By Roger Stephens

CORNWALL COUNTY POOL ASSOCIATION INTERLEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION

Newquay Nitros v East Cornwall at The Edgcliff

EAST Cornwall headed to Newquay for this best of 36-frame contest on August 30.

First up saw Liam Blenes lose to Darren Hooper, then Hayden Rawlings also lost to Olly Rounsevell to put the visitors 2-0 up and fully in command.

However the Nitros responded as Mike Delaney and Dave Metcalfe took out Luke Penhaligon and Brian Reed.

Steve Eastley beat Daley McErlain, but the Nitros went ahead with wins for Mark Silver, Dan Durant and Alex Lane over Mark Stevens, Gerry Markwell and Keith Armitage.

Darrell Hidson defeated Andy Sweet, but the Nitros took the first set 5-4. 

Reed was beaten by Blenes at the start of the second set of nine, before the visitors took the next three courtesy of Hooper, Rounsevell and Penhaligon.

McErlain pulled one back for the Nitros, but the East boys had their tails up and wins for Eastley and Stevens meant the set was won.

The last two frames were shared with Lane beating Markwell then Armitage taking out Sweet. This gave the East an overall lead of 10-8.

The third set started with away wins for Penhaligon and Reed, but the Nitros got their act together and rattled off the next three frames.

Hidson stopped their charge, and although Eastley lost to Durant, it couldn’t stop the visitors from clinching the set with wins for Stevens and Markwell.

East started the fourth set like they meant business with three frames in a row courtesy of wins for Rounsevell, Penhaligon and Reed.

Metcalfe showed some resistance in beating Hooper, but the boys from Looe could taste victory now and Markwell and Armitage took them over the line.

Hidson and Eastley were beaten in their final games, but Stevens’ success over Sweet ensured a 21-15 success and put them second in the table.

East Cornwall v Ospreys (Falmouth) at The Edgcliff – Friday, September 6

THE Looe boys were the home side, but started slowly as Darren Hooper and Olly Rounsevell were beaten.

Captain Luke Penhaligon pulled one back, but that was the last success for the East in the first set as Brian Reed, Steve Eastley, Mark Stevens, Gerry Markwell, Rob Cowling andDarrell Hidson were all beaten to trail 8-1 and leave themselves with a mountain to climb.

The hosts responded in the second set and proceeded to make a fight of it, but although Hooper was victorious, Ospreys came back with a couple of wins of their own.

Reed got one back but when Eastley and Stevens were beaten, East Cornwall were in trouble.

However, they responded once more and took the set courtesy of wins for Markwell, Cowling and Hidson to keep them somewhat in touch at 12-6 down.

The next four frames were shared, but a three-frame burst from the Ospreys put them 17-8 up.

East Cornwall responded again through Cowling and Hidson to make it 17-10, but they needed to win eight of the final nine frames just for a draw.

But once again the first four frames of the fourth set were shared despite victories for Hooper and Penhaligon, and Ospreys had won.

The hosts battled away and put in a four-frame streak through Eastley, Stevens, Markwell and Cowling as they beat Christine Johnson, Adam Hart, Andy Lugg and Leslie Rundle, but as the was case all night, Ospreys had the last laugh as Shane McCartney beat Hidson.

East Cornwall had won the fourth set 6-3, but Ospreys were deserved winners by 20 frames to 16.

The result left East Cornwall in second, a point behind leaders Edgcliff Ballers.