THERE was heartbreak for Darwen's Anchor Hotel as this year's North West Small Table Snooker Championship got under way.

Visitors Low Moor No 1 from Clitheroe got all they could handle from the inexperienced Darweners.

Anchor must have thought they were dreaming as they raced into a 3-0 lead.

Sean Bradshaw got things rolling for Anchor with a narrow win over Stephen Tandy. Steve Owen put in a confident performance to make it two and veteran Jamie Costello beat Sam Shepherd to put the Anchor on the verge of a famous victory.

Low Moor had different ideas and brought out the big guns to stop the rot. James Waddington took out Anchor skipper Paul Fisher and Brian Collinge had an easy win against Bob Graves.

Costello's wife Gail was next up for the home team and opponent Marc Holmes took no liberties as he slowly clawed back the handicap. That set the stage for a grandstand finish and it was Rick Owen for Anchor facing off against Roger Hope for Low Moor. The two were neck and neck throughout an understandably edgy frame but it was the Anchor man who held the advantage on the last few colours. Hope needed pink and black to win and the pink looked safe.

Safe to everyone except Hope that is.

Roger played a beautiful cross double to pot the pink but found himself stuck at the baulk line with black on it's spot. After what seemed an eternity thinking about it Hope got down and promptly doubled the black as well for frame and match! This was a fantastic match played in a fantastic atmosphere and was a credit to both teams.

Low Moor march on and now face a home tie against the Squirrel from Blackpool.

It was a lot easier up the road in Accrington where tournament new boys Pot Black Snooker eased past Burnley's Rosegrove Unity 4-1. Dion Holcroft got the hosts off to a good start with a solid victory over M. Woods. Rosegrove hit back straight away with an easy win for P.

Wright but Pot Black captain Ibby Khan was in imperious form to beat B. McClean and restore the Pot Black lead. Shabaz Ditta overcame a nervous start to beat D. Caddy and put his team on the verge of a winning debut. It was another youngster, Murad Iqbal who sealed the win beating T. Makin 53-12.

Pot Black's reward is a home tie against reigning champions Longshaw (Blackburn) or former winners St Andrews (Burnley) who play on Sunday.