Slessor back to winning ways at Bay
ELLIOT Slessor made up for the disappointment of losing the previous weekend’s Whitley Bay SC one-day handicapped final to Gary Wilson by pocketing a 3-2 victory over North Shields’ 14year-old TJ Rendles (off 35).
Having received a bye in the early round, Slessor’s two matches to reach the final both went the full five frames.
The Wallsend potter conceded 60 points to Tim Taylor but came through to take the match 3-2.
Another hard-fought contest followed, this time in the semifinal against Washington’s David Lilley (off -30) - Slessor taking the final pink and black and the match 3-2.
Working his way through the other half of the draw, young Rendles struggled to get through his first-round tie 3-2 - despite receiving a five-point start off Gateshead’s David Brown.
Rendles’ next two wins were both convincing 3-1 results, the first against David Kidd whom he convincingly beat with a fivepoint start and the second a runaway success over North Shields’ Carl Sexton.
With his confidence flying high, the young Shields potter was hoping to capitalise on his 75points-a-frame start in the final against Slessor which earned him a share of the first four frames.
That took the match into a deciding-frame shoot-out the more experienced Slessor won 119-97 to celebrate a hardearned 3-2 victory.
Top break of the day went to Lilley’s first-round 99 against Brendan Erridge.
Stockton’s first-time visitor to the club Paul Davis (off 30) clinched the plate event with a 2-1 defeat of North Shields scratch player Craig Sexton.
■■IN the Ashington Chisholm and LWC League, Whitley Bay SC following a 3-3 draw with Regent B - maintained a 10-point advantage over Newbiggin GC, who took four point at home off Blyth Cons.