Stafford on cue for a place in cup next round

The Aldridge & District Snooker League Premier Division side overcame a 108-point handicap in style with thanks to a strong start by Steve Goodall’s 94-24 success, followed by Chris Ward chalking up a 79-15 frame victory, which wiped out much of the handicap deficit.

Further wins for Steve Heath and Graham Beardmore followed to ease Stafford into a comfortable lead, before Malcolm Wharne then won the final frame for the hosts to seal a 439-313 points victory against the Bentley visitors.

Elsewhere in the knockout tournament, league leaders Wednesfield Cons A edged out Charlemont BC B in a tight contest.

Wednesfield faced a 160-point handicap but early wins for Dan Ward and Simon Gough (31 break) pulled 115 of that back in the opening stages.

The middle two frames were close run encounters, with Jesse Lowe picking up an excellent 80-59 win over Andy Price, before a 69-40 win for Wednesfield’s Oliver Spooner left the match 37 points in Charlemont’s favour.

The final frame would eventually see Lee Bannister come out on top by a score of 71-24 to earn his side the narrow win by an overall score of 384-374.

An all-Division One clash saw Norton Vic host Pelsall Social B – and the contest went right to the wire with Norton victorious thanks to the very final black ball of the evening.

Norton’s 64-point advantage was wiped out in the opening two frames as Alex Humphries and Clive Smith won the opening two frames for Pelsall by a combined score of 67 points.

Dave Ball extended Pelsall’s lead as he won the third frame by 42 points before a tight fourth frame went to Norton’s Roger Davies by just a single point.

It left Pelsall with a 46-point lead into the final frame and the advantage did not prove enough as Carl Emery put in an impressive performance for the hosts to pull the difference back to eventually win on the final black with a frame score of 74-22, to give the Norton an overall 502-496 points win.

Aldridge Cons B prevailed to the next round in another narrow and competition clash between Division One clubs as they saw off Bloxwich Memorial B 459-448.

Bloxwich’s James Ankritt and Steven Cotterill saw the visitors take the overall lead early on, wiping out a 32-point advantage for the hosts. Aldridge hit back through Carl Murphy and Geoff Williamson and the tense final frame finished 46-46, which was enough for Aldridge to seal the win and progression by an overall score of 459-448.