Worthington CIU Team Knockout: A packed Ferryhill Club snooker hall was hushed as Coundon needed the deciding black of the five frame aggregate points match to beat Brandon in the final of the Team Knock Out Cup.

The vital ball crawled its way into the corner pocket and the place erupted.

Coundon, from the Second Division, received fifteen points start from the First Division opponents and soon trailed in the first frame when Kevin Sample hit a purple patch after a long bout of safety to knock in a 34 break against Coundon's Mally Ryder.

The Coundon player fought hard to get back into the match but never managed to combat Sample's superiority and Brandon went 22 points ahead at the end of the first frame.

Graham Jackson for Brandon then met Graham Goulbourn of Coundon in a very tight frame. Both missed chances but in the final run down on the colours, Goulbourn was just steady enough to hold out to cut the deficit to 13 points.

The usually confident Brandon potter, John Hall never found his form and went down by 24 points against a confident Willie Shoulder of Coundon to restore the Second Division sides lead. Things looked blacker for Brandon in the fourth when Billy Goggins of Coundon raced into a 34 points lead against Colin Goodrick, who had failed to score. However the table were completely turned as Goodrick found his range and Goggins went completely off the boil, adding only four points whilst his opponent notched 56 to take Coundon into a seven points lead going into the final frame.

There was never a real gap between the teams in the final frame with Brian Graham for Brandon and Frank Nicholson for Coundon both making small contributions and then playing some tight safety. With only the pink and black remaining, Graham needed only one and faced a long pink fairly close to the corner pocket. Normally it would have been a certainty but there was a loud gasp around the room as he failed and left Nicholson a long shot at the other end. The roar for a successful pot was followed by the hush as Nicholson calmly, it seemed, rolled the black into the corner pocket for a 256-224 victory.

* There is a further chance for anyone interested in becoming a qualified snooker referee to take a course under the Englis Snooker and Billiards Examiner, Vera Selby. There are already seven potential new referees with others welcome to join. The course will be held at Crowtrees Club, Bowburn on Monday, 17 May at 7.15 pm. Anyone interested should telephone 01388 730444 for further details.

Worthington CIU Winter League

The Top Twenty players in the Player of Year table for the First Division were: 1st Andrew Aisbitt (Cockton Hill) played 21, won 19, lost 2, points scored 1397; 2nd Paul Atkinson (Spennymoor A) 22, 19, 3, 1467; 3 Michael Pratt (Spennymoor A) 22, 19, 3, 1466; 4 Dave Walker (Wheatley Hill A) 22, 18, 4, 1345; 5 Paul Biddle (Spennymoor A) 22, 18, 4, 1254; 6 Ronnie Peacock (Wheatley Hill A) 21, 17, 4, 1140; 7 Alan Hall (Wheatley Hill A) 22, 17, 5, 1225; 8 Paul Nord (Witton Gilbert) 22, 16, 6, 1278; 9 Glen Morton (Bearpark A) 22, 16, 6, 1218; 10 Paul Hickman (Shotton Palms) 21, 15, 6, 1095; 11 Charlie Hirst (Fishburn A) 20, 14, 6, 1058; 12 Dave Swindle (Shotton Palms) 20, 14, 6, 986; 13 Brian Graham (Brandon) 21, 14, 7, 1100; 14 Eddie Rhodes (Spennymoor A) 22, 14, 8, 1228; 15 John Bower (Sherburn Village) 22, 14, 8, 1020; 16 John Giffin (Fishburn A) 17, 13, 4, 971; 17 Paul Armstrong (Old Shildon) 22, 13, 9, 1151; 18 Ian Renwick (Witton Gilbert) 22, 13, 9, 1146; 19 Martin Taylor (Old Shildon) 22, 12, 10, 1154; 20 Brian Quest (Fishburn A) 22, 12, 10, 1055.

Second Division: 1st Steve Armstrong (Crowtrees A) 21, 20, 1, 1480; 2 Sonny Hann (Crowtrees A) 22, 19, 3, 1258; 3 Jeremy Martin (Willington) 22, 18, 4, 1200; 4 Stephen Hughes (Meadowfield) 22, 17, 5, 1151; 5 Paul Wright (Newhouse) 22, 16, 6, 1140; 6 Craig Hughes (Meadowfield) 19, 15, 4, 961; 7 Keith McLaughlan (Crowtrees A) 22, 15, 7, 1153; 8 Micky Anderson (Spennymoor B) 21, 14, 7, 1138; 9 Stephen Coates (Langley Park) 22, 14, 8, 1114; 10 Sean Johnston (Crowtrees A) 21, 13, 8, 1049; 11 Ian Dinsdale (Newhouse) 21, 13, 8, 960; 12 Arthur Goldsborough (Willington) 22, 13, 9, 1092; 13 Glynn Toas (Ferryhill A) 22, 13, 9, 1014; 14 Frank Nicholson (Coundon) 16, 12, 4, 947; 15 Alan Rouell (Spennymoor B) 20, 12, 8, 996; 16 Tom Robinson senior (Belmont) 21, 12, 9, 984; 17 Billy Goggins (Coundon) 17, 11, 6, 872; 18 Tom Parkin (Willington) 21, 11, 10, 991; 19 Tony Ellison (Weatley Hill B) 21, 11, 10, 987; 20 Billy McGrath (Belmont) 22, 11, 11, 1039.

Top Twenty Second Division were: 1st Peter Mernor (Hunwick A) 22, 19, 3, 1398; 2 Neil Phillips (New Durham) 19, 18, 1, 1122; 3 Thoms Cairns (New Durham) 21, 17, 4, 1161; 4 Barry Shaw (Leeholme A) 21, 17, 4, 1143; 5 Dave Lowery (Crowtrees B) 21, 16, 5, 1122; 6 Karl Thompson (Leeholme A) 22, 16, 6, 1047; 7 Ian Richardson (Hunwick A) 19, 15, 4, 948; 8 Barry Stoddart (Durham City) 22, 15, 7, 1035; 9 John Warriner (Tow Law B) 22, 14, 8, 1076; 10 Tommy Williams (Tow Law A) 22, 14, 8, 933; 11 Neville Blenkinsopp (Hunwick A) 19, 13, 6, 950; 12 Brian Dunn (Durham City) 21, 13, 8, 961; 13 Mark Wilson (Ferryhill) 21, 13, 8, 932; 14 Barry Fleming (Hunwick B) 21, 13, 8, 860; 15 Terry Gibson (Crowtrees B) 22, 13, 9, 955; 16 Charlie Donaghy (Tow Law B) 16, 12, 4, 855; 17 Ian Roddam (Ferryhill) 19, 12, 7, 914; 18 Gordon Bowes (New Durham) 19, 12, 7, 865; 19 Eric Wright (Durham City) 21, 12, 9, 981; 20 Eric Lockerbie (Tow Law B) 22, 12, 10, 1002.

Crook League

Ronnie Hope of Crook Royal Sun won the Player of the Year Trophy for the First Division with an unbeaten record from twenty singles matches. His nearest rivals were Chris Baker (Golden Fleece) 19, Neil Campbell (Travellers Rest B) 17 and Ian Hodkinson (Crook Belle Vue) 16.

Gerald Parkin of Crook Coach and Horses B took the Second Division Player of the Year Trophy with 18 wins. His closest rivals were Stephen Craggs (Olde Horse Shoe B) 17; Les Scott, David Stephenson and David Haygarth (Coach and Horses B) and David Stewart (White Swan A) 16 each.

Worthington CIU Singles Championship

Dave Walker of Wheatley Hill A qualified to meet Steve Armstrong of Crowtrees A in the final after he beat John Bower of Sherburn Village in three straight frames at Crowtrees.

In the first frame, after some initial tight safety play, Walker settled first and put in a 35 break to give him a good lead, which he never relinquished and won 75-29.

In the second frame both players potted well, although Walker built up a lead of 25 with only 25 left on the table. Bower took green, brown and blue but then a poor safety shot saw the pink stop over the baulk pocket, leaving Walker an easy drop in to take the frame 59-40.

The third frame followed the pattern of the first with Walker posting his intent with a 48 break, only breaking down when he missed a black off the spot. Bower was looking for snooker when 36 behind with only 27 left. His attempt on the yellow saw a double kiss, which allowed Walker to clear to the blue to take the final frame at 78-22 and the match.

Worthington CIU

Wheatley Hill B avoided the drop from the Second to the Third Division after they won the deciding frame in the play-off to avoid relegation against Belmont at Fishburn. The Hill went ahead in a very tight frame where Philip Taylor beat Tom Robinson senior on the black. However Belmont recovered when Chris Morley levelled with a win over Ken Johnson, who conceded on the brown.

Michael Short put Belmont ahead in another tight frame, which was won when Tony Ellison went in-off the final black. However Wheatley Hill squared the match when Jock Frost took the colours to beat Billy McGrath. In the deciding frame Wheatley Hill's Steve Cave was never out of the driving seat and saved his team's Second Division status with a comprehensive win over Tom Robinson junior.

Worthington CIU Team Plate

The final produced a nail-biting finish with Spennymoor B, who received 20 points start from Shotton Palms at Sherburn Village, recovered from a 45 points deficit at the start of the last frame to win when there was a foul on the deciding black.

In the first from Alan Rouell of Spennymoor met Jimmy Evans junior with both starting slowly. Evans moved ahead and Rouell became frustrated at being left safe until the Shotton lead went to 45 with only two reds left on the table. Rouell eventually found his range but by this time Evans was in a strong position and took frame 68 points to 45.

In the second frame, Wayne Parry represented the Moors against Jimmy Evans senior. Parry had the upper hand throughout the frame, potting some very good balls when left with little opportunity. Evans never found the level of which he is capable, and Parry went on to win frame comfortably at 55 points to 36.

Spennymoor's Dennis Dodd met Dave Swindle in another very cagey frame with both players more afraid of what they may leave rather than what they could gain. The scores were close throughout with Dodd gaining an advantage towards the end of the frame to take five of the six colours to win 53 points to 42.

Alan Clarke then met Shotton's, Paul Hickman, who took total control of the frame by putting Clarke in all sorts of trouble then adding a 32 break early to establish a lead. Although Clarke had some opportunities it was Hickman who continued to add substantially to his score, and eventually won easily with a score of 97 points to 25.

Micky Anderson started the final frame in the knowledge that Shotton's Colin Jobes had a 45 point advantage but he soon got into the balls with a 24 break, followed shortly after with a 21. This made for an interesting conclusion to the frame and match, which went right down to the final pink & black. Jobes potted an excellent pink into a centre pocket, leaving a fine cut back on the black. His attempt failed and the cue ball dropped into the middle pocket to gift Spennymoor the match by 281 points to 269.

SWD Association

Bishop Auckland Cricket Club moved up to share second place with Hopetown in the First Division after they drew at Newton Aycliffe Southerne Club. The home side had wins from Ian Halford and Paul Watson, whilst Gavin Robinson and Steve Webb equalised.

Darlington Cricket Club lead the First Division by three points from the Bishop cricketers and Hopetown.

Darlington Snooker Club B went to the top of the Second Division when they only dropped one point to the visiting Northgate, who had Mick Allison as their only winner. The home side's points came from Shaun Rodgers, Kevin Robinson and Ian Gorley.

The Snooker Club B lead the Second Division by one point from Shildon Elm Road, with Bishop Auckland Kingsway a further point adrift.

Results: Newton Aycliffe Southerne Club 2 Bishop Auckland Cricket Club 2; Darlington Snooker Club AS 2 Darlington Cricket Club 2; Barnard Castle Glaxo 1 Hopetown 3; Shildon Elm Road 4 Darlington Snooker Club C 0; Darlington Snooker Club B 3 Northgate 1; Bishop Auckland Kingsway 2 Tindale Crescent 2.