GREMLIN Galacticos end the first rotation of Image Group Premier Division matches on top of the table, but they were made to work hard to secure that place in their match against early leaders La Villette Gremlins. The match swung the champions’ way in the 10th frame when, with the Gremlins 5-4 to the good and 10 points up, Adam Shorto cleared up with a glorious 66 break.

With the match then tied, Mark Hancock again defied his ‘reserve’ status to take two frames to seal a 7-5 win.

Earlier on, a match that had ebbed and flowed saw Glenn Le Prevost recover from losing the first to net a 44 break to beat Jez Rowe with both players performing well, while Graham Peel also came from behind in inflicting a first defeat on Adrian Lihou.

Ex-Service Chirpers’ last two league visits to the North Legion both ended in a draw, but they put a difficult period behind them to gain ground on the two Gremlin teams with a 10-2 win.

John Skillett set the tone with a superb 70 clearance as he, Dave Bullock and Martyn Desperques (59 break) all won their three in racking up an eight frame lead against the Legionnaires.

Paul Duncombe played some of his best snooker to not only stop the rot in the ninth frame but take the last as well.

A crucial bottom-of-the-table clash saw Sporting Lions spiral to a devastating 9-3 loss against Ex-Service Reds. Jim Wilson’s first frame wins of the season and two from Andy Travis put the Reds into an early 4-0 lead from which the Lions never recovered.

Roscoe Cloarec’s impressive start shows no sign of ending as he emulated the opening pairs’ 2-1 wins, leaving Shaun Goddard to complete matters with his first 3-0 victory of the season. The Lions now find themselves eight points adrift of the Legionnaires.

Ex-Service Mavericks still hold a six-point lead in the Skipco First Division after they and North Social L-Plates both won 6-2.

Mavericks skipper Paul Sarre fired in two breaks of 29 in his opening frame against Sporting Alliance’s reserve Andy Radford to build on Simon Newton and Gavin Denning’s victories, while Mark Piper gave the struggling Alliance something to cheer about as he ended Ryan Le Page’s unbeaten start.

The L-Plates needed to recover from a 2-1 deficit for their latest success. Richard Brache’s black-ball finish against Ross de Carteret ensured Sarnian Numpty’s would be at least level at half way, but it turned out to be their final frame win as Craig de Carteret and Darren Hughes completed the rout.

An imperious second frame from Andrew Wilkinson that included a break of 24 put Gremlin B within touching distance of a first league win. With the opening four frames shared, Wilkinson’s quick-fire win left Kevin Le Moigne the task of finishing the job, but Mark Jeffreys had other ideas as he sealed the draw with a win that puts him top of the aggregates.

Third-placed Ex-Service Hot Butts were indebted to reserve Rob Gauvain’s two frames as they beat North Legion Young Ones

5-3.

The top-of-the-table Banks & Flouquet Second Division clash saw Ex-Service Eagles claim a 5-3 win at the home of North Social G. Two frames from Vic Vedier inspired a healthy 4-1 lead for the Eagles, but Ricky Dodd kept his side interested by taking the next. Marcus Haysom sealed their fate, though, by ending Lee Roome’s run of four league wins.

The two other matches were both drawn. A nip-and-tuck affair couldn’t separate Gremlin Knights and North Legion Aces, with Shane Moon and Phil Capper both gaining their first win, while North Legion B’s record now reads four draws from four matches.

Gary Hale and Paul Cohu countered two frames from Adie Exall to put the Legion 4-3 up against Gremlin Guzzlers, only for David Bostock to deny them on the final black.

Sporting Musketeers continue to take the Mariners’ Inn Third Division by storm. A fifth consecutive win sees them lead the rest by 10 points, with the latest 6-2 victory sending Grannie’s Gremlins to a first defeat.

Andy Radford made a 26 break, but it was not the division’s highest as that honour now belongs to Brian Powell who made a 28 in Giba Two’s 5-3 win over North Social Chalkers, for whom skipper Steve Moullin chipped in with efforts of 26 and 27.

Elsewhere, Gremlin’s Mixed Bunch beat North Legion Rousse Raiders 5-3 and Giba Dorios defeated North Legion Utd 6-2.

Kevin de Carteret pulled off a major shock in the Billiards Straight League by defeating Barry Pallot 200-189, the first time Pallot has lost in the league to someone other than Peter Colley for over two seasons.