2015-12-01

Shropshire v Clwyd
Shropshire’s latest fixture in division four of the BDO Inter County Championships was a home tie against bottom of the table Clwyd and the weekend didn’t get off to the best of starts as the ladies ‘B’ lost 4-2, however they could not have wished for a better opening player than Michele Pritchard who despite being taken to a deciding fifth leg by Jane Andrews went on to win the game 3-2 which included not only a 15 darts winning leg for Michele but also an award winning average of 17.98.
Becky Jones cancelled out the home teams lead when she beat Sue Lane 3-0 and then Natalie Davey gave Clwyd the lead for the first time when she with a 3-1 result accounted for Kirsty Jenks.
Game number four and Lynne Watton put Shropshire back on level terms when she won her game with Katie Woodcock 3-2 but that proved to be the last win that the hosts would get as Bethan Jones (Clwyd) won 3-0 against Millie Holt and Julie Maddock wrapped up a 4-2 win for the away side when she beat Deanna Worrall 3-2 in the final game.
Unlike the ladies the men’s ‘B’ lost the first game when Paul Alley beat Robert Trumper 3-1, nevertheless they were quick to respond as Neil Powell won 3-2 against Craig Spriggs, Neil’s 27.31 average earning him the match award at the end of the day. Putting the home team in front for the first time was Jacob Perrins, a straight 3-0 win over Colin Snead taking the score along to 2-1 in favour of Shropshire. John Breeze extended that lead to 3-1 when he beat Mark Howcroft 3-1 and with a further 3-0 win from Andre Knox over Jon Darlington Shropshire were 4-1 up and looking quite comfortable.
Brian Travers (Clwyd) reduced the arrears when he won 3-1 against Martin Riggs and Tom Evans brought the deficit down to just one game with his 3-0 win against Mick O’Neill. A two games buffer was restored for the hosts when Rob Harris beat Nadeem Mohammed 3-2 but it was short lived as Richard Jones won 3-1 against Eddie Austin. Taking the score to 6-4 to Shropshire was Phil Austin, Phil’s 3-2 success against Danny Tinney putting the home side within an ace of victory with two to play.
The last two games both finished with 3-1 scores and unfortunately for the home team they went to Clwyd. In the penultimate game Luke Humphreys beat Wayne Speed and in the last game to make the final score all square at 6-6 Paul Gillam beat Martin Angell.
So after Saturday’s games Shropshire were trailing 10-8 and needing wins from their ‘A’ teams, the ladies went 1-0 down when Claire Maddock (Clwyd) beat Leanne Quinton 3-1and although Kath McLean laid on a lady of the match performance against Jane Robson to win 3-0 and average 20.31 the home team went behind again when Glad Davies won a close tussle with Marie Riggs 3-2. Taking Clwyd’s advantage to 3-1 was Sarah Roberts a 3-0 win against Caroline Powell before the home side took control. Mandy Morgan was pushed all the way by Paula Collins but stuck to the task and won 3-2 then in the final game Julie Griffiths made short work of her opponent Lyn Chadwick chalking up a straight 3-0 win to give her team a share of the spoils in a 3-3 draw.
Despite a fine comeback by the ladies ‘A’ the overall scoreline was 13-11 to Clwyd and something special was now required from the men’s ‘A’ if they were to get anything at all out of the weekend’s fixture. That certainly didn’t appear to be the case after the first two games as David Harrold and Derek Williams put Clwyd two up with 4-3 wins in turn against Derek Coulson and Andi Chatter.
John Cooper put Shropshire’s first stripe on the board when he won 4-2 against Simon Roberts and with a 4-1 win by Roger Taylor over Steve Gierke the score was level at 2-2.
The following six games all went in favour of the first throw advantage, Paul Reilly (Clwyd) beating Peter Eley 4-3, Richard Parker (Shropshire) winning 4-1 against Peter Lewis, Glyn Carus was another 4-3 winner for Clwyd beating Ian Pallett and Shropshire’s man of the match John Cornmell with a 24.82 average winning 4-2 against Brian Moran to level the game at four each.
Clwyd went 5-4 up when Jason Wilcock got the better of Clive Lucking with another close 4-3 result, but as it happened that turned out to be the last winner Clwyd would get as Shropshire stepped up a gear Kevin Harris handing out a straight 4-0 defeat to Paul Hughes, Neville Quinton beating Phillip Wilcock 4-2 and rounding off a fine 7-5 win, the ‘A’ teams second in a row was Danny James with his 4-1 success over John Thomas.
Being as there were only two fixtures played over the weekend in division four Shropshire’s draw saw them leap up the table from seventh to a lofty second place which obviously will change when the other teams play their game in hand, but its points in the hand that count and at present Shropshire can celebrate their rise up the table.
Full Results:(Shropshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Derek Coulson 3 David Harrold 4, Andi Chatter 3 Derek Williams 4, John Cooper 4 Simon Roberts 2, Roger Taylor 4 Steve Gierle 1, Peter Eley 3 Paul Reilly 4, Richard Parker 4 Peter Lewis 1, Ian Pallett 3 Glyn Carus 4, John Cornmell 4 Brian Moran 2, Clive Lucking 3 Jason Wilcock 4, Kevin Harris 4 Paul Hughes 0, Neville Quinton 4 Phillip Wilcock 2, Danny James 4 John Thomas 1, Men’s ‘B’:- Robert Trumper 1 Paul Alley 3, Neil Powell 3 Craig Spriggs 2, Jacob Perrins 3 Colin Snead 0, John Breeze 3 Mark Howcroft 1, Andre Knox 3 Jon Darlington 0, Martin Riggs 1 Brian Travers 3, Mick O’Neill 0 Tom Evans 3, Rob Harris 3 Nadeem Mohammed 2, Eddie Austin 1 Richard Jones 3, Phil Austin 3 Danny Tinney 2, Wayne Speed 1 Luke Humphreys 3, Martin Angell 1 Paul Gillam 3, Women’s ‘A’:- Leanne Quinton 1 Claire Maddock 3, Kath McLean 3 Jane Robson 0, Marie Riggs 2 Glad Davies 3, Caroline Powell 0 Sarah Roberts 3, Mandy Morgan 3 Paula Collins 2, Julie Griffiths 3 Lyn Chadwick 0, Women’s ‘B’:- Michele Pritchard 3 Jane Andrews 2, Sue Lane 0 Becky Jones 3, Kirsty Jenks 1 Natalie Davey 3, Lynne Watton 3 katie Woodcock 2, Millie Holt 0 Bethan Jones 3, Deanna Worrall 2 Julie Maddock 3.