TOP of the table Con A made hard work of beating bottom of the table Con D, but came away with maximum points in the end.
With only three men available, Con D could have just 'rolled over' but they didn't. Wilkinson came out and took the game to Con A's unbeaten Lacey with some fluent cueing and several nice pots.
Lacey struggled but managed to keep in the game as it went down to the last two balls.
It looked curtains for Lacey until Wilkinson missed an easy pink to win the game allowing a grateful Lacey back to the table to pot the pink and an easy black to steal it.
It was no easier for another of Con A's top men as Evans found Holmes in resplendent form. Trading punch for punch all the way, Holmes just kept coming back at Evans, finding some assured potting for the first time this season.
It was heartbreak for Holmes in the end though, as Evans dug deep into his reservoir of experience to pot the pink to take the frame.
Business was resumed as normal in the last frame for Con A as Carruthers made short work of Palmer, with three 14 breaks enough to see him home.
The win increases Con A's lead at the top of the league to 13 points having played one more game than West Devon A.