Cup Finalists Determined In Open League

Two nights of drama in the Plymouth Open League produced the four teams who will compete for this season's knockout and supplementary cups.

Despite dominating the scoring stakes in their Knockout Cup semi final first leg, the highlight of which was a maximum from Paul Jacobson, the Railway went down to Ker St C by a 6-5 scoreline.

Jacobson's teammate Danny Perryman also chalked up a 129 finish in the final tie of the first leg, a 2-0 win for the Railway man, which left the two legged affair nicely poised.

However, the A Division team got the better of the lowest ranked team left in the draw when reeling off seven of the first nine to put the game beyond the Railway; finishing up with a 13-9 win overall.

Ker St's opponents will be the only team above them in the league standings, Division A champions Cherry Tree A, who shared fifty-four three figure scores in their semi final first leg tie with the Lugger.

The Pennycross side dominated the opening exchanges, winning four of the first five despite Adam Truscott putting a maximum on the board for the visitors from Devonport.

The Lugger then succeeded in the first three individual games with Jason Goldsmith starting off that spell with a 120 checkout in a 2-0 win to leave the game level at 4-4.

A maximum from George Beckett started another Cherry Tree surge that saw the last three singles all go the way of the Division A champions by a 2-1 scoreline for a 7-4 win.

The Lugger started the second leg by pulling the score back to 7-6 by taking the first two trebles, which once again gave them hope of a final place.

However, Cherry Tree A soon showed the form that has made them such dominant champions of the Plymouth Open League; reeling off five of the next six to put the game beyond their rivals in a 13-9 win.

Division B champions-elect King Billy came from 7-4 and 9-5 down to force a playoff win in their tie with their Division A rivals, Weston Mill Oak Villa B in the Supplementary Cup semi finals.

In the first leg, Jonathan and Brian Easterbrook ploughed in maximums for the Weston Mill team and James Ewing hit one of his own for the Devonport team.

Jonathan Easterbrook also added another to his name in the second leg, whilst Ewing also checked 104 in one visit in the same match.

Oak Villa left themselves with very little to do to book a final spot after claiming two of the first three ties in leg two for a 9-5 score overall.

The 'Billy Boyz' reeled off six of the next seven to give themselves a shot at an unlikely victory at 11-10 up with one to play.

Brian Easterbrook was once again influential to force the playoff with a 2-0 singles win and the Weston Mill team then took the doubles game of the three game playoff to put them 12-11 up.

However, Lee Doncaster and James Ewing held their nerve to give the King Billy a remarkable comeback victory by 13-12 overall.

Ker St B will be the King Billy's opponent for the final after two 6-5 wins over Billy's Division B rivals, Fortescue.

In the first leg of their semi final, Ker St took a 4-1 lead before the Mutley team pulled back to 5-4 with three of the next four.

Despite a maximum from Lee Medway, Nick Bromley took their individual battle 2-0 to give the Devonport team an unassailable first leg lead of 6-4 before Fortescue won the last to leave the tie on a knife-edge.

The second leg started much like the first with Ker St taking another 4-1 lead from the team games before Fortescue's Russell Hitchcock hit a 97 finish in his 2-1 singles win.

That started a run of four out of five for the 'Fort', which left them needing to win the last to force a playoff.

Helen Stone had other ideas and held her nerve in a 2-0 win for the Ker St to give them another 6-5 victory, 12-10 triumph overall, and a place in the final.