Gremlins hold on for 10th title
LA VILLETTE Hotel Gremlins are the T & C Roofing Premier Division champions after enduring a nail-biting end to the season.
Their final match against Imperium Strokers did not pan out as expected – especially so for captain Martyn Desperques who suffered just a second ever 3-0 defeat – but a draw proved to be enough in claiming a record extending 10th league title.
Having already twice beaten the Strokers 9-3, a repeat scoreline would have taken La Villette out of the Sledgehammers’ range, but they were always playing catch up through the first half.
After Dave Gilmour and Seb Priaulx traded 2-1 wins, La Villette knew they could bank on Mark Gauvain and Desperques, but while the former improved further on already his best season yet, Miles Plumley had other ideas for Desperques.
Gauvain forged La Villette ahead on three occasions, but Plumley, a surprise semi-finalist in the Island Championships, kept Desperques at arm’s length.
The final frame, with the result in the balance, came down to the final black, and in taking it 51-44, Plumley completed his most prolific season and added his name to Glenn Le Prevost’s as the only players to take all three frames off the island star.
The Sledgehammers got the favour they were looking for from the Strokers, but they were unable to capitalise as they were also held to a draw.
It was a smooth enough start against Ex-Service Stunners as Le Prevost and Danny Marquand won their opening frames, but only the latter could go on to take all his three.
Le Prevost fell to Roscoe Cloarec, leaving the Sledgehammers requiring five of the last six frames, albeit unaware of how La Villette were faring at the time.
John Skillett started the second half strongly against Plumley’s semi-final opponent Ross De Carteret, but eventually had to settle for a 2-1 win – enough to leave him just three frames shy of his best return, but the Sledgehammers’ problem lay on the adjacent table.
Paul Le Sauvage, who proved to be La Villette’s nemesis a week earlier, returned another 3-0 win in a final quarter where he only dropped one frame, and a third place aggregate finish may well see an inter-insular place being offered.
DWA Rebels ended their time in the top flight on a high as they beat the Hot Butts 7-5 at the Ex-Service.
The home side got off to a flyer as Kelvin Du Feu knocked in his highest competitive break with an excellent 75, but while that was the start of his 2-1 win, alongside him Martin Hockey was getting his first 3-0 victory.
The second half saw Graham Peel and Dave Bullock chip away at the Hot Butts’ deficit, but it was short-lived.
Ricky Dodd added a fifth frame for the visitors, and with the Rebels’ best player Russ Wakeford coming back to claim his eighth win, their second success of the season was confirmed.
