Shantallow Regain Team Snooker's Prized Pot

LAST WEEK'S final round of Gillen Fuels Premier League fixtures saw Shantallow House bridge a ten-year gap to win North-West snooker's supreme team title for a second time. And they paid the return visit to the hallowed victory rostrum in grand style.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Mar 2017, 20:17 BST
Updated 24th Mar 2017, 11:08 BST
Shantallow House's pool of players in this season's league competitions. While their bid to to win Division One for the fourth year on the bounce evaporated last week, they bagged team snooker's ultimate prize (Premier League title). From left  Pete Murphy and Ralph Dixon, together with the Premiership's triumphant trio of Stephen Brady, Joe Porter and Peter Doherty.Shantallow House's pool of players in this season's league competitions. While their bid to to win Division One for the fourth year on the bounce evaporated last week, they bagged team snooker's ultimate prize (Premier League title). From left  Pete Murphy and Ralph Dixon, together with the Premiership's triumphant trio of Stephen Brady, Joe Porter and Peter Doherty.
Shantallow House's pool of players in this season's league competitions. While their bid to to win Division One for the fourth year on the bounce evaporated last week, they bagged team snooker's ultimate prize (Premier League title). From left  Pete Murphy and Ralph Dixon, together with the Premiership's triumphant trio of Stephen Brady, Joe Porter and Peter Doherty.

Represented by Stephen Brady, Peter Doherty and Joe Porter (the last two named also played in the 2007 triumphant team), the Racecourse Road trio turned this season’s title chase into a one-team race, finishing a massive ten points clear of closest pursuers on the back of an impressive strike-rate (16 wins from 18 starts).

Needing just a single point in their home outing against deposed champions CYMS ‘A’ to receive the official seal of approval, the mathematical doubt was duly removed in the opening frame, before ultimately signing off their title-winning campaign in proper fashion (6-0).

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Runners-up AOH, unbeaten since the turn of the year (nine straight victories), slipped up at the final hurdle in their bid to extend their laudable sequence (lost 4-2 at Du Pont)... Tracey’s ‘A’ beat CYMS ‘B’ 4-2 at the Letterkenny club... Hollywood ‘stumped’ visiting Glendermott 6-0 in the Waterside derby... Tracey’s ‘147 and George’s shared the unwanted wooden-spoon after the ‘Maximen’ prevailed 4-2 in the battle of the basement boys at the William Street venue.

SHANTALLOW 6, CYMS ‘A’ 0 – Peter Doherty 2, Phelim McClafferty 0; Stephen Brady 2, Marc McCarron 0; Joe Porter 2, Gareth Kirwan 0.

DU PONT 4, AOH 2 – Ralph Dixon 1, Shea Moore 1; Chris Brown 1, Seamus Cusack 1; David Moore 2, Ray Barrow 0.

CYMS ‘B’ 2, TRACEY’S ‘A’ 4 – Chris Dolan 1, Ruairi Gill 1; Ken Kirwan 0, Anthony McGill 2; Adrian McFadden 1, Paul Keenan 1.

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HOLLYWOOD 6, GLENDERMOTT 0 – Mal Irwin 2, Davy Clifford 0; Dean McAleese 2, Christopher Clifford 0; Stephen Heaney 2, Maurice Ferguson 0.

TRACEY’S ‘147’ 4, GEORGE’S 2 – Phil McConomy 2, Cathal Wilson 0; Mal McIvor 1, Jan Biernat 1; John Harkin 1, Shea Conway 1 (38 break).

FINAL TABLE – played 108 frames – Shantallow 79 pts; AOH 69 pts; CYMS A and Tracey’s A 64 pts; Glens 50 pts; Hollywood 47 pts; CYMS ‘B’ 45 pts; Du Pont 42 pts; George’s and Tracey’s ‘147’ 40 pts.

Although the line-up for the Alfie McGinley Individual League play-offs was finalised last week, the full pecking order remains undecided. Three players finished neck-and-neck in second spot, as well as two dead-heaters in fifth place.

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The Qualifers – Peter Doherty (30 frames), Seamus Cusack, Phelim McClafferty and Joe Porter (26), Gareth Kirwan and Anthony McGill (25), Shea Moore (24) and Stephen Brady (23)... Dates for tie-breakers still to be announced.

Finally, the NWIABSA committee extends grateful thanks to Gillen Fuels for sponsorship.