On Sunday the 26th of February, CYMS Newbridge was the venue for the third event in the SBI Challenge Tour series. This was a change from the original scheduled location, which was not available due to on-going alterations work at the Crucible Club in Cork. Play started at 10am, with a total participation of 21 players.
Early surprise eliminations were the No 3 and No 4 seeds, John Ahearne (No 3) losing to Darren Flynn while Anthony Flanagan (No 4) lost his first round match to eventual winner Adam Nolan. Otherwise, early round results went more or less as expected but that doesn’t mean that matches were not closely contested. The closest quarter final of the day was the battle of the Flynns when Richard Flynn snatched victory in the deciding frame from his namesake Darren Flynn.
Quarter finals:
- Dave Garrett 1-3 Pat Fitzgerald
- Ross Rooney 0-3 Adam Nolan
- Darren Flynn 2-3 Richard Flynn
- Adrian Doran 3-0 Victor McCormack
The semi-finals produced some very competitive and attacking snooker which was attractive to watch, including the day’s high breaks of 51 by Adam Nolan and 53 by Richard Flynn.
Semi-finals:
- Pat Fitzgerald 2-3 Adam Nolan
- Richard Flynn 3-1 Adrian Doran
In the Final, Richard was first to show, potting confidently and making the most of the opportunities as they arose, allowing him to take the first frame in style. In the second frame, Richard again quickly took control, getting ahead and scoring what turned out to be a decisive break of 47 to take a 2-0 lead. The third was a tighter frame, Richard again maintaining a slight lead. All looked to be over when he potted Yellow, Green and Brown to leave Adam needing a snooker to stay in the match. Having potted the Blue, Adam laid a telling snooker on the Pink, enabling him to take the frame and keep his hopes alive.
A nervous fourth frame went Adam’s way, pinching it on the black and setting the scene for a final frame showdown. This turned out to be an enthralling game, each player in turn seizing their opportunities only to falter, sometimes inexplicably, on a simple shot. As the frame progressed, Richard, playing perhaps the slightly better of the two, gradually built up a useful lead. In the nervous exchanges on the colours however, Adam pulled off a few exciting pots to clear up from the Green and claim the match on the deciding Black.
Final:
- Adam Nolan 3-2 Richard Flynn
SBI would like to thank TD Brendan Devlin for running a great event and a big thank you to CYMS Newbridge for the excellent playing conditions and for their help and hospitality during the day.
TD Brendan Devlin
