Classic line-up for Moorside

DENIS Hoyle (left) receives the Coronation Cup from Oldham Veterans’ League chairman Bryan O’Neill.

A TOP-CLASS field will line up for the finals of the £3,000 Moorside Classic tonight (6.30).

Audenshaw’s Graeme Wilson, the game’s most successful player this season, will be the favourite to come out on top, but he faces no easy task in the last 16 against Wigan’s Kevan Shaw.

Local players involved are Alan Hodson, Andrew Buckley, Matt Gillies and Darren Griffiths, while Peter Craig - who secured a fourth Oldham Evening Chronicle Handicap title last month - is a former winner of this competition who will be fancied to make an impact.

Draw: Alan Hodson v Andrew Buckley; Graeme Wilson v Kevan Shaw; Peter Craig v Roy Nicholson; Matt Gillies v Dean Ferris; Paul Sigsworth v Richard Dandy; Anthony Aldridge v Paul Dudley; Darren Griffiths v Terry Glover; Dave Hallam v Graham Hickey.

n TONGE revived their hopes of winning the Manchester Premier League title thanks to a thrilling 10.5-5 victory at leaders Lower Hopton.

Clinching the aggregate by a single point, Tonge’s five winners were Laurence Hallett (21-13), Mark Dwayre (21–13), Chris Brown (21-16), Stuart Mort (21-14) and Thomas Dobson (21-16).

Tonge have another vital match next Wednesday (7.30pm) when they entertain the Lloyds Hotel, Chorlton.

n DENIS Hoyle (Tonge) won the Oldham Veterans’ League’s Coronation Cup with a 21-8 final verdict over Bob Horrocks (Crompton) in the final at Delph.

Quarter-finals: D Morris (Springhead Libs) 21, T Queenan (Werneth Park) 16; A Plows (Nimble Nook) 11, Horrocks 21; Hoyle 21, J Ashton (Springhead Libs) 19; T Gowers (Springbank) w/o, B Clark (Springbank) abs.

Semi-finals: Morris 20, Horrocks 21; Hoyle 21, Gowers 19.

n NORDEN BC’S “Your Choice” men’s singles gets under way on Sunday (6pm) when Steve Mellor, Frank Cassidy and Paul Heap carry the flag for Oldham.

Draw: A Jeavons v A Lowe; C Whittaker v R Collins; M Armson v P Biram; S Mellor v N Slater; W Pearson v F Cassidy; M Hargreaves v A Higgins; D Rae v D Hartley; S Leach v P Heap.