Middlesex v Shropshire
After an encouraging run of three consecutive wins Shropshire’s final fixture of the season in division four of the BDO Inter County Championships was an away game against Middlesex which was never going to be an easy task.
The ladies ‘B’ team began with what looked to be a defeat in the opening game as Sue Hinks (Middlesex) went 2-0 up against Kirsty Jenks, but the Shropshire player battled on making a great comeback and going on to seal a 3-2 victory. The away teams lead was doubled when Suzanne Lane beat Jenny Sallans, again the tie went the full five legs distance but Suzanne came out not only on top but also as Shropshire’s lady of the match with her 15.07 average.
Middlesex got their first winner in the third encounter when Daisy Downs won 3-1 against Lynne Watton, however the away team guaranteed themselves of at least a draw when Grace Angell won 3-2 against Julie James taking their lead to 3-1.
Sophie Fawcett took the lead twice against Christina Moran but the Shropshire player was unable to win the vital third leg and Moran went on to win 3-2. The last game also went to the home side as Sue Hicks got the better of Caroline Jones with a 3-1 result to put the final score at three each.
Paul Bromley was first on for Shropshire’s men’s ‘B’ team and twice he was pegged back to level terms by Paul Killington before he recorded his 3-2 win. Chris Moore levelled for the hosts when he defeated Brian Hickman 3-0. Paul Boddison had a great start as he won the opening leg against Joshua Burksfield with a superb 153 outshot unfortunately he then lost the next three legs, Burksfield’s 3-1 win giving Middlesex the lead for the first time in the game.
Martin Lukeman took the score along to 3-1 in favour of the home side when he won 3-0 against Nathan Storar but a 3-0 win from Ian Pallett who won his game against Barry Holton with a 114 finish reduced the arrears to 3-2.
At the midway point of the game Middlesex had opened up a 4-2 lead Craig De Almeida adding his 3-2 win over Derek Coulson to the tally after Coulson had twice levelled the game.
The second half began like the first with Shropshire registering the opening win, the man on the mark being Martin Angell with a 3-2 win over Mark Haggerty.
From 4-3 up the hosts went into an unbeatable 6-3 lead when Mark Tiller won 3-1 against Neil Christopher Powell and Paul Hackett beat Robert Trumper 3-2.
With only three games to play Shropshire then had their best run of the match when they won two in a row, Peter Eley won the first of the two when he defeated Daniel Wheatley in three straight legs and in the process take the man of the match award with his 26.84 average.
In the penultimate game Neville Quinton gave anchor man Mick O’Neill the opportunity to snatch a draw when he won 3-2 against Alan Hardy. Mick got off to a good start when he went one up against Luke Bowden and although Bowden won the second leg O’Neill went ahead again in the third. With top shots of 2×100 and 121 the Shropshire man had three darts at double twelve narrowly missing but crucially allowing Bowden to throw for his double five which he found with his very next dart. The final leg of the day saw the Middlsex player forge ahead with throws of 140 and 125 to take him first to an outshot, he checked out on 40 for a 3-2 win with O’Neill left nursing 104.
The 7-5 win by the Middlesex men’s ‘B’ together with the 3-3 draw by the ladies gave the home team a lead of 10-8 to go into Sunday’s games.
It was not a good end of season for the ladies ‘A’ as they fell to their heaviest defeat of the campaign a crushing 6-0. The first four games all finished with a 4-1 scorelines and on the winning side were Margaret Sutton, Coreen Loffler, Lisa Brosnan and Nikki Sutton who in turn accounted for Michele Pritchard, Katharine McLean, Marie Riggs and Mandy Morgan.
With the result already achieved Middlesex then rubbed salt into the wound with a final two 3-0 wins in the last two games, Tina Neylon and Deniece Lewis in turn beating Stephanie Clarke and Julie Griffiths.
The men’s ‘A’ team now required a 10-2 win to salvage even a draw and that was actually the result of the games but unfortunately in favour of Middlesex as the men’s ‘A’ like the ladies ‘A’ suffered their biggest defeat of the season.
In the opener Matt Williams (Shropshire) actually came from 1-0 down against Brian Green to lead 2-1 but then lost the next three and went down 4-2. Shropshire’s next player Andrew Chatter saw his opponent Terry Andrews storm into a 3-0 lead but Chatter kept his cool and won the following three to take the game to a deciding leg which he won in 18 darts with a 112 game shot and at the same time earned himself the man of the match award with his 22.70 average.
George Killington and Tony Andrews both won 4-0 against their respective opponents Danny James and Roger Taylor and taking the home team’s lead up to 5-1 at the halfway stage were Andy Turnbull and Ben Stevenson who each had close 4-3 win in turn against Eddie Austin and Martin Riggs.
Game number seven swayed one way then the other, Kevin Harris won the first leg in 18 darts only to see his Middlesex counterpart Scott Robertson win the next three. By the sixth leg Harris had drawn level with 14 and 17 darts legs but was unable to capitalise by winning the seventh as Robertson checked out in 20 darts with Harris left nursing 82.
By the ninth game Shropshire were trailing 8-1 with further wins for Middlesex from John McDermott who beat Brian Matthews 4-0 and Paul Price who had a 4-2 win over John Cooper.
Shropshire’s second and only other winner was Richard Parker. Playing at number ten against Steven Hyatt Richard went 1-0 and 2-1 up before clinching his 4-2 win in the sixth leg.
Clive Lucking looked as though he would add another stripe to Shropshire’s tally when he won the opening two legs against Allen Bond, however Bond then raced home to a 4-2 victory. Again it was the away player, this time Louis Burley that won the first leg in his tie with Mick Seager and although he won the fifth with a 113 checkout it was Seager who finished the 4-2 winner to give Middlesex a comprehensive 10-2 win taking the overall score to 26-10 to Middlesex, this being Shropshire’s heaviest defeat of the season.
With all fixtures now played Shropshire did, apart from their final game have a good second half to the season and can now look forward and plan their promotion campaign for next season.
Full Results:Middlesex v Shropshire (26-10):Middlesex names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Brian Green 4 Matt Williams 2, Terry Andrews3 Andrew Chatter 4, George Killington 4 Danny James 0, Tony Andrews 4 Roger Taylor 0, Andy Turnbull 4 Eddie Austin 3, Ben Stevenson 4 Martin Riggs 3, Scott Robinson 4 Kevin Harris 3, John McDermott 4 Brain Matthews 0, Paul Price 4 John Cooper 2, Steven Hyatt 2 Richard Parker 4, Allen Bond 4 Clive Lucking 2, Mick Seager 4 Louis Burley 2, Men’s ‘B’:- Paul Killington 2 Paul Bromley 3, Chris Moore 3 Brian Hickman 0, Joshua Burksfield 3 Paul Boddison 1, Martin Lukeman 3 Nathan Storar 0, Barry Holton 0 Ian Pallett 3, Craig De Almeida 3 Derek Coulson 2, Mark Haggerty 2 Martin Angell 3, Mark Tiller 3 Neil Christopher Powell 1, Paul Hackett 3 Robert Trumper 2, Daniel Wheatley 0 Peter Eley 3, Alan Hardy 2 Neville Quinton 3, Luke Bowden 3 Mick O’Neill 2, Women’s ‘A’:- Margaret Sutton 3 Michele Pritchard 1, Coreen Loffler 3 Katharine McLean 1, Lisa Brosnan 3 Marie Riggs 1, Nikki Sutton 3 Mandy Morgan 1, Tina Neylon 3 Stephanie Clarke 0, Deniece Lewis 3 Julie Griffths 0, Women’s ‘B’:- Sue Hinks 2 Kirsty Jenks 3, Jenny Sallans 2 Suzanne Lane 3, Daisy Downs 3 Lynne Watton 1, Julie James 2 Grace Angell 3, Christina Moran 3 Sophie Fawcett 2, Sue Hicks 3 Caroline Jones 1.