SPARTAN STEPHEN WINS POOL TITLE
LARNE man Stephen McWhirter from Whitehead Spartans pool team has been crowned the new Carrick & District Pool League Individual Champion.
After a gruelling two-day competition, he sunk the final black of this year's tournament in a classic match against fellow Spartan John Kane.
On the Saturday Stephen beat Glenn Harrington of Castle by 2-0 in the preliminary round, followed by a 3-0 win over Castle Captain Derek Whiteside.
The quarter-finals were on Sunday and McWhirter disposed of Adam Moore from the Rose & Crown with another fine display of potting in a 3-0 victory.
In QF2 Castle's Tom McCorry ground out a 3-0 win over many people's tournament favourite, big James Meredith from Whiteabbey RBL. QF3 looked all over for John Kane as he trailed Monkstown's Glenn Russell 2-0. But Kane brought it back to 2-2, and although Russell ripped out seven colours in a row in the decider, he juggled a long difficult black and it was Kane who eventually scrambled into the semi-finals.
In QF4 last year's winner and this year's big favourite Dee Irwin crashed out to Sam Millar of the Rose & Crown. Irwin led 1-0, but Millar, who has improved tremendously this season, pulled out two great finishes to lead 2-1. It could have been 3-1 but Irwin dug deep to level at 2-2. But an in-off in the latter stages of the deciding frame gave young Millar two shots and he kept his nerve to clear up and record a tremendous 3-2 win.
The first semi-final was a very tense affair between McWhirter and McCorry. Both players by their own admission felt the pressure and mistakes were commonplace. By the time McWhirter levelled to make it 3-3 in the best of seven, Kane had already strolled into the final in SF2 with an emphatic 4-1 win over Sam Millar.
It was classic Kane at his swashbuckling best, so all eyes were back on table one where McWhirter kept his nerve to pot a long black down the rail to ensure an all-Spartan Individuals final.
In the final both players opened up more in the race to five frames. They were never more than a frame apart and some of the potting was outstanding. But the turning point came with the match poised at 3-3.
Kane looked like taking a vital 4-3 lead, but snookered himself on his last colour to let McWhirter in. He duly took the frame and went on to secure victory in the next, potting an awkward black to take the title.
C&DPL would like to thank all those who took part in the tournament and hosts Whitehead Glasgow Rangers Supporters' Club.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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