RIDLEY League fixtures secretary John Steele was left with a double headache at last week’s dominoes singles.

Veteran of four finals in the last six years, Steele lost to Martin Hearn (Compasses) in his first match – and ended up having to schedule another night to finish the event.

The top half of the draw hung on a first-round two-hour 20-minute test of endurance involving Bobby Senogles (Red Beret), whose opening game at the pairs lasted even longer. This time, he had to give best to John Vinall (Lt Waltham SC).

Vinall went on to lose to Caroline Kochan (Cricketers) in another three-leg tussle, but too late to permit a start to Kochan’s semi-final against the host club’s Martin Hearn. This will be played at the Compasses-Cricketers match on February 23.

Les Parker (CCFC A), the 2013 runner-up, started strongly by avenging last year’s semi-final loss to Richard Dow (Dog & Partridge), but then fell victim to Chequers B’s Noel Cummins.

Dominoes singles (Compasses), 1st Rd: M Frappell (CCFC B) bt B Allington (Chequers A) 2-0; M Hearn (Compasses) bt J Steele (Black Bull) 2-1; J Vinall (Lt Waltham SC) bt B Senogles (Red Beret) 2-1. 2nd Rd: Hearn bt Frappell 2-0; C Kochan (Cricketers) bt Vinall 2-1; L Parker (CCFC A) bt R Dow (Dog & Partridge) 2-1; N Cummings (Chequers B) bt H Rolfe (Bird in Hand) 2-1. Semi-final: Cummins bt Parker, no score given. January 12 fixtures: Bird in Hand v Lt Waltham SC, Black Bull v CCFC A, Chequers A v Cricketers, Dog & Partridge v CCFC B, Red Beret v Chequers B.