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 Marcel
Price returned to the Welsh team after a three year absence and
turned in a star performance, taking 5 out a possible 6 points from
his two matches, and compiling the day’s only century break, 116
during a 3-0 win over Ireland’s fifteen year old David Morris who
was making his debut on the senior team.
 For
good measure Price (right) thumped in further breaks of 71 and 69 in
his 2-1 win over another Irish former Irish junior, Johnny Connors.
But Connors was one of the stars of the Irish team. Despite losing
to Price he contributed a run of 76 to the high quality match. In
his afternoon match against Mark Tucker, Connors took an early lead
with 44, before Tucker fought back and cleared up to force a respot.
But bravado got the better of Tucker, who tried to double the black
full length of the table to a baulk pocket. It rattled but stayed
out and
 Connors
(left) took the frame and he added a run of 62 on the way to a 3-0
win.
But the seniors were upstaged by the juniors from both teams.
Twelve year old
Michael White (right) produced a 67 clearance to win one frame on
the black against Gary Bennett (right). And White also whistled
through his match against Dion Burns to return a perfect score of
six points on the day.
The entire Welsh junior team was made up from players from the
Empire club Neath and Jamie Jones was also right on cue with breaks
of 57, 56 and 44 during the day.
Daniel Wells and David Hogan dished up a “don’t blink” treat. Wells
opened with 44, which Hogan matched, before Wells snatched the frame
on the pink. That merely spurred Hogan on, and the Irish lad rattled
in a superb run of 82 in double quick time and added another effort
of 51 to win the match. Hogan’s team mate Greg Casey matched that
with a run of 82 as they shared the best junior break.
Wales’ European Seniors Champion Ron Jones came off second best
against Ireland’s new “old” boy Brendan Cooney. Potting everything
in sight, Cooney, making his international
debut, rattled up a
3-0 win over Jones in their morning match but Jones managed to avert
an afternoon
 whitewash,
but still lost 5-1 overall to the new kid on the block.
Wales’ leading lady Sharon Dickson, the world number six proved too
strong for Cathy Dunne, winning both their matches 3-0 and stroking
in a run of 44 along the way.
A debt of thanks was given to the hard working Welsh and Irish
referees and the unsung heroines of the day – the wives and
girlfriends, who prepared a superb buffet lunch for all the players,
officials and guests.
Welsh Team Manager and Tournament Director Jack Carney, was
presented with the Celtic Challenge trophy, donated jointly by
Gordon Pantall of Wales and Jim Lacey of Ireland, and once again the
Irish went home empty handed.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Ireland, as attention switched
from snooker to rugby and Pontardawe’s pubs got a sudden influx of
cheering Irish customers who roared their team to victory over
England, and the Welsh cheered the victory with equal enthusiasm!
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