The National Intermediate Billiards Short Format Championship took place on Sunday 6th March at the Snooker and Billiards Ireland Academy of Excellence in Carlow with 7 players taking part. At the end of day’s play John Kehoe and Anthony O’Flaherty earned the right to contest the National final which will take place again in Carlow on finals weekend of the 21st-22nd May.The format was best of 7x 100s instead of best of 5x 150s in past years.
John had fine wins over Martin Kearney from Co. Louth with a comfortable 4-0 victory before making a remarkable comeback in the semi-final from 2-0 down to beat Rathkeale’s Jason Dowling 4 games to 2 who will appear in his eight national final and aiming to win his fourth intermediate title.
Anthony had a bye into the semi-finals as he met Aonghus McAnally who won a close game with Robert McCrum 4-3. The second semi-final saw Aonghus take an early lead with Anthony replying every time McAnally won a game and they were level pegging at 3-3 going into the decider.
The final game was nip and tuck with both men getting very few scores inbetween and nerves starting to kick in but ultimately it was Anthony O’Flaherty who took his opportunity in the dying moments to win by 100-84 to book his place in the final and now hoping to add to the intermediate short format title he won in 2020.
Thanks to John Kehoe and Aonghus McAnally for running the event. The National Senior Billiards Long Up Championship will be held in the Snooker and Billiards Ireland Academy of Excellence in Carlow on Sunday 17th April and members can enter online to this event.
Q-finals: Best of 7x 100
Aonghus McAnally 4-3 Robert McCrum
Martin Kearney 0-4 John Kehoe
Jason Dowling 4-1 Joe Doheny
Semi-finals: Best of 7x 100
Anthony O ‘Flaherty 4-3 Aonghus McAnally
John Kehoe 4-2 Jason Dowling
Final:
John Kehoe v Anthony O ‘Flaherty on 21st-22nd May.
Breaks:
John Kehoe 56
Aonghus McAnally 53
