The 7th Senior Snooker Ranking Event in the RIBSA Senior Series was played in Ivy Rooms Snooker Club in Carlow over the weekend. Rodney Goggins and Robert Murphy reached the final with superb quality snooker over the weekend to compete in their first ever meeting in a RIBSA Senior Ranking Final.
Both players were on the Republic of Ireland team that reached the Q-Final in the European Team Championship in Malta last week. It was always going to be a superb quality final from two players who have been at the top of the Irish rankings over the past 10 years and it was Robert, who had a good break in frame 1, who led one frame to nil.
Goggins fought back to level 1-1 with a 94 Break and had the highest break of the tournament with a 124 to lead 2-1. Back came Murphy to level at 2-2 only for Goggins to go ahead again by 3 frames to 2. Murphy had a break of 50 to look like leveling the match again at 3 frames each but Goggins made a superb clearance to steal it on the pink to lead 4 frames to 2.
After that the Wexford man made a 60 break in frame 7 to win the 2010 RIBSA Talbot Hotel Classic title 5 frames to 2. In the Semi Finals Rodney Goggins from the 147 Club in Wexford beat John Torpey from the Venetian SC Limerick 4 frames to 1 in high quality semi final. Robert Murphy beat Joe Corrigan from Newbridge CYMS 4 frames to nil in the other semi final match
There were a number of shocks in the event with Philip Browne beating Colm Gilcreest 3-1 and Joe Corrigan beating Vincent Muldoon 3-1 but the biggest upset was Martin Divilly beating Mario Fernandez 3-2 The High Break prize went to Rodney Goggins with a 124 break – Johnny Williams from Maynooth SC had a 111 break. Other high breaks in the event were 95 by Robert Murphy, 90 and 77 by Vincent Muldoon and 94, 86 and 84 by Rodney Goggins, 83 by George Tierney, 78 by Jason Keogh and 76 and 74 by Nigel Power.
RIBSA would like to thank Jim & Marion Leacy from the Ivy Rooms Snooker Club for the excellent facilities and all their help over the weekend. Finally, I would like to thank all the players for another great snooker display and I look forward to seeing them again in the re-scheduled Event 4 in Carlow on Saturday / Sunday 24th & 25th of April.
LAST 32 ROUND
- Rodney Goggins 3-0 Brendan Murphy
- George Tierney 3-0 Leonard Shanahan
- Colm Gilcreest1-3 Philip Browne
- Damian McCormack 3-0 Clinton Franey
- Phil Arnold 3-0 Philip Burke
- Eamonn Kelly 3-1 Mark Tuite
- John O’Sullivan 3-0 Karl Fitzpatrick
- Dane Daly Mulpeter 1-3 John Torpey
- Robert Murphy 3-2 Jason Keogh
- Paul Arnold 0-3 John Sutton
- Nigel Power 3-0 Shea Brereton
- Patrick English 0-3 Robert Redmond
- Vincent Muldoon 3-0 Josh Boileau
- Joe Corrigan 3-1 Joe Delaney
- Johnny Williams 3-2 Jason Devaney
- Martin Divilly 3-2 Mario Fernandez
LAST 16 ROUND
- Rodney Goggins 3-1 George Tierney
- Philip Browne 3-0 Damian McCormack
- Phil Arnold 3-0 Eamonn Kelly
- John O’Sullivan 2-3 John Torpey
- Robert Murphy 3-0 John Sutton
- Nigel Power 3-2 Robert Redmond
- Vincent Muldoon 1- 3 Joe Corrigan
- Johnny Williams 3-0 Martin Divilly
Q-FINAL
- Rodney Goggins 4-0 Philip Browne
- Phil Arnold 3-4 John Torpey
- Robert Murphy 4-2 Nigel Power
- Joe Corrigan 4-0 Johnny Williams
SEMI FINALS
- Rodney Goggins 4-1 John Torpey
- Robert Murphy 4-0 Joe Corrigan
FINAL
- Rodney Goggins 5-2 Robert Murphy
HIGH BREAK BOARD
- RODNEY GOGGINS 86,84, 94, 127
- JOHNNY WILLIAMS 88, 111
- VINCENT MULDOON 90, 77
- ROBERT MURPHY 95
- NIGEL POWER 76, 74
- JASON KEOGH 78,
- GEORGE TIERNEY 83
