SNOOKER: The final two weeks of the Blackburn and District Churches Snooker League turned out to be a nailbiting run-in for the championship with a grandstand finish.

The current holders Westbury were challenging this year's pacesetters, Dugdale D, the Griffin outfit, who took their lead to nine points clear just after Christmas.

Dugdale, well known to crown green bowlers, last won the title four years ago. But the wheel began to come off their wagon when the team which dislodged them as champs - Trinity United - beat then 5-0 at home.

That gave Trinity and Westbury impetus but when Westbury in turn thrashed Trinity 4-1, it turned into a two- horse race.

Westbury gradually whittled away the lead to three points when the two teams met with three games to go. Westbury won a thrilling match 4-1 to put the teams level at the top and two games to go.

Westbury lost their next 2-3 but Dugdale went down 1-4 to leave only one point separating the current champs and the pretenders to the crown as they went into the last game. Dugdale must have been most worried - they faced Trinity away, having previously been whitewashed, but they rallied to the cause with veteran potter Eric Knowles (15) missing nothing as he hammered John Duckworth (eight) by 40 to take two points, including the aggregate as Dugdale won 3-2.

It was not enough for the gallant Griffiners - Westbury won 4-1 and retained the trophy held formerly by ex-world champions Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor. Dugdale's stablemates, Dugdale A, pipped Trinity to third spot by one point after thrashing Lower Darwen B 5-0.

Lower Darwen in fact were in a tussle with Whalley Road to see who ended up bottom of the division - LDB won 4-1 but will be relegated along with the Accrington outfit, who were promoted last year.

In the second division, the Deaf Centre, relegated from the first division last season, have bounced back straight- away as convincing champions, eight points clear of their nearest rivals Ragged School A.

RSA had a storming second half to the season, winning their last seven matches to be worthy runners up. Lower Darwen A ran out of steam when their captain Frank Whalley was injured . The top two go up.

A good run in mid season when they had four successive wins, allowed Dugdale B's veterans to lift themselves off their usual position at the foot of the league. That dubious honour passed to Blackburn Subs B,.

Westbury are already looking to do what Trinity failed to do - make it a hat trick of championships next year. They are still on course to do what Trinity did manage - the cup and league double.

Westbury meet Lower Darwen in one semi final while their rivals Dugdale D meet Trinity in the second semi.

Westbury are well represented in the individual competition for the Susan Smith Memorial Cup: skipper Barnie Crankshaw plays Dugdale A's scratch player Geoff Eddleston while his colleague Steve King meets Trinity's Andy Duckworth.

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