New Team MJC member Matthew Broadbent started his season in style as he won the Halifax Handicap competition.

A healthy entry of 24 participants locked horns ahead of the season's start next week, with a number of the league's new players showing their faces for the first time. Not only was the competition healthy, but the matches were too, with NINE games finishing 42-41. However, it was youngster Broadbent, a regular at the Friday night junior sessions, who reigned supreme in the end.

He defeated Ronnie McNamara in the final, winning a closely-fought match 42-40.

All players were individually handicapped and played in group stages before entering either the main or plate competition.

Broadbent, who had a handicap of 33, squeezed through his group on countback, beating Fraser Riley 42-39 and Keith Skarz 42-32, before losing to Peter McMullen 42-38. Ultimately, it was Broadbent and Riley who progressed through the group.

Victories over James Mason and Ross McFadyen saw Broadbent reach the final, where he came up against McNamara.

Leopards' McNamara had reached the final unbeaten, defeating both Alex and Matthew Shaw in the group stages before knocking out both Ben Fillingham and Fraser Riley, the latter of whom convincingly dispatched of Matthew Shaw and Nick Ryder beforehand.

In the final however, Broadbent just had the edge, with his continuous improvement on show as he claimed his first major trophy in the sport.

In the plate competition, Alex Shaw came out on top as he defeated Keith Skarz to win the event. Shaw received a bye to the semi-final where he faced off against John Wasilewski. It was looking ominous for the Greetland youngster as he trailed 41-36, however he pulled it back to steal the match and advance to the final.

His opponent, Skarz, had defeated Chris Broadbent and Steve Thomas to make the last two. Both players started on a handicap of 13, and it was Shaw who came out on top, with his improved attacking qualities securing him a 42-38 triumph.