Quest miiss costs dear

Fishburn travelled to Newton Aycliffe having pulled level on points with Old Shildon, despite being well down the table at the halfway point. Newton Aycliffe had comfortable wins from John Briddick and Ronnie Hall, while Fishburn had similarly easy wins from John Griffin and John Carter. However, the point that swayed the championship came when Michael Hewitt played Fishburn's Brian Quest.

Quest looked to be taking the point but missed a vital final blue, which allowed Hewitt to clean up to make the scores level. Hewitt had the first shot on the black but his long double went safe with Quest failing to leave it as safe and Newton Aycliffe went to an odd point victory.

At the same time Old Shildon were visiting Witton Gilbert and started well with wins from Frank Nicholson and Michael Pratt. John Rooney senior pulled one back for Witton but then Billy Goggins made it three for Old Shildon. Ian Renwick took the final frame for Witton, leaving Old Shildon making a frantic telephone call to Newton Aycliffe before they could celebrate their Championship success.

There was a similar finish to the Third Division Championship when joint leaders, Newhouse B and Meadowfield were involved. Meadowfield were never headed by the visiting Spennymoor B but only managed an odd point victory when Stephen Hughes beat Alan Rowell in the decider. Earlier Norman Smith, who ended Wayne Parry's chance of being leading point scorer in the Third Division, and Malcolm Hughes had won for Meadowfield with Andy Mole and Micky Anderson replying.

Newhouse B were away to Fishburn B and went one down when Barry Underwood took the first point. In the second frame Richard Bell of Newhouse ended George Whitelock's chance of being the leading point scorer in the Third Division, and this inspired the his Newhouse colleagues as Brian Eltringham, Alan McCluskey and David Jackson all won easily to clinch the title.

Willington had already clinched the title in the Second Division but the runners-up spot could have gone to either Wingate, two points ahead with their programme completed, Crook Belle Vue or Wheatley Hill B, who were level on points.

Crook Belle Vue only managed to take one point from their visit to Durham City when Norman Slack won. John Davies, Gary Ward, Eric Wright and Barry Stoddart won for the home side. Despite their big win Durham City failed to avoid relegation.

At Ferryhill things looked bleak for Wheatley Hill B when they went two down to home wins by Dale Hebdon and Mark Wilson. However, Barry Coston and Tony Ellison levelled the match. In the decider Ken Johnson took Wheatley Hill B to the runners-up spot when he beat Ian Roddam on the black.

Willington celebrated their Second Division title with a good win at Brandon, despite being without leading player, Paul Atkinson. John Hall took the only point for Brandon while Arthur Goldsborough, Colin Lomax, Tom Parkin and Jeremy Martin won for Willington.

Wheatley Hill A managed to lift themselves up to third place in the First Division after completing a good home win over Shotton Palms. Jim Evans took the first point for Shotton but then the Hill took over with wins from Jack Wright, Dave Walker, Dean Bryden and Ronnie Peacock.

Stanley Central lost their fight to avoid relegation when only Harold Grimes took a point from their visit to Sherburn Village, who were already doomed to relegation. John Bower, Scott Mallaburn, Peter McGowan and Alan greener won for the home side.

Newhouse A avoided the drop from the Second Division when they won in the decider at home to Langley Park. Ian Dinsdale and Keith Mann took the first two points for Newhouse but Ray Coates and Paul Nord levelled. In the decider Keith Allison beat Paul Morgan.

Hunwick took the third spot in the Third Division after winning by the odd point at Billy Row. The home side had wins from Alan Smith and Ken Campbell, while Tom Ward, Trevor Lomax and Neville Blenkinsop won for the visitors.

Crowtrees only dropped one point to the visiting Leeholme, who had Tony Clish, probably the most improved player in the league, as their only winner. The home points came from Peter Laverick, Martin Wolf, Keith McLaughlan and Jim Phillipson, who made a very successful return to league play after a number of years out.

Results: Brandon 1, Willington 4; Fishburn B 1, Newhouse B 4; Sherburn Village 4, Stanley Central 1; Witton Gilbert 2, Old Shildon 3; Durham City 4, Crook Belle Vue 1; Crowtrees 4, Leeholme 1; Newton Aycliffe 3, Fishburn A 2; Wheatley Hill A 4, Shotton Palms 1; Newhouse A 3, Langley Park 2; Billy Row 2, Hunwick 3; Ferryhill 2, Wheatley Hill B 3; Meadowfield 3, Spennymoor B 2

Norman Fowler Memorial

Ithe tightest match in the competition so far, Sean Johnston of Coxhoe potted a magnificent long black to beat Barry Shaw of Kirk Merrington in the deciding frame.

In the first frame Johnston never really got into the game and steadily went behind until Shaw clinched it with a 31 break. In the second frame Johnston was seven ahead on the blue and laid a successful snooker, following it with blue and pink to win. In the deciding frame the colours seemed to move safely to the cushions and scoring was very low. Shaw had slipped slightly behind but took yellow, green, brown, two successful snookers on the blue and then potted it to go seven ahead. Johnston took the pink and held his nerve to knock in the long black.

The most impressive display of the round came from Andrew Aisbitt of South Church with a win over a confident, capable but sadly out of luck, Stuart Neil of Newton Aycliffe. Aisbitt clinched the first frame with breaks of 33 and 32. The second got away with Neil making three in-offs. A 39 break to move 51 ahead with one red left, which Aisbitt later potted, completed the victory.

Peter Laverick of Crowtrees was kicking himself after the first frame against Arthur Goldsborough of Willington for he needed pink and black to win with both balls very near the lip of the pockets. He tried a thin cut on the pink but missed the ball and lost the frame. The effect of this went through into the second frame, which Goldsborough won comfortably.

Hepple Hodgson of Tow Law looked to have a good chance in the first frame against Sonny Hann of Bowburn but failed on the final colours. A similarly even frame followed with Hann clinching victory with a late 23 break.

Tomorrow Jimmy Evans of Shotton meets Malcolm Umpelby of Tow Law and Lee Robinson of Tow Law plays John Armstrong of Shotton. Next Thursday sees the final matches of the second round when Alan Todd of Stanley plays Norman Plews of Tow Law and Dean Jones of Thornley is up against Jim Dufton of Stanley.

Worthington CIU

Pairs Championship

Quarter final results: Tommy Parkin & Gordon Parkin (Willington) beat Tony Ellison & Dave Blyth (Wheatley Hill B); Michael Pratt & Gary Ward (Durham City) beat Sonny Hann & Keith McLaughlan (Crowtrees); Dave Walker & Alan Hall (Wheatley Hill A) lost to Brian Graham & John Hall (Brandon); Ian Renwick & Ian Kerr (Witton Gilbert) lost to Michael Pratt & Jossie Aldworth (Old Shildon)

Worthington CIU

Winter League

There are thirty-three entries to the league, which will begin on Tuesday, October 3. The teams have been divided into three divisions as follows.

Division One: Brandon, Cockton Hill, Fishburn A, Newton Aycliffe, Old Shildon, Shotton Palms, Spennymoor A, Stanley Central, Wheatley Hill A and Wheatley Hill B

Division Two: Belmont, Crowtrees, Durham City, Ferryhill, Hunwick A, Langley Park, Meadowfield, Newhouse A, Sherburn Village, Willington and Wingate

Division Three: Billy Row, Fishburn B, Hunwick B, Leeholme A, Leeholme B, Newhouse B, Sacriston, Spennymoor B, Tow Law A, Tow Law B and West Auckland

Any entries that have not been completed for any of the league's competitions should be sent to the secretary by Saturday, September 16, so that draws can be issued to the league meeting in Meadowfield on September 28.

Worthington CIU

Singles Championship

Quarter final results: Jim Dufton (Stanley Central) beat Dean Jones (Wingate); Adrian Twist (Sherburn Village) beat Robert Roche (Langley Park); Dave Walker (Wheatley Hill A) lost to Paul Atkinson (Willington); Ian Dinsdale (Newhouse A) lost to Michael Pratt (Old Shildon)

Jack Jobson Memorial Handicap Singles

Michael Pratt of Old Shildon created a record for the competition, held in memory of Jack Jobson, who was the CIU League secretary for many years, when he scored a 101 break in his home match against Ian Renwick of Witton Gilbert. He made a convincing victory complete with a 53 break in the final frame.

The final of the competition will again be held in Billy Row Club, where Jack Jobson used to play. It will be held on Thursday, October 12, at 7.30pm and former and present players and their friends are invited to pay their respects and watch the match.

Fourth round results: Arnold Fleming 28 (Hunwick) beat David Blyth 14 (Wheatley Hill B); Gary Ward 14 (Durham City) beat Kevin Sample 16 (Brandon); Ray Gill 35 (Leeholme) lost to Arthur Goldsborough 16 (Willington); Jim Evans 7 (Shotton Palms) beat Robert Roche 10 (Langley Park); Malcolm Peart 24 (Witton Gilbert) lost to Frank Nicholson 5 (Old Shildon); Ray Coates 18 (Langley Park) lost to Charlie Donaghy 28 (Tow Law); Michael Pratt Sc (Old Shildon) beat Ian Renwick 7 (Witton Gilbert); John Armstrong 10 (Shotton Palms) beat Dean Jones 14 (Wingate