SNOOKER: Hollywood dash Colts' Junior Cup hat-trick hopes
Hollywood became the newest club name to be penned into North-West team tournament snooker's catalogue of winners (stretching back to 1936), courtesy of defeating Oak Colts 3-1 when the pair met last week in the 2016 Junior Knockout Cup final, kindly hosted by Shantallow House.
Intermediate Cup winners and League Division Two champions, the Colts were bidding to add further lustre to a memorable campaign, but their hat-trick hopes were dashed, without surprise, by better-equipped opposition in terms of quality. The Hollywood Avenue outfit, muscled-up for the cup campaign by the acquisition of a trio from Limavady’s hot-bed of junior-graded players, were installed as firm favourites at the outset of competition and the ante-post odds were duly confirmed.
While Michael Cairns and Stephen Heaney played valued roles in the team’s ultimate success, the Roe Valley triumvirate of Dean McAleese, Mal Irwin and Liam McDermott emerged the match-winners in the final.
McAleese and McDermott both eased to victory, whereas Irwin diced with a black ball finish before nudging out Barry McDaid in a rich quality frame of snooker. Kieran Boyle struck the Bishop Street side’s lone blow by a clear-cut margin.
Frame Scores – Dean McAleese 64, Cathal Wilson 14; Michael Cairns 20, Kieran Boyle 60; Liam McDermott 69, John Ryan (+10) 21 ; Mal Irwin 63, Barry McDaid (+50 52.; Stephen Heaney v Blaine McDaid (+10), not played.