Week 7 Recap

Report by Olly Nunn

Our review of week seven starts at the Foxhill and District Club, where the Uni Arms Academicals were the visiting team. First game of the night went to Foxhill, with Ben Cooper securing a straight-legs win against Jack Newton. The Accy D’s responded in the second game, as Adam Warner put in a class performance, with 18 and 19 darters, on the way to a 3-0 victory over Jack Walker. Two further 3-0 wins followed, with Jack Lewis and Luke Davies both delivering for the Accy D’s. A 3-2 comeback from Foxhill’s Dale Blackwell (with a 111 checkout in the fourth leg) against Joe Hopkins kept the game alive going into the pairs, but a 2-0 win for Warner and Joe Burniston clinched the tie for the visitors. Foxhill got some consolation as Cooper and Martin Schimeld took the second pairs against Tom Jepson and Olly Nunn, yet overall the score was 4-3 to the Accy D’s.

At the Station Hotel, the Railwaymen welcomed Woodbourne Vintage. The first game was closely fought between Station’s Geoff Higgs and Vintage’s Chris Keane, with both holding their throws up until the fifth leg, where Higgs put in a 20 darter to break and take the match 3-2. In the second game Pete Roebuck, playing for Station, looked to be in the ascendancy, throwing 21 and 20 darters to go 2-0 up. Russ Simmons fought back, checking out 86 and then producing an 18 darter (with a 108 outshot) to force a decider. Roebuck, however, was able to stop the comeback with a 21 darter, sealing the match 3-2 and putting Station 2-0 up. The Railwaymen then pressed on, with 3-0 victories for Ryan Goffin (who hit 17 and 21 darters) and Glen Payne, followed by a walkover for Gav Pilling. Two further wins in the pairs, for Roebuck and Higgs against Keane and Mick Hulley and Pilling and Goffin against Simmons and Rich Brown, meant the home side completed the whitewash. 7-0 to Station, then, as the reigning champions continue their title defence.

It was an important week for the Swallownest Miners as the last team without a win looked to end that as they played the Riverside Warriors. Initially it was the visitors who had the better start, as Riverside’s Ian Webster beat the Miners’ Tom Tingle 3-1. Tim Whiting got the hosts up and running, beating Angie Brittle 3-0, yet the Riverside moved ahead again as Barry Brittle came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against Matt Spanky. However, 3-0 and 3-1 victories for Kev Hatfield and Kev Allison (who hit a 21 darter along the way) put the Miners in a good position going into the pairs, as they only required one to take the win. In fact, they won both, with Whiting and Hatfield beating Webster and Paul Brittle 2-0 and Allison and Ian Gilmartin beating Barry Brittle and Colin Johnson 2-1. A final result of 5-2 therefore gave the Miners their first win of the season.

The Uni Arms Understudies were at home against Thorncliffe’s Finest in what would prove to be a close tie. The first game, between the Understudies’ Nathan Okeeffe and the Thorns’ Dan Ashton, went all the way to a decider as the two traded legs. In the end, it was Ashton who won out, producing a 17 darter to take the fifth and final leg. A 3-0 win for Cory Van Tongeren against Lewis Wroe got the Understudies on the board, yet the Thorns replied with two 3-0 victories of their own, with Oliver Parfrement beating Jimmy Knott and Josh Hall beating Adam Butcher. The Thorns could have wrapped things up in the last singles, and looked set to do so as Logan Higgins went 2-0 up against Jack Quinn. Yet Quinn replied with three consecutive legs to win 3-2, and carried over his good form to the pairs. There, Quinn and Damien Reed hit a 24-dart leg, from a 701 start, en route to a 2-1 win over Higgins and Ashton, meaning it would all come down to the final pairs. Here it was Jack Stoddard and Elliot Hopkins against Parfrement and Hall, and it was the Thorns duo who held their nerve to win 2-0. By a score of 4-3, the visitors had come out on top.

Our review ends at the Woodbourne, where the Mouses were at home against the Raging Bull. The Mouses were looking to get back in the winners’ circle after their defeats to Station, and they started with a win, as Steve Caley edged out Adam Chadwick 3-2, with an 18 darter to seal it. Up next was James Thomas for the Mouses versus Mark Thomson for the Raging Bull, and although Tank took the first leg, Thomson fired in an 18 darter before taking the third and fourth legs to win 3-1. The Mouses’ Jimmy Haslam was on top form as he produced an 18 and two 17-dart legs to beat Liam Kent 3-1. Two 3-0 wins for the Mouses followed from Glynn Harris and John Cartledge, who hit some low-dart legs of their own (a 19 for Harris and a 21 and 16 for Cartledge). In the pairs the Mouses added another game to their tally, as Haslam and Jordan Caley beat Chadwick and Steve Griffiths 2-1. A 2-0 win for the pairing of Matty Pierce and Thomson over Cartledge and Tom Wright meant the Raging Bull ended on a high, but overall, the tie went to the Mouses. Along with their five wins, the home side also hit several 180s – two from Haslam and one from Cartledge.

Their win also means that the Mouses move back above the Raging Bull, with 30 points to their 28. The Railwaymen and Accy D’s remain first and second, on 41 and 31 points respectively. Their second win of the season has promoted the Thorns to seventh with 17 points, while after their maiden victory the Miners are tied with the Riverside on 16. There is a lot to play for, then, going into week eight.

Week 6 Recap

Report by Olly Nunn

Kicking off this week’s recap is Foxhill and District As against the Riverside Warriors. Ben Cooper got the hosts off to a good start with a 3-0 win against the Riverside’s Ian Webster, only for the visitors to take the second game also by a 3-0 scoreline, with Colin Johnson beating Jack Walker. Martin Bridge moved Foxhill ahead once more with a 3-1 win over Angie Brittle, but again things became level again shortly after as Barry Brittle beat Morgan Mullins. Much like last week, the fifth and final singles offered a chance for either team to go one away, and it was Dale Blackwell who took it for Foxhill, beating Riverside captain Paul Brittle 3-1. With momentum on their side, Foxhill won both doubles, with the pairings of Blackwell and Karl Howden and Cooper and Walker delivering 2-0 victories for the home side. This brought the tie to a close with an overall score of 5-2 to Foxhill.

The Woodbourne Mouses were looking to avoid a repeat of their 6-1 loss to the Railwaymen when they travelled to the Station Hotel, yet by the end of the singles games the situation was looking familiar. A 3-1 win for Geoff Higgs against Glynn Harris and a 3-2 win for Pete Roebuck against Steve Caley put the Railwaymen ahead early doors. Gav Pilling beat Tank 3-0 in a game that saw two 17 darters from the Station captain, and although John Cartledge got the Mouses on the board with a 3-1 win over Glen Payne, Lee McDonald clinched the tie for the league leaders, taking the last singles 3-1 against the Mouses’ Jordan Caley. A repeat of last Thursday’s scoreline looked possible, however the Mouses were able to end on a high with wins in the pairs from Cartledge and Wright and Caley and Harris. Overall, though, the honours went to the Railwaymen, with a 4-3 victory and two 180s (one from Higgs and another from Payne) to go with it.

Thorncliffe’s Finest were at home against the Raging Bull, yet it was the visitors who got off to a better start, with Adam Chadwick securing a 3-0 win over Lewis Wroe. The second game was a close affair, as the Thorns’ Oliver Parfrement and the Raging Bull’s Liam Kent went all the way to a fifth leg. In the end, it was Kent who took the decider and the 3-2 win. Bri Jones then gave the Raging Bull their third win of the night, beating Dylan Farmer 3-1. Josh Hall won an important game for the Thorns against Jason Marsh, with a score of 3-1, yet victory for Matty Pierce over Logan Higgins in the last singles by the same margin ensured the away team would come out with the win. In the first pairs, Chadwick and Jones won 2-1 to make it 5-1 overall to the Raging Bull, and in the second Parfrement and Hall took one back for the Thorns with a 2-0 win. With all matches played, the final score was 5-2 to the Raging Bull.

There was a big game at the Uni Arms this week as the first leg of the derby between the Accy D’s and Understudies was played. A 3-0 win for Jack Newton against Elliot Hopkins got the Accy D’s up and running, although Jack Quinn responded for the Understudies with a 3-0 of his own versus Dan Booth. Arguably game of the night was the Accy D’s Tom Jepson against the Understudies’ Nathan Okeeffe, a high-quality match that went all the way to a deciding leg. Jepson took it with a 66 checkout to seal a 3-2 win. Two 3-0 wins for the Accy D’s then followed, with Lewis Forrest beating Tom Graham and (in a highly anticipated grudge match) Joe Hopkins beating Cory Van Tongeren. Adam Warner and Joe Burniston won the first pairs for the Accy D’s 2-0 against Damien Reed and Jack Stoddard, and Jack Lewis and Olly Nunn took the second pairs, also 2-0, beating Okeeffe and Jimmy Knott. This brought proceedings to an end with a 6-1 win for the Accy D’s.

Finally, at the Woodbourne, Vintage were against the Swallownest Miners. There was little to separate the two teams in the singles, with all but two of the games going to a fifth leg. Chris Keane and Dave Cliffe won 3-2 and 3-1 for Vintage, while Kev Allinson, Kev Hatfield, and Tim Whiting won 3-1, 3-2, and 3-2 for the Miners. This meant the Miners held a slight advantage going into the pairs. However, Vintage dug deep to take the last two games, thanks to wins from Rich Brown and Russ Simons and Dave Cliffe and Mick Hulley, for a 4-3 overall win. All in all, a good showing from both teams that saw low-dart legs, a 105 checkout from Whiting, and 180s (one from Whiting and one from Allinson).

Looking at the table, the Railwaymen are now on 34 points, while the Accy D’s have jumped to second with 27. The Raging Bull are now up to third with 26 points, while the Mouses and Vintage are tied with 25 each. From there, Foxhill, Riverside, the Thorns, Swallownest, and the Understudies round out the table. Things look finely poised, then, after a week that has seen drama, tension and quality darts.

Week 5 Recap

Report by Olly Nunn

Headlining this week’s action was the top of the table clash between the Station Railwaymen and the Woodbourne Mouses. The Mouses were at home, and initially things started well for the hosts, as Jimmy Haslam hit 21 and 16 darters on the way to a 3-0 win over Station’s Glen Payne. From there, however, it was full steam ahead for the Railwaymen. Ryan Goffin got the visitors on the board, starting his game against Steve Caley with a 21 darter before winning 3-0. The third game, between the Mouses’ John Cartledge and Station’s Pete Roebuck, saw Roebuck take the first leg with a 20 darter, only for Cartledge to follow with a 20 darter of his own. Roebuck then pushed on, winning the next two legs to take the match 3-1. In game four, Geoff Higgs (Station) hit 19 and 21 darters to go 2-0 up against Glynn Harris (Mouses) and, although Harris took the third leg to stay alive, another 21 darter for Higgs in the fourth leg gave him a 3-1 win. The last singles game was between the two captains, James Thomas for the Mouses and Gav Pilling for Station. A 19 darter from Pilling got him the first leg, though Tank made things level by winning the second. From there, Pilling took the third and fourth legs, both with 21 darters, to win 3-1, and in doing so seal the tie for the Railwaymen.

There were still two doubles games to be played, and these also went to the visitors, with Pilling and Goffin beating Haslam and Harris 2-1 (Pilling checking out 92 by going 20 and then two double 18s) and Higgs and Roebuck beating Cartledge and Caley 2-1. At the end of the night, it was 6-1 to the Railwaymen. Pilling spoke after the match about how, despite the scoreline, there had been some “close games” and was pleased that his team had “come out on top”.

Moving on, at the Riverside it was the Warriors versus Foxhill and District As. Foxhill looked to be starting well, as Martin Schimeld went 2-0 up against Riverside’s Ian Webster, yet Webster proceeded to take the next three legs to produce a 3-2 comeback win. The visitors were soon back in the mix, courtesy of a 3-0 win by Ben Cooper over Barry Brittle, which included a 21 dater in the second leg. A close game between Karl Howden for Foxhill and Angie Brittle for Riverside followed and ended in a fifth-leg decider, which Howden took to put Foxhill ahead. Yet the two teams were level again after the fourth match, as Riverside’s Colin Johnson beat Foxhill’s Morgan Mullins 3-0, meaning the last singles would be key in putting the winner one away from victory. And although it was close, going to a fifth leg, it was ultimately Jack Walker who won it for Foxhill, beating Paul Brittle. This set up Dale Blackwell and Martin Bridge to clinch the first doubles 2-0 over Paul and Angie Brittle, ensuring that Foxhill had the win sealed with a game to spare. Webster and Johnson’s win in the second doubles was therefore no more than consolation for the home side, as the tie ended 4-3 to Foxhill.

Thorncliffe’s Finest made the trip to Aughton this week to play the Raging Bull, and, although the Thorns got their first win last week, it was not to be for them this Thursday. The Raging Bull rattled off four straight-leg wins, with Liam Kent, Bri Jones, Mark Thomson, and Adam Chadwick all taking their games 3-0. With the tie now decided, Dylan Farmer looked set to get at least one back for the away side in the fifth game, as he went 2-0 up against Matty Pierce. Pierce won the next two legs to put that in doubt and force a decider, but in the end, Farmer took the fifth leg to see the game out and give the Thorns a win. Both doubles went to the Raging Bull, with the pairs of Thomson and Steve Griffiths and Jones and Jason Marsh winning 2-0. It was a comprehensive win for the Raging Bull, then, with a final score of 6-1.

The last game of the week was the Swallownest Miners against Woodbourne Vintage. Travelling to Swallownest after back-to-back defeats to the Mouses, Vintage were looking to rebound and get their season back on track. And they certainly did that – Tom Briggs got the visitors off to a good start with a win that included 18 and 20 dart legs, and Vintage would ultimately take the tie 5-2. There were certainly positives for the hosts, such as Tim Whiting’s win in the third game which saw the Swallownest captain wire the bull for a 170 checkout. But, in the end, it was the Woodbourne side who came away with the all-important win.

With the Uni Arms teams not in action, as the Accy D’s Luke Davies and Nathan Hennessy were playing Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson at the Magna (no, really!), there were only four games this week, but they were certainly eventful ones, as can be seen from the table.

The Railwaymen have made some space between them and the field, with 30 points to the Mouses’ 22, while their continuing winning streak means the Raging Bull are now fourth. To show how close the season still is at this early stage, there is only one point between second-placed Mouses and fifth-placed Vintage. And with many more games still to be played, who’s to say what the table will look like down the line?

Week 4 Recap

Report by Olly Nunn

This week’s recap starts at the Station Hotel, where the Railwaymen played at home against the Riverside Warriors. Geoff Higgs got Station off to a winning start, beating Ian Webster by 3 legs to 1 in the first game. The second game was less than comfortable for the hosts, as Pete Roebuck and Paul Brittle’s match went all the way to a fifth-leg decider. In the end it was Roebuck who took it to win 3-2, giving the Railwaymen a 2-0 lead. This would soon become 4-0, as Glen Payne and Gav Pilling (who hit 21 and 16 darters and a 180) both won their games for the Station. A walkover for Angie Brittle in the last singles gave the Riverside their sole point of the night, and from there the Railwaymen won both pairs games 2-0 to finish the night with a 6-1 victory.

Some seven miles south, the Swallownest Miners hosted the Uni Arms Academicals. The first game, between the Accy D’s Jack Newton and the Miners’ Ian Gilmartin, went all the way to a fifth leg. After Newton wired (sort of) a 135 checkout, the match ended in a tense double 1 vs double 2 standoff, which Newton took to win 3-2. Two of the next three games then went to the Accy D’s, with Adam Warner winning 3-0 (hitting 21 and 16 darters) and Tom Jepson winning 3-1. This set up the visitors to win the tie in the last singles, as Luke Davies beat Tim Whiting 3-0, with an 18 darter in the second leg. The teams split the pairs between them, with Warner and Jack Lewis taking the first for the Accy D’s and Swallownest beating Joe Burniston and Olly Nunn to take the second. With all games played, the score was 5-2 to the Accy D’s.

The closest tie of the night came between Thorncliffe’s Finest and Foxhill and District A’s. In a mirror of last week, the first four games were split between the two sides, with Ben Cooper and Morgan Mullins winning for Foxhill and Josh Hall and Oliver Perframent winning for the Thorns. Unlike last week, however, it was the Thorns who took the all-important fifth game, with Logan Higgins beating Dale Blackwell in a narrow 3-2 contest. On the brink of their first win, the Thorns did not have to wait long, as Higgins and Dylan Farmer won the first doubles to settle the tie. Cooper and Jack Walker won the second doubles for Foxhill, but the final score was 4-3 overall to the Thorns.

At the Uni Arms, the Understudies were at home against the Raging Bull. Bolstered by new recruits and a fresh approach from acting captain Jack Stoddard, the Understudies were hoping to rebound after last week’s loss. The Raging Bull, though, were in fine form after their maiden win, and 3-1 wins for Liam Kent, Adam Chadwick, and Brian Jones set the visitors off on a good start. Nathan Okeeffe got the Understudies a win on the board, beating Steve Griffiths 3-0, and the hosts nearly made it two in a row, as the game between Patrick Hopkins and Matty Pierce went to a last-leg decider. It was ultimately Pierce who took it 3-2 for the Raging Bull, and the away side clinched two further wins in the pairs. A good day in the office for the Raging Bull, then, who came away with a 6-1 win.

The second leg of the Woodbourne derby began with a win for the Mouses, as Jimmy Haslam beat Vintage's Chris Keane 3-0, with a 20 darter to seal it. Russ Simons made things even, winning the second game (also 3-0) against Glynn Harris. Thereafter, though, the advantage was with the Mouses, as John Cartledge (who hit a 15 darter) and Steve Caley recorded further straight-leg wins, beating Rich Brown and Tom Briggs respectively. The final singles game was between Dave Cliffe for Vintage and James Thomas for the Mouses. Cliffe won the first leg, but Tank responded by taking the next three, finishing with an 18 darter, to win 3-1. This guaranteed the win for the Mouses, but, as with last week, Vintage enjoyed some consolation in the pairs, with wins for Simons and Mick Hulley and Brown and Briggs bringing the overall score from 4-1 to 4-3 at the end of the night.

Week 3 Recap

Report by Olly Nunn

Another week of league action has come and gone, and with it an opportunity for teams to climb the table, stay at the top, and get vital wins on the board.

This week’s roundup starts at Foxhill and District Club, where the local team hosted Thorncliffe’s Finest. Both Foxhill and the Thorns were still searching for their first win of the season after weeks one and two, and the ensuing fixture would prove to be a close affair. The first four singles games were won quite convincingly, with Lewis Wroe and Oliver Perframent both winning 3-0 for the Thorns while Ben Cooper and Jack Walker secured 3-1 victories for Foxhill. The fifth singles match, however, went all the way to a fifth leg, with Dale Blackwell beating Dylan Farmer 3-2 to get what would be an important win for Foxhill in the context of the night. Perframent and Josh Hall brought the Thorns level with a 2-0 win in the first pairs, but the second pairs game was won by Cooper and Walker by the same margin to take the tie for Foxhill. So, at the end of the night, it was Foxhill who took a 4-3 victory and the all-important first win.

Another new winner this week was the Raging Bull, who played at home against the Uni Arms Understudies. Mark Thomson got things off to a good start for the hosts with a 3-0 win over Damien Reed. Although Jack Quinn took one back for the Understudies, beating Adam Chadwick in the second game, from there the Raging Bull were in control. 3-0 wins for Liam Kent and Brian Jones over Cory Van Tongeren and Adam Butcher, followed by a 3-1 victory for Matty Pierce against Jimmy Knott, ensured the home side had guaranteed the win by the end of the singles. And in the pairs games the Raging Bull clinched two further wins, from Jones and Steve Griffiths and Thomson and Pierce, to bring the score line to 6-1 overall.

As well as the impressive margin of victory, the Raging Bull also had moments of quality including a 180 from Jones and a 114 checkout from Thomson. Speaking after the match, their captain, Matty Pierce, was satisfied with his team’s win and progress in the league. ‘We’re a new team, getting to know each other better’, he said. ‘It was good to get a win on the board after the first two losses against Station, overall it’s a happy week for us.’

While the Understudies may have lost, it was a more successful week for the Uni Arms’ other team, the Academicals. The Accy D’s were at home against the Swallownest Miners, although initially it was the visitors who got off to a better start. K Hatfield and Tim Whiting both won close, fifth-leg decider games against Jack Newton and Luke Davies to put Swallownest 2-0 up. The Accy D’s bounced back, however, as Adam Warner beat Matt Spanky 3-0 (with 20 and 17 darters) and Tom Jepson won 3-1 against Tom Tingle to make things level. Joe Hopkins, after unfair stick from his teammates following last week’s game, put in a strong performance to win 3-0 over Ian Gilmartin, giving the Accy D’s a 3-2 lead. This then became 4-2, as Jack Lewis and Lewis Forrest beat Whiting and Hatfield 2-0 in the first pairs. The second pairs also went the way of the Accy D’s, as Joe Burniston and Olly Nunn won 2-0, with Nunn checking out the doubles and Burniston adding flair to the night with a 180. The final score, then, was 5-2 to the Accy D’s.

It was perhaps a night to forget for the Riverside Warriors, as they played the Station Railwaymen at home. The visitors were dominant, with wins for Glen Payne, G Higgins, Pete Roebuck (with a 21 darter), Ryan Goffin (with 15 and 20 darters), and Geoff Higgs in the singles, followed by victories for Higgs and Higgins and Goffin and Roebuck in the pairs, giving them a 7-0 win. Not only that, but the Railwaymen denied the Riverside a single leg on the board, with the margin in legs being an even more impressive 19-0. So quite a statement from the defending champions, and one that keeps them at the top of the league this week.

Elsewhere, the two Woodbourne sides, Vintage and Mouses, met this week. The first game was between Dave Cliffe for Vintage and Steve Caley for the Mouses. Caley took the first leg with a 21 darter, and from there the two exchanged legs up to the fifth, which Caley clinched to win 3-2. The next two games also went to the Mouses, with James Thomas and Glynn Harris both recording 3-1 wins, and a collection of low-dart legs along the way, to put their team one away. The fourth singles game was therefore a must-win for Vintage, and Russ Simmons was able to go 2-1 up on the Mouses’ Jimmy Haslam to keep his team’s hopes alive. However, Haslam recovered, producing 13 and 20 darters (to go with his 21 darter in the second leg) to take the game 3-2 and guarantee a win for the Mouses. The last singles was a walkover for the Mouses, extending their advantage further. Vintage, however, were able to end the night on a high with a fine performance in the pairs, securing both games with wins courtesy of Simmons and Rich Brown and Chris Keane and Mick Hulley. This brought the first round of the Woodbourne derby to a close with a 5-2 victory for the Mouses.

At the end of this week, then, the top three in the league remained unchanged, with wins for the Railwaymen, Mouses, and Accy D’s keeping them close together. Vintage are still fourth, while their first win has brought the Raging Bull up to fifth. It is still early days in the season, though, and with many more months of darts yet to be played, anything can happen!