Last updated 19:26, Thursday, 04 December 2008

WHITEHAVEN’S Vito Shipley got his nose in front of the main chasing pack in the Eddie Shimmings premiership last week with a very valuable win over former county champion Mike Dawson of Workington.

CATCHING: Ryan Ismay is closing in on the division one leader

Most resistance came in the second frame when Dawson made a 32 break but this could not prevent a 5-0 win for Shipley.

Last year’s champion, Workington’s Peter O'Hagan, moved five points clear of the field with a 4-1 victory over Copeland’s Stuart Shepherd.

It was Shepherd who drew first blood as he pinched the opening frame on the black. O’Hagan then had breaks of 60, 43, 38, 38 and 32 to take the match.

It was not quite so comfortable for O’Hagan when he also took on Maryport’s Mike Park the same week. Despite Park compiling a 37 break in the opening frame it was O’Hagan who took the frame with a 31 clearance.

Park replied by taking the second before O’Hagan got himself out in front again with the third. Park took the fourth to take the match to 2-2 but O’Hagan took the chances better in the decider to edge the match 3-2.

Park was on the receiving end of the same score when up against Dawson who was trying to get back on track after going down 5-0 to Shipley.

Park took the first frame, only for Dawson to reverse the scores in the second frame. A 33 break by Park in the third was not enough as Dawson took the third and then the fourth frame to guarantee the win bonus point.

Park compiled a 32 break in the final frame to win the final frame comfortably to go down 3-2. Park and Dawson are now fifth and sixth on points difference.

Also on the same points are former county champion Alan Moore of Workington and current county champion Robert Sim of Whitehaven who faced each other of late, Sim winning 4-1.

The only other premiership fixture saw John Street Club colleagues Steven O’Hagan up against Mark Tunstall. O’Hagan won 3-2.

The only first division result to hand saw Maryport’s Ryan Ismay move to within a point of early pace setter John Madine of Cleator Moor, with one game still in hand.

Ismay took on Cleator Moor's Alex Chiesa. Honours were even after the opening two frames but after that Ismay stepped up a gear to comfortably win 4-1.

Preliminary round players are reminded that they have until December 12 to complete their ties and hand results in.