THERE was a pause in Stourbridge Snooker League action to allow the first round of the team knock-out cup to be completed.

Kingswinford Cons D, on the foot of the Second Division managed to defeat last season’s Premier Division champions, Hotshots SC A, away from home.

Neil Beckley, Dave Green and Milan Krstanovic won by an aggregate of 264 points but Ian Billingham lost by only 24 and Paul Curry played really well to hold on to his lead of 31 points in the final frame to see his team through to an unforgettable win.

Like Kingswinford Cons D, Amblecote Institute B recorded their first league win last week, and they too went through to the next round of the cup thanks to a fine win at home to Moor Pool and Snooker A.

Kevin Rutter and Adam Coley had especially good results, whilst the Institute’s A team enjoyed the excellent playing conditions at Old Edwardians, taking the first four frames by 290 points, including a 76 break by Rick Wooldridge, before Ed Davies replied, too late to affect the result.

The cup's holders, Kinver Constitutional C, couldn’t have begun this campaign any better by taking all five frames away to Moor Pool and Snooker C, including decisive breaks of 37 by Adam Sprague and 35 by Andy Sloan.

Kinver B’s Dean Banks gave his side a great boost by beating Baggeridge Social’s prolific scorer, Mark Jeffries, and with Rob Jeffries taking advantage of Ryan Allmark’s run of misfortune.

Kinver’s A team owed much to the clearing of the high-value colours by Robin Hall and Arnie Tromans to see them through with little to spare away to Pockets SC B, but their D team just failed to make it a clean sweep for the club, when Moor Pool and Snooker B paid them a visit and successfully recovered 177 points, steadily chipping away until Lee Whitehouse eased their fears with a timely 45 break in the final frame.

The Premier Division leaders, Hotshots SC B, came through a potentially tricky tie conceding 200 points start away to in-form Norton Social B, but made sure of the win in the first four frames, with very useful stand-in Russ Edwards making a break of 65.

Norton’s A team, unbeaten this term, comfortably gave Stourbridge Institute A 216 points start, with Rob Pitt leading the way with a 48 break, while Hotshots’ C team, ten points clear at the top of the First Division, were given a match-turning boost by Dawid Konior, in top form with breaks of 37 and 40, to see off the challenge of Pockets SC A .

Paul Goldrick, Rob Boylin and Sam Ball combined to take Amblecote RBL into a commanding 64 point lead away to Second Division leaders, Stourbridge Institute B, but a concerted fight-back by Simon Tyler gave the home team hope, until Steve Ball cleared the smaller colours to see the Legion home.

Steve Howell’s 40 break plus other useful contributions from his team-mates gave Netherton Sports and Social a 32 point lead going into the final frame at Amblecote Institute C, but Mark Colbourne hit back to great effect for the home team before Paul Bowen made the match safe on the blue.

The 2013 cup winners, Wombourne, revisited the scene of their black ball triumph, but couldn’t repeat their heroics as West Midlands Police overpowered them, with Gavin Sloan’s 125-0 frame paving the way towards an 18 point advantage at the end of 4 frames, before Kev Franklin, with a 68 break, applied the coup de grace.

Useful contributions by Simon Spittle and John Cartwright put Kingswinford Cons A firmly in charge on the neighbouring tables of Kingswinford RBL A, and Wayne Whitmore had the cushion of a 56 point lead before taking the final frame comfortably.