OVERNIGHT rain meant that the green in Birkenhead Park was fairly heavy for the Top Sixteen Tournament at the end of this session of the Winter Flyers, but play went ahead and the winner was Tixall's Jamie Fitzpatrick who beat Lever's Colin Portis in a somewhat one-sided final.

In the quarter final Fitzpatrick had an excellent win over his team mate at Tixalls, Anthony O'Neill, and he then beat New Brighton Quarry Viking's John Harrison in the semi final.

Meanwhile, Lever's Colin Portis was in top form coming through against Hawksbury's Paul Roberts and then in the quarter final he beat Gladstone's Ray Lynch, the player who had led in the top sixteen points table.

Portis carried this form through to the semi-final where he had a fairly comfortable win over your correspondent, West Kirby's Bill Atkinson.

In the final however Portis could not cope with Fitzpatrick's consistency and nagging accuracy and the Tixall player had a very convincing 21-08 win to take the top prize.

Results:

Top Sixteen: R. Lynch (Gladstone) 21, J. Hignett Snr (Black Horse, Liverpool) 14; C. Portis (Levers) 21, P. Roberts (Hawksbury) 18; W. Atkinson (West Kirby) 21, D. Smith (St Georges) 09; T. Walker (Hoylake Central) 21, N. Turner (Royden) 08; J. Edwards (Gladstone) 21, P. McGhee (Cammell Lairds) 16; J. Harrison (New Brighton Quarry Vikings) 21, P. Holian (Cammell Lairds) 20; J. Fitzpatrick (Gladstone) 21, O. Turner (New Brighton Quarry Vikings) 13; A. O'Neill (Tixall) 21, A. Buchanan (Magazine) 15.

Quarter Finals; Portis 21, Lynch 15; Atkinson 21, Walker 17; Harrison 21, Edwards 17; Fitzpatrick 21, O'Neill 15.

Semi Finals: Portis 21, Atkinson 15; Fitzpatrick 21, Harrison 18.

Final: Fitzpatrick 21, Portis 08.

The Winter Flyers will resume in Birkenhead Park on Sunday, January 7.