Mighty Matt’s £500 pay-day

MATT GILLIES

MATT Gillies (pictured) clinched his first major title of the season when winning the Hilltop Sports and Social Club Open Handicap at Blackrod BC, near Bolton.

Gillies, the Nimble Nook and Tonge player and Greater Manchester regular, collected £500 after beating Aspull’s Sarren Alsop 31-26 in the final.

He had booked his place with an identical verdict against Martin Bacon (Worsley) in the semi-finals.

FAILSWORTH’S Lee Lawton also picked up £500 when winning the Prestwich BC Open.

The Waterloo and Taunton player beat Paul Dudley 21-15 in the final after overcoming Jimmy Derby 21-16 in the semis.

THIRD-round results in the Moorside Classic:

Paul Heap 17, Keith McHugh 21; Tony Riley 15, Glyn Storer 21; Roy Nicholson 21, Liam Griffin 18; Mike Sweeney 21, David Owen 14.

Thursday (6.30pm): Ray Broadfield v Mark Garbutt; Chris Ashton v Steve Bolton; Martin Lloyd v Barry Sowerby; Brian Welsby v Darren Griffiths; Johnathan Welsby v Peter Craig; John Handson v Dave O’Brien; Malcolm Middleton v Andrew Buckley; Phil Clinton v David Waters.

Friday: Ged Smedley v Steve Dunn; George Shaw v Chris Kelly; Peter Fielding v Andrew Sykes; Andrew Walker v Ray Goodhand; Billy Farrell v Steve Copeland; Ryan Clark v Len Kewley; Colin Lane v Peter Page; Allan Thompson v Donald Rae.