This week we took a break from league action to concentrate on the First Round of the Kenney Cup Competition in the Ormskirk & District Amateur Snooker League.

This year saw a change of format as preliminary matches were played earlier in the season to bring the number of teams competing in this set aside week to sixteen.

Defending Champions, Skelmersdale Wardens C, who won the trophy last season in such a tense and exciting final, progressed to the quarter-finals after a 4-2 triumph at the expense of fellow Division Two rivals, Stanley Club C. The match saw Skelmersdale C's Neil Telford in good nick with a nice break of 21 in his frame success.

Out of the eight scheduled matches to be played, three of them were all Division One affairs.

Firstly, Olympic BC B (previously Crosby Village SC), First Division title challengers and runners-up in Division One last season, clashed with improving Maghull RBL B and it saw a terrific match as the Maghull B outfit prevailed 4-3 as it required a play-off frame with Maghull B's Gary Coleman being the hero for his side.

Rainford X SSC and Olympic BC A were drawn against each other and an expected close affair did not materialise with both teams being off the same handicap mark. The match ended early with the Rainford lads running out easy 4-0 winners and a place in the quarter- final draw.

The other all First Division tie saw two struggling sides clash in Aughton Institute E & Stanley Club A who both currently find themselves very close to the foot of the Division One table. The match looked like it was going the way of the Aughton E side quite comfortably as they held a 2-0 & 3-1 lead but the Burscough team came fighting back to 3-3 and a seventh frame was required to decide the match and it saw Aughton E's Neil Farrington become the main man as he took the last three balls to seal the frame and match for his team.

From the remaining four matches, three of these encounters were contested between First Division and Division Two sides and, firstly, Division One Aughton Institute A defeated club compatriots, Aughton Institute D 4-3 in a superb match. The Aughton A team held a very healthy 3-1 advantage before the Aughton D outfit came roaring back to grab a play-off frame at 3-3. The deciding frame saw a titantic battle and it was Aughton A's Robbie Curran who done the business for his side with a thrilling black ball victory to see his team into the last eight.

Upholland Social from Division One come up against Second Division Defending Champions, Stanley Club B and it was a real to-and-fro contest which eventually saw the Upholland Social side prevail with a 4-2 success to continue their fine start to the campaign and join all the other teams in the quarter-final draw.

Finally, St Cuthberts from the top flight, clashed with Aughton Institute B and in an emotional match, after the sudden death of League President and Aughton Institute B's Dave Wright as it was their first match since his very sad passing, it saw the Halsall outfit ease through 4-0 to progress in the competition.

The other match played was the only all Second Division encounter and it saw Skelmersdale Wardens B and last year's runners-up and current Divisional leaders, Aughton Institute C go into battle and at the end of the evening it saw the Skelmersdale B lads prevail with an easy 5-1 win to progress into the last eight of the competition.

There was no 'Break of the Week' prize awarded this week as no break over 30 was compiled in any of the eight contested matches.