Favourite takes win in a small field
TABLE TENNIS SNOOKER
TEAM Northumbria men’s basketball suffered a shock 75-57 defeat at the hands of Loughborough Student Riders as they bowed out of the playoffs at the semi-final stage.
A initially close first quarter saw both sides seek a foothold in the match before the visitors broke the game open to lead 17-10 heading into the second period.
The home side - staying strong in defence - began to rue their missed chances at the offensive end as the Riders opened up a 12-point lead at the half.
A huge TN three-pointer to open the third period briefly swung the momentum in the hosts’ favour as they looked to close the gap.
However, yet another attacking surge from Loughborough saw the Riders head into the final quarter leading 55-35.
With the clock against them, an increasingly desperate TN tried everything to keep their season alive but the visitors stayed cool at the offensive end to see out a famous upset win.
Vice-captain Lewis Champion said: “It’s always a rubbish feeling when you lose, but credit to Loughborough for playing a very good game which really took us out of our game.
“They didn’t let us get going, they just played a lot better than us and it seems they just wanted it more ion the day. It’s hard to take positives, especially at the end of the season, but we stayed together throughout the whole game and that’s something we have done all year.
“It was good to finish the season on that note even if the result was tough to take.”
The defeat ends the prospect of a treble winning season with the National Cup and Division One titles already secured for Marc Steutel’s side. However, Champion feels the side deserve some time to recover.
“We have already done the double but we really wanted to add the playoffs to that and get the three together,” he added. “Unfortunately it wasn’t to be for us this year.
“Now we have no more more games until the start of the next season so it will give all the guys some very deserved time off to relax and reflect on the campaign as a whole.” THE recent spell of fine weather has played havoc with the entries in the latest Whitley Bay Snooker Centres one-day tournament, with only eight players registering for last Saturdays handicapped Pro-Am event.
Leading the small field and the obvious favourite, despite having to concede a minimum of 35 points a frame start to his opposition – and up to 70 points in other cases depending on the draw – was Wallsend’s star potter Gary Wilson.
Due to the small entry it was decided to extend the matches from the usual best of five frames to the best of seven.
At the top end of the draw in his first and second round matches to reach the final, Wilson had to take on the North Shields father-son team Carl and Craig Sexton, who he beat 4-0 and 4-2 respectively.
In the other half of the draw the second seed Boldon’s Adam Parker was conceding 21-35 points respectively to Hartlepool’s Lee Majors and Percy Mains TJ Rendles – winning 4-2 and 4-0 to meet Wilson in the final.
Unfortunately Parker’s 36-point start in the final just wasn’t enough when Wilson turned up the pressure to take the £10 highest break of the day award in the opening set with a magnificent 143 total clearance.
Things didn’t get much better in the next frame for the Boldon player when the Wallsend cueist rattled off his second century of the match a 106 to race 2-0 ahead.
The third frame was a lot closer, but once again it went to Wilson, who then went on to seal the game by taking the forth with a well compiled 94 to clinch the winners’ £50 leaving Parker with a small prize fund of £36.
Through special demand, the ever-popular Dennis Taylor makes a welcome return to Whitley Bay SC on Thursday May 11 for one of his family evenings of snooker entertainment.
Dennis will be entertaining his audience on the night with 7-9 challenge matches; a series of trick shots, plus his usual repertoire of gags and jokes.
Tickets for the show are now available and cost Adults £20, with under 16s £10, and will include photograph - autograph sessions with the star plus a hot buffet supper.To book tickets contact the club or Paul Rinaldi on 0191 4470515.