By Brian Phillips

Looe and District Pool League sponsored by Coddy Shack and Key Solar – Sunday, January 26

DIVISION ONE

LEAGUE leaders Sports Club A made the short trip to the Globe Looe to take on the high-flying Cutouts, looking to get back to winning ways.

First up saw Cornwalls Over 60s captain and England international Will Doidge take on Cutouts’ Gerry Markwell.

Both players missed chances to win a scrappy first frame which Markwell won, before Doidge showed his class by breaking and then clearing up.

Frame three was similar to the first but Markwell held his nerve for victory and handed the previously unbeaten Doidge a second defeat in the row.

In the next, Luke Penhaligan edged Keith Armitage 2-1 to level the scores before the Sports went ahead when Brian Phillips saw off Aaron Simmons with ease.

Next up, Cutouts skipper Darrell Hidson took on ex-England Over 60s international Brian Reed. With the game finely poised at 1-1, Brian got white in hand to tap in the last three for victory.

Jimmy Stephens did pull one back for the Cutouts which meant they sit second in the table, albeit having played twice more than third-placed Sports Club B.

Marquee Duloe did their chances of staying up no harm at all when they visited fellow strugglers Harbour Sharks in what was effectively a double pointer.

With all but one game going the distance, skipper Neil Hilton saw off Pete Burke before Cris Woods levelled with a quickfire 2-0 victory over Cornwall Under 23s player Toby Spring.

Dad Jason got the Duloe boys on the hill by edging out Roger Stephens 2-1 in a tight affair, in another distance victory Rob Bilsborough gave his team the match when he took out Len Clark.

Jimmy Miles saw off Phil Dingle to make it 4-1 on a night where the result could easily have been flipped.

Marquee moved five points away from danger with Sharks the same number behind.

DIVISION TWO

HIGH-FLYING Legion A from Polperro proved their mettle on Sunday when they travelled down into the cauldron that is JJ’s to take on league leaders Pooligans.

Darren Thomas led off for the Polperro boys taking out Aaron Butters without reply, before Grant Guild defeated Sue Jones over the distance to level the contest.

Legion were 2-1 up when Cornwall Under 18s squad member Logan Singleton make light work of Thiago Bond without reply, but Denham Guild followed in his dad’s footsteps when he hauled the leaders level once more with a distance victory over Bob Webb.

But Stuart Devoy ensured no late drama as he demolished Pooligans skipper Kierran Bond, handing the JJ’s boys their first defeat of the campaign despite remaining six points clear at the top.

Halfway Crooks took advantage of other results around them and jumped up to third when they welcomed JJ’s C-Men to Polbathic, Duanne Elliott got his team off to a good start when he edged out JJ’s Mike Busby over the distance.

This was ably backed up then by Lloyd Halliday with a straights victory over Jamie Wright, Mike Prowse over Callum Smith and Chris Elford again Brandon Kebble, both without reply.

In the last, Aaron Rix did give the C-Men a solitary point with a nervy distance victory over Crooks skipper Ellie Buckingham.

Second-placed Barbican took full advantage of results elsewhere when they played host to bottom side Ship Looe, thumping the Ship 5-0 without even dropping a frame as Scott Wright, Si Hunt, Steve Graham, Justin Woods and Matt Wright did the damage.

This result leaves The Ship rooted to the foot of the table and winless after 12 games.