JUST a single point now separates the top two in Stourbridge Snooker League's Premier Division with all to play for in the last seven matches.

Hotshots Snooker Club B did well to take the first four frames away on the tricky tables of Netherton Sports and Social but couldn’t take the last end as Callum Downing lost on the pink in a fine performance by Andy Barnett.

Second-placed Norton Social A faced a difficult task away to Hotshots’ A team but Steve Mason, Darren Oakes, Adam Ness, with a 36 break, and Ashley Aston, with a 38, opened up a 4-0 lead, and Rob Pitt completed a maximum points haul with a 37 clearance to pink to defeat Milan Krstanovic. It was a remarkably good result on the excellent tables of the reigning champions.

Brandhall Labour had dropped only two frames in their last four games to close to within six points of Norton, but they had to work hard to win 3-2 on the tables of Pockets SC B.

Moor Pool & Snooker A just got the better of their B team, 3-2, thanks to Chris Price, Paul Dunkey and Warren Knight, who just did enough to win before Lee Whitehouse and Ian Priest fought back, while Pockets SC A’s Andy Smith made a 58 break, Matt Emms a winning reappearance, along with success for Tom Pepperall and John Betton in a 4-1 win at Amblecote Institute B; Adam Coley’s black ball frame earned a consolation point for Amblecote.

The Institute’s A team also lost 3-2 in a desperately close affair at West Midlands Police.

First Division leaders, Hotshots SC C had a bye, but none of their main rivals could threaten their advantage to any great extent.

Baggeridge Social closed to within four points with a hard-fought 3-2 win away to another challenger, Norton Social B. Although Luke Grosvenor and Dave Cartwright won well for Norton, brothers Luke and Matt Whale and Frankie Bennett, with a 30 break in a tight decider, secured the win for the visitors, who remained four points ahead of third placed Kinver B.

Dean Banks, with a narrow win against his former team-mate Alan Cope, both part of the title winning team last season, and Graham Tranter & Paul Churchman carried Kinver to a 3-2 win at home to Stourbridge Institute A, but Moor Pool and Snooker C slipped up 3-2 at home to Kinver’s C team and are now a point further away in fourth position.

Second Division leaders Stourbridge Institute B increased their lead to eight points with a 4-1 victory on the tables of Kingswinford Cons D, whilst their two closest rivals had to fight it out against each other.

Nick Aston won for the 15th time in as many frames, while Harry Jones has lost only twice, but there was a first defeat for Simon Tyler in his 12th frame, a great result for the Cons’ Paul Curry.

Literally, there had been nothing between Amblecote Institute C and Wombourne before their clash, but Bob Mason, Dave Flavell and John Wooldridge just edged it for the visitors, who go clear second, two points clear of the Institute for whom Ray Vanes and Mark Colbourne earned consolation points.

This result enabled the next two teams to close in, both with 4-1 successes: Old Edwardians won at Kinver Const D and are now four points behind third, while Amblecote RBL beat Kingswinford RBL B, and are one point further away..