LONGSHAW B have won the Danny Hogan Memorial Cup for the last two years but their bid for the hat-trick very nearly came unstuck at the hands of Division 2 high-fliers Rishton Golf Club.

The holders got off to a good start with easy wins in the opening singles for Chris Lawson and Craig Steele but Rishton then put together a run of four winning frames to put themselves on the brink of a fabulous victory.

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The turnaround started in the first doubles when Tony Haworth and Liam Masterman stuck to their task well to beat Lawson and Steele. The next frame was a see-saw battle between George Holden and Chris Philiben.

With Philiben enjoying most of the run it went down to the black. Philiben went for the long shot down the rail, rattled the black in the jaws and then watched in amazement as the black stuck to the cushion and went in the opposite corner pocket to take the frame by a mere two points!

Rishton were cock a hoop and when Bob Hutchison turned in a classy performance and a 31 point run out to beat Alan Heaton in the next they were positively delirious.

Philiben and Hutchison teamed up for the last pairs and it was no contest as they steamrollered Holden and Gaz Hampson to take the frame easily 63-10.

But Longshaw showed real guts when trailing 4-2. Hampson stayed at the table to face Liam Masterman and played a solid frame, a run of 36 being enough to shake off his dogged challenger.

Jonny Hannan was next up against Chris Wolfenden and a break of 43 levelled the match and forced a sudden death decider.

It was Chris Lawson for Longshaw against Tony Haworth for Rishton and it was a superb display of one frame snooker from the Longshaw man. Haworth broke off and was then under the cosh all the way as Lawson played a brilliant hit and run game. With a 55-0 scoreline the players shook hands and the relieved holders were through.

The performance of the night went to second division Anchor B who beat division 1 Park 5-0.