BOTTOM club Bootham ‘A’ were within two balls of a surprise win over the York Conservative Clubs’ Carlsberg UK Snooker League leaders – but Malton scraped home with a 4-3 success.

Paul Hart (20 break), Simon Weatherill (38, 30 breaks) and Lee Taylor (52 break) moved Malton ahead after Bootham’s Chris Dower had won the opener.

Colin Robinson and John Darley levelled but Romain Reeves took blue and pink to beat Barry Rankin, who had three in-offs, to secure the match.

Heworth ‘A’ moved up two places to second, only five points adrift, after a 6-1 demolition of Fulford ‘B’.

Adam Scaife (22, 24 breaks) and Mark Winskill gave them a good start only for Jim Rollinson (22 break) to reply.

Kevin Gall, Jason Milner (27 break), Steve Burdett and Neil Wood (72 break) completed the victory.

Acomb ‘A’ held on to third place and pushed Fulford ‘A’ down from second to fourth by beating them 5-2.

Their winners were Richard Lillie, Paul Holmes, Andy Wade, Phil Carlton and Trevor Ventress against replies by Tim Lister and Mike Walsh (36 break).

Heworth ‘B’ went 3-2 up against Bootham ‘B’ through Darren Colledge, Mark Calpin (21, 23 breaks) and Keith Watkinson.

Matt Smith and Paul Scorfield replied for Bootham but Brian Birch decided the match 4-3 before Lionel Barnes (23 break) reduced the arrears.

Holmes, Taylor and Weatherill continue to be joint leaders in the Willsden Steel player of the year competition, each with 11 wins in 13 games. Gall follows with ten wins in 13 games.

Wood’s 72 break this week moved him into lead position in the Pasema Paving highest break contest.

Taylor drops to second with his 67 break and Rankin is third with a run of 65.