Balreask and Carnaross shine in Meath Pool showdowns
Kevin Mynes
Meath Pool Association ran the first round of the Budweiser Knockout Cup and it led to some very tense matches. The ties of the round were Balreask A v Foxes A, an all Div 1 affair and Carnaross A v Balreask B with both teams sitting on top of Div 2.
Balreask A v Foxes A
In the opening match Keith McGibney and Martin Carolan played each other. It was decided that players would lag for break as Foxes A should have been at home. As Foxes B were also drawn at home Foxes A had to play their match in the Balreask.
The games started with Keith McGibney breaking and clearing without missing a ball and thus defeating Martin Carolan a current Irish International, leaving Balreask A 1-0 up. Next match saw Tom Duignan from Foxes A v Paul Tierney. They played a very tactical match until Tierney forced Duignan into giving two shots.
Tierney took on a great clearance and potted all the remaining balls and was left with a difficult black. He took the black on and potted it but the white went off three cushions and unfortunately for Tierney it fell into the bottom corner pocket making it 1-1. Josh Byrne played Ciaran Wallace in what was a tense affair as the frame had to be re-racked.
The referee was unable to call whether the white ball had touched the object ball or the cushion first. However Wallace secued victory after Byrne missed the black, making it 2-1 to Foxes A.
Frank Moran then took on Paddy Byrne. It was Moran who went for a finish but ran out of position on the black. After a tactical battle Paddy Byrne took out an amazing finish with two doubles to leave himself with a straight black and victory making it 3-1 for Foxes A.
In a relatively sloppy frame where Alan Smith played Daryl O'Clar both players had chances but neither took them. Smith, under pressure, secured victory leaving the score: Foxes 3, Balreask A 2. In the final singles match David McQuillan from Foxes A played Richie Burry, Balreask A. McQuillan, who is a current Irish International, broke and finished without missing a ball and that left Foxes A leading 4 -2.
With their backs to the wall Balreask A needed another win and McGibney and Burry dug out a great victory against O'Clar and Wallace with a fine finish edging the Balreask A closer to Foxes A on 4-3 scoreline.
The turning point of the contest came when McQuillan and Paddy Byrne were on for a finish. However Paddy Byrne missed a red with the black hanging and this let Josh Byrne and Frank Moran in to take victory. This was a two-frame swing in one match now leaving the score line 4-4.
With the pressure mounting Smith and Tierney took on Duignan and Carolan. Smith missed a black to win the frame and put the Balreask A in front. Foxes A managed to snooker Balreask A on their next visit which secured them two shots which allowed them to go for victory and win the frame putting Foxes A back in front again, 5-4.
McQuillan and Wallace outfoxed Tierney and Burry leaving Balreask A with a mountain to climb with the score at 6-4 in favour of Foxes A. Cometh the hour cometh the men and with Balreask knowing they could not afford to loose another frame McGibney and Frank Moran broke and finished without giving O'Clar and Paddy Byrne a shot, leaving it 6-5 to the Foxes.
Duignan and Carolan (Foxes) took on Josh Byrne and Smith (Balreask). After a dry break the Balreask came in to the table and finished with the highlight leaving themselves perfect on the black as it was nestled amonst the yellows. Smith sent it home leaving the score 6-6 and a tie-break required to settle the match.
Captains pick resulted in two of the finest players in the league meet each other: McQuillan v McGibney. Both players had break and finishes during the course of the night. With McGibney winning the lag he broke and had a chance to finish. However he missed a red to the middle and this opened the door to McQullian and Foxes A to win the match.
McQuillan was in the process of mopping up the yellows when with two yellow balls remaining he called a foul on himself for hit the white twice with his cue while potting the yellow. It was on such a tight margin none of the players or the referee seen it happen. McQuillan, showed a true class act of sportsmanship to give McGibney two shots knowing this would cost Foxes A the match. McGibney stepped up and duely obliged and secured the frame and victory for the Balreask A, with the score Balreask A 7 - Foxes A 6.
Carnaross Inn vs Balreask A
With both teams showing very similar form in the league this was going to be a very interesting match. Both teams seemed to dominate the singles and close out their matches early in the doubles.
Carnaross took an early lead with Kevin Mynes and Phil Yore giving them a 2-0 head start. Paul Dunne started the three frames and with both players having chances David Gilkeson secured a fine finish to leave it Carnaross Inn 2 - Balreask B 1.
Carnaross Inn then made the decisive move winning the next three frames with wins for Cillian Porter, Eugene Yore and a superb break and finish from John McMahon. The score was now 5 -1 for the Carnaross Inn. With Balreask B under severe pressure they turned the heat back on Carnaross by winning two of the next three doubles matches leaving it Carnaross ahead 6-3.
Joe McKeever and Tino Borez got a vital frame against Dunne and Cillian Porter with the score line now reading Carnaross 6, Balreask B 4. Mynes and John McMahon beat Stephan Smith and Tony Gilkeson with both teams having chances. Mynes cut the black into the bottom corner to secure victory for the Carnaross Inn with a 7-4 result.