Unbeaten run comes to an end for Rose and Crown Marauders in the Newark and District Double Board Darts League
The final remaining unbeaten record in the Newark and District Double Board Darts League has come to an end.
Rose and Crown Marauders failed to make it nine wins on the bounce as they were beaten by Wheatsheaf Bellies and Bullseyes.
The opening two legs had both seen opportunities on each side but it was the Wheatsheaf who landed the vital checkouts with Martin Fryer and John Esam holing out to give them an early 2-0 lead.
The third leg had the league leaders hoping for a shot at 70 but the chance to keep the match alive never came as Fryer checked out again to give the fourth-placed side an unassailable 3-0 lead.
Despite the disappointment of their first loss of the campaign the Marauders rallied to reduce the final deficit to 3-2 with finishes from Phil Tranter and Mark Neal.
Second-placed Castle and Falcon BBC2s and third-placed Taverners both recorded victories.
Skipper James Brown was in great finishing form as he landed a hat-trick of checkouts in the BBC2s 4-1 away win at Wheatsheaf Phoenix.
The Taverners had found themselves 1-0 down against RHP Darts of Hazzard after Stephen Adshead’s checkout but the Railway Club-based side responded by taking the next three legs with finishes from Stuart Glover, Richard Taylor, and Brian Coughill to record their fifth win of the season.
The remaining match in the men’s division saw Castle and Falcon Arrows move up to fifth as they eased to a 5-0 win over in-house rivals Projectile Dysfunction with a brace of finishes from Colin Weir and Pete Knott plus a checkout from Lionel Garrad.
In the ladies’ division Railway Youngers have opened up a twelve-point lead over Castle and Bangers, who didn’t have a match this week, after they recorded a terrific 13-2 victory over fellow title rivals Wheatsheaf Wandering Misfits who remain in third place but now 16 points adrift of the new leaders.
The Youngers had raced into a 4-0 lead after victory in both opening pairs encounters before skipper Debbie Braithwaite extended their advantage to 6-0 after overcoming Carol Smith in the opening singles clash. Wheatsheaf’s captain Linda Brockson briefly stopped the onslaught as she defeated Anice Wells.
That would be their only reply as singles wins by Linda Gregory and Louise Fletcher followed before Braithwaite checked out in the concluding team leg to complete the resounding win.
The King’s Queens remain in fourth place in their debut season after singles wins by Aimee Wood and Michelle Antcliff helped them to an 8-7 win over Collingham Mother Chuckers.
RHP Ladies are up to fifth after Heather Webb’s crucial double-16 checkout in the concluding team leg secured them a 10-5 victory over Caffs Ladies.
In a very tight encounter, the two sides could not be separated as the opening five clashes all ended in draws before the deadlock was finally broken as RHP skipper Julie Feeney overcame Jane Hartley in the final singles match.
The remaining match between Falcoholics and Railway Club Artists was also an evenly contested affair that saw all the singles matches end in draws and came down to the concluding team leg which was secured by Stacey Grand-Scrutton’s checkout in a 10-5 win.
