BRADFORD'S No 1 snooker side experienced mixed fortunes over the last two weeks but still head Division One of the Yorkshire Inter-District League, albeit now by only two points over Sheffield No 2.

Third-placed Leeds arrived at Undercliffe Cricket Club looking for a good win to pull points back on the leaders but hosts Bradford finished with a 4-2 victory.

Gareth Green was solid throughout against Mark Ball and a clearance of 33 in the first helped him to an 89-24 win, followed by a scrappy 51-28 victory.

Anthony Green put the hosts 3-0 up, making a break of 36 on the way to a 64-23 result against Stephen Broadhead, but the Leeds player pulled a frame back by taking the next 50-31.

Josh Walker made an excellent clearance of 32 to steal his first frame on the black but Chris Hart turned the tables and cleared from green to black to win the last frame of the night 65-38.

Confidence was high in the Bradford team heading into their match at second-placed Sheffield No 2, leading their opponents by six points before a frame had been played, but a strong home line-up presented a tough challenge.

Ashley Carty, who recently competed in the televised Six Reds Championship, took on Gareth Green and while both players are capable of playing much better, neither got into their usual stride and the two frames were scrappy.

Carty took both 56-22 and 70-28 to leave Sheffield two up.

Walker once again cleared with a good break in his first frame – this time 42 – for a 59-32 win. But Peter Bardsley took advantage of Walker going in off after potting the yellow when it looked like the frame could be levelled, the Sheffield player taking the remaining colours for a 65-51 victory.

Mark Slater stepped in for the unavailable Anthony Green but never really got going against Will Lemons.

The Sheffield potter took the first frame 62-41 and made a frame-winning break of 60 in the next, taking it 76-26 and sealing an important 5-1 victory to narrow the gap at the top.

* THE first qualifying event of the Yorkshire Snooker Championships takes place at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds on Sunday (10.15am), with three of the district's players in action.

Josh Walker takes on former Yorkshire champion Martin Finnigan, while Anthony Green faces Adam Clarke and Lewis Walsh faces the relatively unknown Ben Williams.

The second set of qualifiers will be played on Sunday, March 25.

* THE semi-finals of the Hey's Trophy get underway tonight, with first legs being Queensbury Cons against Leicester Street and East Ward B taking on Wibsey Libs A.

Quarter-final first legs of the Hopkinson Plate also start tonight. They are: Clayton Rugby v Tong Libs A, Laisterdyke WMC A v East Ward A, Windhill Cons B v Windhill Cons A and Buttershaw Lane v Undercliffe B.

Second legs of both competitions will be in two weeks' time