers away on their own turf with an emphatic 11-2 win – moving them up into joint-second.
Joining them on 36 points are Showmans Hornets, whose 7-5 victory at home to Black Beauty B keeps them in the title race.
The third side sharing second spot is Beckwood Sex Panthers after they could only manage a 6-6 draw away at Mulligans Youth. The Youths avoided defeat for the first time this season, but they are averaging just under five frames a match, meaning a good run of form would easily elevate them out of the drop zone.
Leading the way is Harrys Bar Harriers, with their 9-3 win over Beacon Sailors ensuring they remain at the top for another week.
Meanwhile, Roxy Rack Em and Ashby Crown B share the spoils 6-6, as both sides remain mid-table but only a handful of points away from the relegation zone.
Mulligans Runaways are the second of two sides across all divisions to maintain a 100% winning start to the season after they kept up their run with a comprehensive 10-2 win over Schnapps Elite.
Schnapps A moved down to second place, as they tasted defeat for the first time this season, losing 8-5 to Foxhills Bulldogs, while Keadby WMC’s surge up the division continues on the back of their 10-3 away at Foxhills to move to up to fourth.
Mulligans Unique stay in contention for promotion following their 9-4 away win at bottom side Brumby Hall B and Talbot move down to fifth coming away from Beacon Rats on the wrong end of a 7-5 scoreline.
Winterton-based Ref’s Corner Pocket gained their third win of the season at home to 10th-placed Beacon B.
Division Seven this week would have made a few millionaires on the pools coupons, as four of the six results ended 6-6. The top three were all involved in these draws, meaning the title race remains unchanged.
Leaders Schnapps Retro B couldn’t extend their lead after drawing with newcomers Redbourne Z, while fellow title hopefuls Lord Roberts and Bottesford Town B played out a draw.
It was a similar story with the fourth and fifth-placed teams, as youth side Mulligans Spurs played out a 6-6 draw with Schnapps Reloaded.
The other draw took place at the opposite end of the table, with newcomers Mulligans Warriors holding Priory, who are already having a much better campaign this time round.
The most comprehensive win of the week came at another set of newcomers Royal Hotel, as they brushed aside Schnapps Retro A.
Scunthorpe Bowl registered their first win of the season against Grosvenor after the Bowlers took the visitors to a deciding frame to register a 7-5 win.
Next week the league takes a break for Valentine’s Day, as members are expected to be preoccupied with more romantic ventures across town rather than on the green baize.
