Ports Yachties ‘exchange’ role to seize Pool crown
Ports Yachties ‘exchange’ role to seize Pool crown
By Roy Weavers
Published Tuesday 13 October 2015
The mighty Mossman Exchange marched confidently into the A Grade Pool Finals, being hosted by The Barrier Reef Tavern, having enjoyed an unbeaten season. They deservedly took their place at the table as undisputed favourites having slayed all before them through the 20 match season.
As their Grand Final began versus opponents, Port Douglas Yacht Club 1, who they had beaten home and away during the regular season and then again just two weeks ago in the preliminary finals to gain the direct route into the Grand Final, the view from the assembled crowd was that their march to the trophy was going to be at lightning speed. And after the first three frames the score sat ominously at 3 – 0 in their favour.
However, looking back on the contest, there was a very slight, almost indecipherable, shift in momentum in frame 3 where Peter from the Exchange and Neil W from the Yacht Club squared up quite evenly and it could be suggested that a chink in the, seemingly impenetrable, Exchange armour was beginning to open as the frame went to the black. Indeed Neil Weavers could have won the third frame if his first attempt at a difficult black had dropped but it wasn’t to be and Peter from the Exchange took his chance to finish the frame but it wasn’t 100% convincing!
The wonderful thing about Grand Finals is those involved know they can’t leave anything out on the ground when the contest is over. So when the experienced Neil Churchill ground his opponent down and brought the Yacht Club back from the dead to 3 – 1 you could sense the tide was at least slowing if not yet completely turning.
Feeding off this inspiration Captain Chris Shiels brought his best game to the table and made it 3 -2 and the crowd understood that a momentum to the Port Douglas Yacht Club game was finally being established.
Next up Steve Hughes was served up a huge chunk of luck when when Lucas of the Exchange potted the black attempting a really difficult shot, and the match was amazingly all square at three frames apiece.
It’s at moments like this that mental toughness comes to the fore. The two Neils, who have been a successful pairing all year for Port Douglas Yacht Club, took the Exchange pairing down to one yellow and a black ball snooker as both sides dug deep. Neil C stepped up and after a considerable time deliberating his best options, he went for a double to pot the black from behind the remaining Exchange yellow ball.
Amidst an intensity of concentration the white ball made perfect contact with the black and disappeared down the top pocket to a crowd sent wild with excitement as the Port Douglas Yacht Club took the lead 3 - 4.
Could the unthinkable be about to happen? Could the Port Douglas Yacht Club be about to bring down the super talented Mossman Exchange team whose reputation had been so justifiably earned throughout the long regular season.
Step up Yacht Club Captain Chris and Adam Hughes. Despite an early mix up when a miscue sent the referee scurrying for the rule book to determine how to continue this massively important frame that had to be won by the Exchange to keep them in the game.
Once sorted out there was a flurry of potting and these two evenly matched teams inevitably ended up on the black. The crowd was teased by several chances being squandered by both sides but in the end it came down to the Yacht Clubs Captain Chris Shiels to play a, ‘do or die,’ centre pocket double to take the frame and with it the match 5 – 3.
Tears were shed on both sides, ones of joy and ones of despair but when the crowd was finally quietened down by match referee Broz Durie. The reality of the situation was declared. The Port Douglas Yacht Club had prevailed against all the odds and are the 2015 A Grade Champions.
The Barrier Reef Tavern 2 took out the B Grade Final against a valiant Paddy’s Bar team. The Men’s Single Final was won by ‘Shakey’ from Barrier Reef Tavern 1 and the Ladies Champion was Christie from Mossman Exchange.
It seems a little clichéd to say that the big winners of the day as well as the named teams and individuals were sportsmanship and camaraderie. All games were played in an amazing atmosphere of friendly, albeit, impassioned competition under the watchful eye of Barrier Reef Tavern owners Fred and Lola Langdon complete with her giant wooden spoon.
No one argues with that!!
