Another trophy heads down the coast to the North Down & Ards Pool League, as Ronan McCarthy and Sam Newell lift the title of NIPA Doubles Champions 2010. 58 players (29 teams) started out in Ballymena United SC on Sunday 7th February, with some top quality talent on on view. Their opponents in a classic Final were Darren Sterrett and Neil McKelvey. At the Semi Final stage McCarthy/Newell came within a whisker of going out against McDowell/Hawkins, but they scraped through with a 5-4 win. Meanwhile after going 1-0 down in the other Semi, Sterrett/McKelvey stormed to a 5-1 victory with some scintilating Pool over Irwin/McCorry. And so to the Final. What a match. Newell/McCarthy raced 2-0 ahead and although Sterrett/McKelvey pulled one back, it was soon 4-1 as another 2 in a row seen the favourites open up a comfortable lead. A chance to make it 5-1 was squandered and McKelvey/Sterrett took their chance to bring it back to 2-4. Another went their way and the comeback was now more than a possibilty. McCarthy broke dry in the 8th and McKelvey cleared the table to level the match at 4-4 and guaranteed a tense and exciting finish. In frame 9 it was McCarthy who cleared up from a dry break to put himself and Newell on the hill at 5-4. But just as it looked as we would be going to a decider a loose positional shot let McCarthy in again and he duly cleared to become NIPA Doubles Champion along with his partner Newell. It was particularly pleasing for Newell as the day before he had won the NIPA Seniors Championships at the same venue in some style.
Above picture, l-r Robert Hawkins (NIPA Secretary), Ronan McCarthy and Sam Newell
The ballot of a hamper was won by local lad Jamie Davidson. Thanks to Trevor Harte, Pauline Lynch and Lesley Leddy for running the Competition and again to Ballymena United SC for their excellent facilities and hospitality.
1st Round - Dk.Whiteside/K.Hunter 2-3 C.Howard/C.Montgomery, C.Allison/R.Kelts 1-3 P.Jingles/J.Thompson, C.Byrne/R.McQuillan 3-0 T.Whiteside/P.Roberts, F.Brammeld/H.Kruitjen 1-3 McCarthy/Newell, N.Mulligan/R.Forsythe 1-3 C.Moore/T.McDowell, D.Lavery/R.Fee 3-0 P.Leddy/S.Strain, E.McDowell/R.Hawkins 3-0 J.McIlroy/M.McCourt, C.Loughlin/R.Wilson 0-3 R.Foster/A.Davidson, P.Lynch/J.McIlreavy 2-3 N.McKelvey/D.Sterrett, M.Ward/S.McCardle 2-3 J.McCallister/D.Magill, K.Kirkwood/J.Murdock 3-1 J.Larkin/E.Darragh, W.Lewis/S.Mitchell 3-1 C.Leddy/I.Wylie, D.Walker/S.Greenberg 1-3 T.McCorry/D.Irwin
Last 16 - P.Jingles/J.Thompson 0-3 C.Byrne/R.McQuillan, McCarthy/Newell 3-1 Dn.Whiteside/M.Wilson, C.Moore/T.McDowell 2-3 D.Lavery/R.Fee, E.McDowell/R.Hawkins 3-1 R.Foster/A.Davidson, C.Howard/C.Montgomery 1-3 J.Davidson/L.Wright, N.McKelvey/D.Sterrett 3-0 J.McCallister/D.Magill, H.Regan/S.Hay 3-1 K.Kirkwood/J.Murdock, W.Lewis/S.Mitchell 0-3 T.McCorry/D.Irwin
Last 8 - C.Byrne/R.McQuillan 1-4 McCarthy/Newell, E.McDowell/R.Hawkins 4-3 D.Lavery/R.Fee, N.McKelvey/D.Sterrett 4-0 J.Davidson/L.Wright, H.Regan/S.Hay 0-4 T.McCorry/D.Irwin
Last 4 - McCarthy/Newell 5-4 E.McDowell/R.Hawkins, N.McKelvey/D.Sterrett 5-1 T.McCorry/D.Irwin
Final - McCarthy/Newell 6-4 N.McKelvey/D.Sterrett
