With total entry of 54
Brendan Malone, of Siddal Park, won the Halifax Association’s Total Active Handicap at Akroydon Victoria on Sunday with a 21- 15 victory in the final against Mark Lufford, of Elland C.A.& B.C.
A 21- 9 victory over Hill Crest’s Gary Murphy secured a place in the quarter-final for Malone where he met Kevin Mullins, of Mytholmroyd. Mullins held an early 6-4 lead before Malone went ahead with three consecutive pairs to take the lead by 10-6. Mullins recovered to within a single chalk at 11-12 and 13-14 and was still only two behind at17-19 but Malone scored a pair at the final end to win by 21-17. In the semi-final, against Kingston’s Paul Gray, he trailed by 7-8 before taking the lead with a break of five. After Malone had pulled further ahead to lead by 15-9 Grey fought back to within a single chalk at 15-16 but was unable to get closer as Malone went on to win by 21-16.
Lufford earned his place in the quarter-final with a 21-9 win against David Warburton, of Mytholmroyd, compiling two punishing breaks of 7 in the process. His quarter-final opponent was Hill Crest’s Linden Harris, who started brightly to lead by 10-6. Lufford drew level at 10-10 and controlled the rest of the game to win by 21-14. In the semi-final., against Gareth Swain, of Luddendenfoot he started strongly to lead by 10-2 but Swain recovered to lead by 14-12 and 17-15. In a close finish the scores were level at 18 but it was Lufford who finished the stronger to win by 21-18.
The final was a classic game of two halves. Lufford was receiving three start and took full advantage to lead by 9-1. He moved on to lead by 12-3 but then the game changed dramatically as Malone won the jack and held it for the next 12 ends, compiling a break of 16 to lead by 19-12, and went on to win by 21-15.
