The 2020-21 Macs Builder Merchants Snooker League season broke off last week with two debutant teams playing out of the new Cue Zone venue at Ronaldsway and several new players.

Cue Zone Blinders 1-4 Hurricanes

Cue Zone Blinders fielded a team all new to league snooker against the experienced Hurricanes. The first frame between Scott Campion and Jamie Wilson was pretty close, with Campion easing himself into it with some mistakes from Wilson.

Campion was 15 ahead on the last red which he missed with the black over the pocket. This enabled Wilson to reduce the deficit and, with the early colours shared, a loose safety on the pink from Campion allowed Wilson to win 37-51.

Next up was Ivan McMaw and Paul Smith. McMaw started confidently and at one stage led by 50 points before Smith clawed his way back. More good solid potting from McMaw left the gap too big for Smith and levelled the tie 80-52.

In the third, Brandon Forrester wasn’t able to produce his practice form on this occasion and the Hurricanes’ wily Stu Littlewood cashed in to pot the vital balls for a comfortable 11-54 win. The fourth was all down to experience as young Josh Rigg showed real potential and composure to control the frame against Nigel Kermode.

When potting the final blue, he left Kermode needing a snooker. Rigg went for the pink without success and Kermode then laid a tough snooker which resulted in the foul he required. Rigg had a further shot on the pink but left it over a middle bag and Kermode went on to pinch the frame and match 49-52.

In the final frame, Sam Palmer found Chris Dagnall playing and cueing really well and striking an early break of 29, all on pinks which made up Palmer’s start. Dagnall controlled things and won 80-53.

DSB Wannabes 2-3 Peel Legion

Peel Legion, not renowned for big breaks, managed three in what turned out to be a close encounter.

Kyle Darby and Don Humphries took the first two for Peel, with Humphries in fine form making a 32 break. Frame scores: Stevie Cowin 39-62 Darby and Paul McKinstry 51-104 Humphries.

The next three all went to the black, Fred Corris 46-40 Jim Caley pulled one back and James Teare nearly levelled the match but a 25 clearance from John Kelly took the frame for Peel 54-63.

Geoff Hall produced another late fightback in the last but, when needing the final red and all the colours, he left the final black hanging with his break on 24 and opponent Dave Corris gratefully knocked it in for a 62-50 win.

FH Rockets 2-3 CZ Reprobates

It was a strange night at Finch Hill with only one team playing from the club this season, making for a change in atmosphere with both tables being utilised for the one match. In frame one, Marek Kenny looked confident and made some solid breaks in the teens early on and put opponent Nicky Young in a series of difficult snookers.

Remarkably she escaped from most of them but just couldn’t quite score enough to keep with Kenny when the chances did come her way. Good match play from Kenny led to a 59-34 win.

Ron Grogan versus Rob Callister was a great frame for the neutral. Grogan with a 49 start potted a couple of good long pots early on and the high value colours went safe, leaving Callister lots to do, especially when the latter started having bad luck and uncharacteristically missed pots. Callister improved to close the gap and, with some good mid-range potting on the colours, pinched it with a neat clearance on the black 64-71.

In frame three, Rockets’ Doug Kinrade had a few chances but kept rattling high-value colours as Paul Tangeman potted the better and played some tight safety too, eventually winning 47-22. Frame four was John Spellman v Dollin Mercer and it was the latter who started better with some good safety and chipped away at Spellman’s 42 start with some small breaks. But two or three in-offs from Mercer proved to be costly as Spellman went on to pot some important balls late on and won comfortably 75-55.

In the decider between Graham Ashton and Brendan Clague, the former started better and was in touch on the last couple of reds, but Clague then produced some exhibition snooker, with a string of doubles and trebles on the colours to finish in style and claim the frame and match 34-64.

Jacksons 3-2 St Olave’s Musicians

Debutants Jacksons, with all of their squad new to the league, made a winning start at their Cue Zone venue with the first three games all on the black.

Nick Heaver took the first 58-46 over Mike Doherty and Dave Cavanagh with a 22 break put the home team 2-0 up by defeating Matthew Dodd 46-39. Captain Kam Virk narrowly went down 51-63 to Brian Howland and last season’s individual league winner, John Kennish, levelled by beating Tony Dhadwal 64-95, helped by a 30 break. Lee Gale was the home hero as he won the decider convincingly 53-13 against Patrick Kerr.

Port St Mary Legion 0-5 Malew

PSM were blown away by an impressive Malew team. Legion have now lost their last 13 league frames and 17 of the last 18, but at least they now have a bye to get over it.

Frame scores: Denis Boyle 31-54 James Goodwin, Dave Pickersgill 29-69 Mark Quinn, Phil Jones 13-73 David Quayle, Shaun Roberts 62-74 Eric Drinkwater and Terry Boyle 45-73 Alec Oates.

St Olave’s A 3-2 Cue Zone Mob

Darrell Thacker started well against Steve Finnegan in frame one. With good safety, he carved out a chance and knocked in the week’s highest break, a tidy 40 effort on his first scoring visit.

Finn fought back but Thacker pressed on and soon two snookers were required. Although Finn dug deep and closed the gap, Thacker finally took the opener 71-38.

Paul Smyth took on Pete Crellin next and Smyth raced away with a few good pots before Crellin replied but the gap remained around 20 in Smyth’s favour for a while.

Crellin closed in quickly on the final reds to go ahead but a bad safety on the final blue gave Smyth his chance and, needing the final three balls, he took blue and pink but missed the black. Crellin then decelerated on his final chance and ’butchered’ the black down the left rail to leave it over the bag for Smyth to take the win 67-54.

Dave Kelly v Lee Hunt saw Kelly off fastest with some good long balls as Hunt had a few chances but couldn’t close on Kelly’s start. With Kelly 40 up on the colours which were roughly shared, Kelly ended good value for his strong 83-54 win.

A late withdrawal from the St Olave’s line-up meant they were unable to field a player in frame four which gave the Mob a first point. Sean Corkish had a 23 break in the finale to close in on Peter Kirkham’s start but it wasn’t enough as Kirkham potted well throughout and edged it 37-62.

A winning start for St Olave’s despite only having four players.

MIKE CROOK