NIBSA Cross Community Challenge Match - Series 2

Foresters Club, Albert St, Belfast VERSES East Belfast Working Mens Club

The second Cross Community Snooker event took place on Thursday 12th August in the Foresters Club, Albert St, Belfast, The Hosts where entertaining a team from East Belfast, (East Belfast Working Mens Club), after the huge success of previous meetings between the INF and Catch My Pal club in Dunmurry the Foresters decided to branch out and invite another club to make a Round Robin Event for the future and perhaps knock down the barriers to get a Cross Community snooker league, all the hard work by Joe McGonnell the Chairman of Belfast and District Provincial Snooker League and Northern Ireland Referees Association.

So with all the formalities over it was down to the hard work and the Foresters trying to take a 2-0 lead in the Cross Community Challenge, both teams meeting for the fist time some expectations where that this match would very chess like in that both teams not wanting to give to much away, so the safety game would ensue, nobody prepared to take the chance to open the game up.

Opening Games

First up was Mark McGonnell (INF) playing against Hugh McQuade (EBWMC) table 1, Martin Arterton (INF) playing Michael Hanratty (EBWMC) table2, These 2 young Foresters players having been recently selected to represent their Country in the forthcoming Home International Snooker Series in Prestatyn Wales in September in the Junior Section, having home advantage seen young Mark get of to a great start with a lovely 31 break to take a big lead only for Hugh to come straight back with a nice 28 to let Mark know that this wasn’t going to be easy, Mark played a nice game to win on the colours 1-0 INF, only to be denied victory on the colours in the second frame to share the spoils 1-1

Hopes lay heavily on young Martin to do the business and show his worth, the match started very slow with some good safety exchanges, Michael conceding the fist mistake Martin slams a great long red to start his break of 28 and win the 1st frame, 2-1 INF.

Frame 2 and again great safety play between Martin and Michael, this time Martin was to let Michael take a slight advantage, a bit of low scoring seen the game go to the black with Michael sinking it superbly, 2-2. Up next was a Darren Cullen(INF) playing Roy (the Hustler) Latimer (EBWMC) this match looked like sparks would fly as both players where banging the balls in during the practice, and correctly named Roy left Darren a teaser to which Darren to advantage of potting a great red and landing perfect on the black, Darren pots the black screws into the pack to open the reds and guess what?? He hugs a red only to finish with 8 break, Darren plays a nice safety shot, he leaves 1 sticking out only for Roy to pop the red in and steal a nice 25 lead, Roy living up to his mantle of Hustler, Roy wins 1st frame to visitors a 3-2 lead, thou Darren wasn’t to be denied he wins the next to tie the match at 3-3

JR Hartley? Snooker? Read on...

On table 2 seen the joker from the Foresters, Damien (Fester) Campbell playing Robert Galway (EBWMC), without going into a slagging match Damien got stuffed, Roy played some lovely shots and frustrated big fester, Roy wins both frames to give East a commanding 5-3 lead, with it all to do up comes the 2 old stalwarts of the Foresters cobwebs brushed of the cues and Zimmer frames polished Joe Brown the longest running and winning Captain of Team trophies in the club history and Paul (JR Hartley) Smith, just to clarify the JR Hartley name Paul won prizes for fishing, always good to know when the season starts for real and he gets dropped we will know he has a good pass time!!!!!.

JB (INF) and William Doran (EBWMC) Up next

Anyway JB as he is known to INF playing William Dornan (EBWMC) JB sets the stage for the match smashing a long red and coming round table to land on blue pots the blue and goes into the pack of reds, they open lovely JB scores a nice 30 break and wins the 1st frame 5-4 the come back is on, JB didn’t give William much of a chance to get into the game winning 2-0 with the score standing at 5-5, Paul Smith playing to win the match for the Foresters and Darren Galway (EBWMC) doing the same for the East, great tactical play between both in the opening exchanges, Paul getting the 1st chance as Darren misses an easy red, Paul surges a head to win 1st frame 6-5 to INF the match looking to go to the Home side and a 2-0 overall lead in the Challenge, no one knows what happened did Paul fall asleep? was the fishing coming back to Paul and not his natural snooker ability?? he sadly lost the frame with Darren potting all in his way including a nice 30 clearance, so the spoils where shared at 6-6 and the return leg to be staged over in the East Belfast Working Mens Club in the coming week.

In conclusion

Shortly after the match Joe McGonnell thanked the East Belfast Club for coming to play in the Challenge and hoped that it would be regular event throughout the coming season, Roy Lattimer echoed what Joe had said and thanked the Foresters and players for there hospitality, a small buffet and some alcohol where consumed and the visitors traveled home

Photographs of Both Team Members

East Belfast Working Mens Club INF and EBWMC

Next Cross Community Challenges

Clonard Hibs verses East Club TCB

View Match Report and photographs from match one, INF verses Catch My Pal Club