Moor win maintains Europe's lead after day two - 15/10/2011

Europe 10–8 USA

Europe 246 - 216 USA
Dominic Barrett 179 - 212 Chris Barnes
Dominic Barrett 191 - 168 Mike Fagan
Osku Palermaa 192 - 225 Chris Barnes
Mika Koivuniemi 181 - 269 Tommy Jones
Paul Moor 247 - 213 Bill O’Neill

THE EUROPEANS will take a two point lead into the final day of the PartyPoker.com Weber Cup as they once again shared the session with the Americans.

It was a poor show from Europe as they recorded four consecutive sub-200 games but were bailed out by Paul Moor in the show closer to lead 10-8.

They had led 6-2 earlier in the day but a shocking run of scores in singles matches of 179, 191, 192 and 181 had seen them lose three out of four points but wins in the Baker, and singles wins for Barrett and Moor kept them ahead.

Europe regained the Baker initiative and established a three point lead in the first match of the evening session. With every seat taken at the packed out Metrodome in Barnsley, it was an open frame in the fifth which allowed the Europeans to pull away and four more strikes plus two in the tenth frame put them over the line.

America took the next in a low scoring affair as Chris Barnes beat Dominic Barrett 212-179. The Englishman had around 40 friends and family in the audience, all wearing matching ‘Domination’ blue Euro shirts but they were soon quietened down as Barrett left two open frames in his first four attempts.
Barnes, slipped up in the eighth as he too left one open but Barrett could not make the most of it as the American captain ran out a 33 pin winner.

"We needed the point and I was pretty disappointed with letting the team down in the Baker match but it's now back to only two points difference," he said.
Barrett, though, redeemed himself in the next as he took the win over struggling Mike Fagan, who posted the lowest score of the tournament so far, a 168.

It was nevertheless an exciting encounter as Fagan started with two open frames but Barrett joined him in struggling. However, he produced one of the shots of the tournament to make a 2-4-10 split for a spare in the ninth frame and that helps him claim the point with a 191-168 success.

Chris Barnes turned a good night in to a great one as he got the better of Osku Palermaa, winning by 33 pins. Both players started with an open frame, a strike and two spares. Barnes then consulted with his team mates and came out firing strikes to take the match as Palermaa faltered.

"We discussed some strategy with some of the other players and it worked out great,” said Barnes.

“It was about the fifth frame and we had a discussion and that got me the game. It's nice to have guys like that who can help you."

Tommy Jones, who has a superb Weber Cup singles record, added another one to the win column as he pasted Mika Koivuniemi by 88 pins, the biggest winning margin of the event so far. The Big Finn never recovered from a horror start that saw on only 27 after three open frames at the start of the game.

With the last match of the day gaining critical importance – if the Americans had won it they would have finished the day level after being four points behind at one stage – it was left to Paul Moor to bring home the bacon for Europe with an outstanding 247-213 win over Bill O’Neill.

"Being the only leftie is probably an advantage and being able to play straight all the time is the best way I can play - if I do that then I can beat anyone," said a delighted Moor.

"It was a good feeling to get that two-point cushion again. I really felt comfortable, threw some great shots and it paid dividends,” he added.

Featuring a potential total of 33 matches over the weekend, the first team to reach 17 points will lift the coveted trophy. Starting in 2000, the USA has won six Weber Cups and the Europeans five, following last year’s 17-13 win at the Metrodome.