Breaks

Twm Sion Jones 39 (Fairwater Cons)

Fairwater Cons are the League Cup winners after they beat Mackintosh Snooker 3-2 in an epic encounter which lasted for over three hours at Taff’s Well Ex-Serviceman’s Club. The first of the three singles frames saw Twm Sion Jones give Fairwater a 1-0 lead, but his opponent Nathan Dunne started the frame strongly to build on his handicap start. However, a fine 39 break from Jones overturned the deficit and took the frame to the colours, which he eventually won after potting the brown to move snookers ahead.

The format of this new competition means that one frame in the singles matches guarantees your side a doubles frame to secure victory, so Eassa Din knew the importance of his match-up against Dan Bridle and looked to extend his handicap start at the beginning of the frame. It was a long, tense affair with both players’ safety game dominating proceedings early one, but Bridle looked like he was going to double Fairwater’s advantage as they headed towards the colours with some fluent potting. Both players had chances as the frame neared its conclusion, but excellent safety from Din kept him in contention and he sealed the win with a tremendous long black, under pressure, to draw the Mack level.

Mike Nessbert and Luke Pitman knew that the match was going to be decided in a doubles frame, due to it being worth two points, irrespective of the outcome of their match-up but an entertaining frame ensued with both players’ attacking style complementing one another. Pitman started strongly but solid matchplay from Nessbert saw the frame level halfway through the reds, but Nessbert began to pull away with a handful of reds remaining and sealed the win on the colours to put his side 2-1 ahead.

Four new players contested the doubles frame as Shaun O’Connell and Jason Hewett for Fairwater lined up against Carlos Schiazza and Billy Connors for Mackintosh to decide who would win the inaugural League Cup, and it didn’t disappoint as it was decided on the colours. It was an edgy start from all players, before a break from Hewett restored parity after the Fairwater pairing had to give a 14-point start but solid matchplay from Schiazza and good potting from Connors saw the frame head towards the colours with only a handful of points between the sides. The crucial moment of the frame and match came on the last red as Hewett fluked a cross-double into the green pocket, allowing him to lay a difficult snooker on Connors, who managed to hit the yellow at the third attempt but it allowed O’Connell the opportunity to seal the win and he duly obliged to give Fairwater the trophy to cap off a successful first season for this new format.