Cousins Zombies will face Slattery’s in the final after narrowly beating Peel Has Beens 5-3 in the Chalk Farm Pool League’s Division Two Divisional Cup

LATE-night walkers in and around Kentish Town almost came face to face with Zombies and Has Beens shuffling around the streets on Monday, as a search for silverware threatened to edge towards the midnight hour.

There were fears that, not for the first time this season, players chasing one of the two remaining trophies still up for grabs in the Chalk Farm Pool League would have to make a last-gasp dash to Islington to finish their epic semi-final showdown in the Division Two Divisional Cup.

But just in the nick of time, Cousins Zombies proved they were the hungrier for success as they kept their campaign alive by narrowly beating Peel Has Beens 5-3 at the Peckwater Estate Tenants Association.

“It was a tough game, there were a lot of tight frames,” said Zombies’ stand-in skipper Jacob Elliott. “The Peel kept putting us in trouble but our players made some crucial shots and got through 5-3.

“I’m so happy for the team. They’re all great guys and they showed a lot of bottle after we took the lead and got pulled back to 2-2. Our season was a bit inconsistent, so it’s great to show some form and get to the cup final. Hopefully we can bring our A-game and win the whole thing.”

League chairman Shaun Pollard, who refereed the final-four clash, said he thought the match was going to creep into the early hours of Tuesday morning.

He added: “We had to be out of the Peckwater by 11pm, so I was planning for how all the players were going to get to Cousins Snooker and Pool Club in Holloway so that we could finish the match. However, thankfully it didn’t come to that.

“Last month we had a cup fixture between my team, Northumberland Lions, and King’s Cross Hurricanes that had to switch venues late into the night so that we find a winner. It could be seen as added stress, but for me it’s a good thing – it shows how evenly matched the teams in our league are becoming.

“There’s no such thing as an easy ride, every player has to produce their very best to win a frame, no matter who they are playing.”

Cousins Zombies will now face Slattery’s in the final after they beat Hornsey Arms 5-2 in their semi-final. It promises to be a close contest with the sides finishing just two points apart in the Division Two table this season – and the teams chalking up a win each from their two head-to-heads.

Meanwhile, in the Division One Divisional Cup, treble-chasers King’s Cross Hurricanes, who have already won both the league title and the Liam Tarrant Cup this term, will take on the Peckwater Playboys.

Both teams were in fine form on Monday night as they won their respective matches against King’s Cross Gunners and King’s Cross Invaders 5-2.

The finals of the divisional cups are due to take place in August, although an exact date has yet to be confirmed.