Newark and District Double Board Darts League round-up: Rose & Crown Marauders are 12 points clear after ending Castle & Falcon BBC2s’ long unbeaten run with 4-1 win
Rose & Crown Marauders still hold a 12-point lead at the top of the Newark and District Double Board Darts League’s men’s division after they ended Castle & Falcon BBC2s’ long unbeaten run with a 4-1 victory in their top-of-the-table clash.
The BBC2s went into the match looking to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches but it was always going to be a tough ask against the reigning champions who were the last team to defeat them when they met in mid-October.
Ryan Holland’s opening leg finish set the leaders on their way before Shane Gallacher’s 56 checkout in the next doubled the Marauders’ advantage. Victory was then secured in the next as Steven Barnett checked out on 71, with the BBC2s still requiring 306, to give Marauders an unassailable 3-0 lead. The remaining two legs were tight affairs with Glen Iverson’s finish securing a consolation point for the BBC2s, who as a result slip to fourth, before Holland checked out again in the fifth to complete a good night for the leaders.
Wheatsheaf Bellies & Bullseyes moved into second spot after they completed a fifth win in six outings when they eased to a 5-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Balderton Cricket Club with finishes from John Esam, Geza Pocsik, Martin Fryer and a brace by Neil Ward.
The Taverners have moved into third spot after they overcame Wheatsheaf Phoenix 3-2 in a tightly-contested affair. Simon Potter’s 50 checkout had given the Phoenix the lead before finishes from skipper Simon Cobb and Stuart Glover turned the match in favour of the Taverners. The fourth leg, as the previous three, had seen opportunities on both sides but after Kevin Oxberry had failed to land his attempt at 65, up stepped Cobb to hole out on 20 and secure a fourth successive win for the Railway Club-based side. Cobb had a chance to complete a hat-trick of checkouts in the next but just failed to land his attempt at 70 which allowed opposition skipper Richard Durham to deservedly rescue another point for his side.
RHP 26ers’ title hopes suffered a setback as they were beaten 3-2 by Castle & Falcon Arrows in another closely-contested match. Kieran Cumberland’s opening leg checkout had given RHP the early advantage but the Arrows responded with finishes from Andy Norris, Martin Farrell and Colin Weir giving them an unassailable 3-1 lead. RHP skipper Stephen Adshead checked out in the fifth to reduce the deficit but a second successive defeat leaves them in fifth place and 25 points adrift of the leaders.
The remaining match in the men’s division saw RHP Darts of Hazzard defeat the Hedgehoggers 4-1 with a checkout from Colin Stevens and a hat-trick of finishes by Paul Gallacher while Dave Peasgood Snr’s second leg checkout earned the Castle & Falcon side’s consolation.
Due to postponements, there were just two matches in the ladies’ division and Castle & Falcon Bangers took advantage of the leaders’ inactivity to close the gap on the Railway Youngers to just two points after Mandy Walker’s singles win and checkout in the decisive team leg helped them earn a 10-5 win over The King’s Queens.
Wheatsheaf Wanderers have moved up to fifth after they came from 4-0 down to defeat third-placed Caffs Ladies 9-6 helped by singles wins from Carol Smith and skipper Linda Brockson, who also landed the match-clinching double in the concluding team leg.
There’s a new leader in the Premiership Singles League after Matthew Glover picked up eight points on matchday five to edge ahead of previous leader John Dawn, who picked up five points. Glover had beaten both Richard Taylor and Jon Gough 3-0 but just failed to clinch a maximum nine-point haul after losing his final leg of the night in a 2-1 win over Steve Alexander, who had also gone into the match hoping to pick up a maximum after winning his two opening matches 3-0, against Stephen Adshead and David Thompson.
Results: Men’s Division: The Hedgehoggers 1-4 RHP Darts of Hazzard, Castle & Falcon BBC2s 1-4 Rose & Crown Marauders, RHP 26ers 2-3 Castle & Falcon Arrows, Wheatsheaf Bellies & Bullseyes 5-0 Balderton Cricket Club, The Taverners (Railway Club) 3-2 Wheatsheaf Phoenix.
Ladies’ Division: Castle & Falcon Bangers 10-5 The King’s Queens, Collingham FC MC P-P Railway Youngers, Railway Club Artists P-P Falcoholics, Wheatsheaf Wanderers 9-6 Caffs Ladies.
Premiership: Matchday five results: Simon Cobb 2 Robson Worthington 1, Jon Dawn 1 Stuart Glover 2, Kevin Edwards 2 Alex Wallis 1, Robson Worthington 1 Stuart Glover 2, Jon Dawn 2 Simon Cobb 1, Robson Worthington 3 Alex Wallis 0, Stuart Glover 2 Kevin Edwards 1, Alex Wallis 1 Jon Dawn 2, Kevin Edwards 1 Simon Cobb 2, Matthew Glover 3 Richard Taylor 0, Jon Gough 1 David Thompson 2, Steve Alexander 3 Stephen Adshead 0, Richard Taylor 0 David Thompson 3, Jon Gough 0 Matthew Glover 3, Richard Taylor 1 Stephen Adshead 2, David Thompson 0 Steve Alexander 3, Stephen Adshead 2 Jon Gough 1, Steve Alexander 1 Matthew Glover 2.