Red Dragon Sheffield Franchise League (Week 14)
Thursday 18th January 2018
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| Simon put the aces in front |
Academicals 1-5 Panthers
Ritesh Deo 2-3 Mick Hulley
Thomas Wright 1-3 Kieron Potts
Conall Doughty 3-0 John Schultz
Tim Close 1-3 Russ Simons
Adam Warner 1-3 Richard Brown
Ellis Turner 0-3 Ryan Goffin
We open week 14 of the Franchise League at the University Arms where home side Academicals who have hit a bad patch of form take on the Panthers who are looking to capatialize on last weeks 6-0 win.
Up first was Academicals Ritesh Deo taking on Mick Hulley who started with the darts, but Hulley was slow out of the blacks as Deo took the opening two legs and looked odds of favourite to give his team the lead but in the second half of the match Mick Hulley found his range after recording a maximum, Hulley then completed the comeback to win 3-2 to give the Panthers the lead.
Up next Panthers Kieron Potts faced Thomas Wright who was looking to level for his team. The game started with both men struggling to hold throw with three consecutive breaks in the game saw Potts take a 2-1 lead. In the fourth leg Potts threw for the match and secured the winning double to put Panthers two up.
In the third match of the night Conall Doughty gave Academicals a glimmer of hope as he took down John Schultz in three legs recording a 17 dart leg on his throw in the process to reduce the arrears.
Next up was Russ Simons for the Panthers facing opponent Tim Close, Simons started off steady by breaking Close throw then holding soon after to go two up, Close did well to take out a 21 dart leg to pull it back to 2-1 but Simons threw the best leg of the night with two maximums and a 14 dart leg to win it and make the score 3-1 with two to play.
After four games the Academicals needed to win the next two to rescue a draw, Adam Warner was next to try and force a decider as he played Richard Brown who had a chance to win it before the final game. Brown couldn't have got off to a better start as took the opening two legs and threw for the match in the third leg but Warner broke back to reduce the score to 2-1. Brown wasn't to be denied as he won it in the very next leg to give Panthers the win with one to play.
Panthers Captain "The Manic" Ryan Goffin rounded off a very solid night for his team as he took on Ellis Turner, "The Manic" started by breaking the Turner throw and never really felt threatened as he ran riot with a 3-0 win giving Turner no chance and finish off the night with a 5-1 victory for the Panthers.
Black Eagles 2-4 Aces
Steve Briggs 0-3 Andy Umney
John Walton 3-0 Wes Deane
Jelger Tuinstra 1-3 Simon Birkett
Owen Cubitt 3-2 Ian Speed
Marie Tuinstra 1-3 Trevor Tye
Bye 0-3 M. Smith
Over at the Woodbourne the defending champions and league leaders Black Eagles turned up a player short as they put their 39 match unbeaten record on the line against the Aces.
It didn't start well for the defending champions as Aces Andy Umney threw well on his way to defeating Steve Briggs without dropping a leg. Umney took out an 18 dart leg and a 16 darter as well as a maximum on throw to give Briggs no chance and put the Aces ahead.
Former World Champion John Walton threw solid in his match with Wes Deane, Walton set with a 17 dart leg, he then broke Deane's throw hitting a 19 darter and following that "John Boy" hit a 20 to secure the win to level the scores.
In the third game on Aces Simon Birkett took on opponent Jelger Tuinstra. Birkett didn't get off to a good start on his own throw as Tuinstra broke him to lead. In the next leg Birkett found his range to break straight back then followed that up with a 17 dart leg to go 2-1 up. It was Tuinstra to throw in the fourth to stay in the game but Birkett finished it off to put the Aces back in front already guaranteeing them at least a draw.
Black Eagles undefeated record was holding on by the fingertips as we head to the last two matches of the night. Youngster Owen "Ice" Cubitt was up next to save it as he played Ian Speed. Speed raced into a 2-0 lead which looked like the end for the Black Eagles undefeated run but Cubitt fought back in the second half of the match to pull out an 18 dart leg and a 20 darter against the throw to force a decider in which Cubitt threw to keep the Black Eagles in the game. Cubitt started the last leg well which was the catalyst to win the match 3-2 to keep his team in the game as we head to the decider.
The decider saw Aces Trevor Tye had the final shot at ending the Black Eagles undefeated run as he took on Marie Tuinstra who had to win to save it for another day. In the opening legs both players held the throw as Tye took a 2-1 lead with a 180 thrown in to put Tuinstra under pressure as she threw to stay in the match, In the fourth leg Tye managed hit the winning double to seal the win for the Aces and finally ending the Black Eagles 39 match unbeaten record.
Hawks 3-3 Wolves
Paul Moore 3-0 Dave Cliffe
Ben Dulley 0-3 Pete Daffin
Peter Bell 0-3 Lee Cushworth
Steve Ewington 2-3 John Lieber
Matt Pryor 3-1 Graham Waller
Laura Taylor 3-0 Bye
We're at the Hawk & Dove next up where the Hawks and the five man Wolves go head to head and who are both looking to bounce back from last week's defeats
We start the nights action with Hawks Paul Moore putting in a confident performance in dis-patching Dave Cliffe in three legs recording a 20 and a 21 darter to put the Hawks ahead.
Wolves captain "Super Daff's" Pete Daffin hit back in his game with Ben Dulley taking out a 16 darter and his first 180 against the throw to go one up, Daffin achieved his second maximum in the match and a 21 dart leg to double his lead and leaving Dulley in all sorts of trouble. Dulley had the throw in the third leg but it didn't matter as captain Daffin rounded off a good performance to equalise for his team.
"The Dartin' Demon" Lee Cushworth was third on for the Wolves as he took on Pete Bell. "Cushy" started with a hold of throw to go in front. In the second leg Bell had the darts to level but Cushworth broke him and then held confidently in the third leg to put the Wolves ahead.
In a tight affair in the penultimate match of the night saw two players who were equal in Hawks Steve Ewington and John Lieber who played out a five leg contest. Ewington had the darts to start but it was Lieber who drew first blood. Ewington responded with back to back legs to nudge in front, this time it was Lieber's turn to equalise which threw the game into a last leg shootout in which Ewington had throw which put him slight favourite but never write Lieber off as it proved when he secured the double to win the match in a good last leg to save the Wolves tonight with one to play.
In the fifth and deciding match Hawks Matt Pryor and Graham Waller wen toe to toe. Waller started us off but quickly fell behind as Pryor broke early then held throw in the second leg to go 2-0 up. Waller got himself a leg back to keep him in the game but Pryor was too good for him as he won the match in four to finish off the night three each between the two sides.
Wades 4-2 Vulcans
Chris Keane 3-2 Tom Wright
Stephen Naisbitt 2-3 Alex Sproston
Jordan Payne 2-3 James Thomas
Simon Sawford 3-1 S. Walters
Paul Harris 3-0 Steven Caley
Tom Sawford 3-0 Phil Lambert
Back at the Woodbourne it was the turn of the in form Wades who start five games unbeaten take face second bottom Vulcans who blew a 3-0 lead to draw last time out.
To kick off the night Chris "The Blade" Keane took on Tom Wright a five leg match that could've gone either way. Wright had the darts and took the first leg. Keane replied with back to back legs to go in front as he threw for the match in the next leg. "The Blade" couldn't put the game away which meant a decider to start the night with Wright having the advantage with the throw but couldn't put the game to bed as Keane held his nerve to win the match and set the Wades off and running.
In another match that went all the way, Vulcans Alex Sproston faced Wades captain Stephen Naisbitt. It started with Sproston taking the darts in the opening leg. Naisbitt fought back with some good darts to overturn the deficit and go 2-1 up and he looked good to win the match at that point. Sproston took out a 21 dart leg in the fourth to stay in with a chance as Naisbitt had the darts for the match but it was Sproston who had renewed confidence following the last leg to take out the finishing double to equalise for the Vulcans.
As the third match started these two teams were equal footing as Jordan Payne played Vulcans James "Tank" Thomas in yet another gruelling five leg match up, where every leg went with throw and no player giving an inch. "Tank" went in front after the first leg to lay down a marker. Payne responded to it and pulled the match level. Thomas then finished the third leg to take a 2-1 lead hoping Payne would fold but in the fourth leg a 20 darter by Payne levelled again to make it the third consecutive five leg match between the two teams. In the decider it was Thomas who secured the victory with the darts to put the Vulcans in front.
Up fourth on the oche Wades Simon Sawford toed the oche facing S. Walters who set off the better of the two as he broke Sawford to take the lead but then Sawford hit back to take the remaining three legs to equal the scores again.
It was all on the final two matches of the night as Vulcans Steven Caley had the throw against Paul Harris but couldn't make it count as Harris broke him early and after holding his throw in the next leg, Harris went out to finish it in three with a 130 checkout thrown in for good measure to make it 3-2 Wades with one to play.
In the deciding match of the night "Shooter" Tom Sawford played Phil Lambert for the win and Sawford set off with some high scores which led him to take out a 21 darter in the opener then "Shooter" broke Lambert with a 17 dart leg to put Lambert out of sight, as Sawford won the match in three to give the Wades a 4-2 win in a good battle with the Vulcans who once again let a lead slip.
Warriors 1-5 Pirates
Sandra Webster 0-3 Anne Lofthouse
Angela Brittle 0-3 Lee Slack
Steve Newton 3-1 Simon Chivers
Ian Webster 0-3 Sie Simmons
Paul Brittle 0-3 Martin Baugh
Barry Brittle 2-3 Michael Slack
In the final match of the week we head to the Midland as bottom of the table Warriors with eleven straight defeats face a Pirates side who are just two places above them but who are also on the back of three straight defeats themselves.
We open with a ladies battle between Warriors Sandra Webster and Anne Lofthouse, with Lofthouse to throw she got off to a perfect start taking the first leg. Webster had throw in the second but couldn't make it count as Anne made it two. Webster were in all sorts of trouble and couldn't muster up a leg as Anne took the win in three to put the Pirates ahead.
In game two Pirates Lee Slack made it look easy against Angela Brittle as he ran riot in all three legs to win at a canter to double the Pirates lead.
Warriors were always chasing the game from here but "Hero" Steve Newton gave them a glimmer of hope in his game with Simon Chivers. It was Chivers who started the better as he held his throw to take the lead, then it was all Newton as he took the next three legs to pull one back for the Warriors and give them hope.
It looked like it was going to be close between the two teams but the Pirates found another gear in the second part of the night as Sie Simmons took out Ian Webster by three legs to nil to make the score 3-1 with two to play.
Warriors captain Paul Brittle needed to defeat Martin Baugh to keep his side in with a shout going into the final game. Baugh started the game off with a hold of throw. Brittle had the chance to equalise on his throw but couldn't make it count as Baugh broke him then he went on to take the third leg for victory to secure the win for the Pirates with a match to play.
In the final game of the week we had a contest that went all the way between Pirates Michael Slack and Barry Brittle. It was Brittle who started the match off but it was Slack that sneaked the first leg to break then after holding his throw in the next leg it looked over early doors but Brittle fought back to take the next two legs to drag the match into a decider to finish. It was Brittle to throw which made him favourite but Slack pulled it out of the bag to win the contest to give the Pirates a 5-1 win.
Report by
Pat Finney (Projectdarts Reporter/Media)
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