Darren Hughes claimed two of the L-Plates’ three frames against the Gremlin Galacticos with a fine 2-1 win over former island champion Paul Le Sauvage. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0357437)

EX-SERVICE Chirpers have opened a two-point lead as the Image Group Premier Division ended its third quarter.

The Chirpers dropped just a solitary frame against North Legionnaires, while rivals Gremlin Galacticos beat the North Social L-Plates 9-3.

Chirpers’ captain Martyn Desperques admitted after their game with the Legionnaires that ‘around four or five frames could have gone either way’, and there were two such examples in the first half.

Rick de Garis and Chris Dorey both missed golden opportunities on the blue, and while the former took a later frame off Graham Peel, breaks of 51 and 62 for Desperques meant Dorey left empty-handed.

The Chirpers won all six second-half frames although four of them came down to pink or black.