Bedfordshire v Shropshire
After a bright start to the season with one draw and one win in the opening two games in division four of the BDO Inter County Championships Shropshire have since lost two games in a row and their fifth game of the season away to high riding Bedfordshire was never going to be an easy task.
The ladies ‘B’ team could not have wished for a better start but it turned out to be a game of two halves as Cally Jones opened up for Shropshire with a 3-2 win over Joanna Coombes after the Bedfordshire player had gone 1-0 and 2-1 up. Sophie Fawcett (Shropshire) like her team mate Jones also lost the first leg in her game with Lisa Perkins but then took a 2-1 lead and although Perkins won the fourth Sophie Fawcett won the decider for a 3-2 win and the match award for her 14.84 average.
The score then moved along to 3-0 to visiting Shropshire as Debbie Davies added her 3-1 win over Jennifer Thomas to their tally. But then it was all change as Rachael Mooney (Shropshire) won the first leg against Angie Moyce and lost 3-2, Cheryl Owen went down 3-1 to Jo Dilley and Caroline Powell despite levelling at 2-2 after trailing 2-0 lost 3-2 to Rachel Egleton to put the final score at 3-3.
The men’s ‘B’ went into the game on the back of three consecutive defeats and as a consequence confidence running at a low and that surely showed as their hosts stormed into a crushing 9-0 lead, six of the nine games finishing with a close 3-2 result, finishing doubles playing a big part in Shropshire’s downfall.
Mark Circuitt gave Bedfordshire their starter for nine as he beat Chris Hill 3-2, Gareth Murrey doubled the home teams lead with his 3-0 success against John Stanley. Paul Wright, Peter Dilley and Bobby Lee were all 3-2 winners in turn against Lee Hodgkiss, Darren Lane and Chris Fox. Paul Smith beat Neville Quinton 3-0 and taking the score to a game winning 7-0 was Brain Reed with his 3-1 win over Chris Williams.
Joe Reid and Paul Meakin were two more 3-2 winners as they accounted for their respective opponents James Mansell and Andy Gilbert before in the tenth game Shropshire recorded their first winner. That winner came in the shape of Mike Hampson who after winning the first leg went 2-1 down then went on to win 3-2 against Bob Bennett. After such a long wait for a winner Shropshire then added a second as Richard Parker kicked off his game against Luke Ely with outshots of 116 and 117 to open a 2-0 lead, both legs in eighteen darts. Ely won the following two legs to take the game to a deciding leg which Parker won in 17 darts for not only a 3-2 win but at the same time he also took the man of the match award for his 27.29 average.
The final game of the day went to Phillip Price (Bedfordshire) who was pegged back to level terms twice by Simon Pritchard who if he hadn’t missed doubles in the first leg could have won the tie 3-2 instead of losing it 3-2. The overall result a whopping 10-2 win to Bedfordshire.
With two wins and two draws Shropshire ladies ‘A’ were undefeated in their first four games of the season but that was all about to change.
Winner of the previous three match awards Stephanie Clarke opened up for Shropshire and although her opponent Holly Meadweel took her to a deciding leg it was Stephanie who won it, her 3-2 win with an 18.36 average making it four successive awards.
Shirley Williams was quick to level for Bedfordshire as she won 3-1 against Sue Lane and then with three 3-0 wins in a row for Kerry King, Hannah Meadwell and Maria Perrin against their respective opponents Michele Pritchard, Julie Griffiths and Allison Gallagher Bedfordshire were home and dry with a 4-1 advantage. The final score was taken to 4-2 when Marie Riggs made it an especially fantastic Birthday when she came from one down against Donna Hutt to go on and win 3-1.
The men’s ‘A’ needed a 12-0 clean sweep for an overall weekend win and although they began fine with a 4-0 win from Reece Cook-Lucas over Patrick Clowery followed by a 4-2 win for Andy Jervis against Aden O’Mahoney the pipe dream was ended in the third as Chris Dilley (Bedfordshire) beat Pete Eley 4-1. A further 4-1 win for Ben Hazel against Dan Astbury levelled the score at 2-2 before the visiting team took the next three games. Rob Henderson won 4-3 against Adam King, Sam Hamilton handed out a 4-1 defeat to Mark Elliott and taking Shropshire’s lead to 5-2 was Clive Lucking who had a 4-3 win against Wayne Chandley.
Richard Wood put a stop to the Shropshire charge as he beat Justin Evans 4-3 and reducing the arrears to 5-4 was Trevor Ellacott who had a 4-2 success in his tie with Martin Price.
Keith Allman restored Shropshire’s winning ways when he handed Lloyd Wintle a 4-0 whitewash and with a 4-3 win from Richard Parker over Dara Curran Shropshire’s men’s ‘A’ team had won their first game in the five match season so far as they were now 7-4 up.
With the match now won anchor man Derek Coulson, already a winner of two man of the match awards made it three when he came from 3-0 down to battle on and win 4-3 against Micky Reed with a 26.09 average.
Coulson’s win took the final score to 8-4 for Shropshire and gave an overall weekend result of 21-15 to Bedfordshire.
Full Results:Bedfordshire v Shropshire (21-15):Bedfordshire names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Patrick Glowery 0 Reece Cook-Lucas 4, Aden O’Mahoney 2 Andy Jervis 4, Chris Dilley 4 Pete Eley 1, Ben Hazel 4 Dan Astbury 1, Adam King 3 Rob Henderson 4, Mark Elliott 1 Sam Hamilton 4, Wayne Chandley 3 Clive Lucking 4, Richard Wood 4 Justin Evans 3, Trevor Ellacott 4 Martin Price 2, Lloyd Wintle 0 Keith Allman 4, Dara Curran 3 Richard Parker 4, Micky Reed 3 Derek Coulson 4, Men’s ‘B’:- Mark Circuitt 3 Chris Hill 2, Gareth Murrey 3 John Stanley 0, Paul Wright 3 Lee Hodgkiss 2, Peter Dilley 3 Darren Lane 2, Bobby Lee 3 Chris Fox 2, Paul Smith 3 Neville Quinton 0, Brain Reed 3 Chris Williams 1, Joe Reid 3 James Mansell 2, Paul Meakin 3 Andy Gilbert 2, Bob Bennett 2 Mike Hampson 3, Luke Ely 2 Richard Parker 3, Phillip Price 3 Simon Pritchard 2, Women’s ‘A’:- Holly Meadwell 2 Stephanie Clarke 3, Shirley Williams 3 Sue Lane 1, Kerry King 3 Michele Pritchard 0, Hannah Meadwell 3 Julie Griffiths 0, Maria Perrin 3 Allison Gallagher 0, Donna Hutt 1 Marie Riggs 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Joanna Coombes 2 Cally Jones 3, Lisa Perkins 2 Sophie Fawcett 3, Jennifer Thomas 1 Debbie Davies 3, Angie Moyce 3 Rachael Mooney 2, Jo Dilley 3 Cheryl Owen 1, Rachel Egleton 3 Caroline Powell 2.
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