SNOOKER ace Neil Wood's reign as the York Conservative Clubs' Scruton Cup holder is over.

The Heworth-based winner for the last three years was beaten 2-0 by club-mate Jason Milner.

Milner, twice winner of the 'Player of the Year' title, made an early break of 26 in the opening frame but had to pot the final black to tie the frame before taking the re-spotted back to go one up.

Milner was 15 points up in the second frame when he cleared the last two reds with blues and colours to black (32 break) to win 2-0.

Wood has only lost twice before since starting to play in York competitions - to Acomb's Mick Frampton in the Team Cup, and John Hutchinson in the league.

Milner, joint leader of the current 'Player of the Year' standings, is at Fulford in the semi-final where he meets Bob Smith, a 2-0 victor over Phil Carlton (Acomb).

Clive Whyte (Heworth) beat Jeff Brown (Bootham) and will meet Brian Coulson (Bootham), who defeated John Darley (Bootham) 2-1.

Coulson made a 24 break in the first frame but the last frame took an hour to complete.

Wood made no mistake in the Foster's Challenge Trophy, making breaks of 46 and 62, to beat Bootham's Colin Robinson 2-0.

He now entertains Ken Taylor (Bootham), who beat Heworth's David Taylor 2-0.

Brian Coulson beat Bootham colleague Fred Hough 2-0 and will now play Roger Gibson at Fulford. Gibson beat Mick Frampton 2-0.

Colin Robinson had a 40 break in his Hylton Foster Billiards KO quarter-final against Acomb's Trevor Ventress.

Peter Webster (Heworth), the first winner of the Hunter Motor Spares Over 50s competition in 1991, beat Colin Robinson in the second round.

Three times winner Ken Taylor triumphed over Ian Gillies (Acomb) and will play holder Brian Birch (Heworth) in the next round.

Bootham 1 will player Bootham 2 in the final of the Ted Plant pairs team knockout on Wednesday, April 10.

Meanwhile, York were beaten 4-2 at Huddersfield in division three of the Yorkshire Inter-City Snooker.

York's only winner was Kevin Hopper who defeated Mark Boylan 2-0. He had breaks of 24 and 21 to take the first frame 79-21 and, although Boylan put up a better fight in the second frame, he was left needing a snooker on the final colours.

Hopper was able to close out the frame by sinking the pink for a 70-52 win.

York captain Tim Hart lost his opening frame after Glen Wilkinson made breaks of 36 and 24 to win 72-37.

Hart was still in contention in the second frame when Wilkinson fluked a snooker and Hart hit blue in his attempt to get out of it. The Huddersfield man then cleared up to win 72-23.

York's Kevin Gall lost his opening frame 55-35 to Mark White, whose workmanlike potting gave him a 63-8 second frame victory.

Updated: 12:10 Friday, March 08, 2002