The Sheldon and District Winter League have been involved in the quarter-finals of their Punchbowl and Sheldon Shield, first the Punchbowl in which premier league leaders Langley Arrows beat their nearest title rivals Sheldon Marlborough Arrows 6-1, Sheldon are level on twenty-six points with Langley in the league and have two more games to play as opposed to Langley only having one fixture remaining. Fourth in the top division Highwood also won 6-1 in their tie with fifth placed Mackadown Sports and Social Club. The other two games finished with close 4-3 results, Brian’s Flights taking out RAFA and Yardley Ex Colts accounting for Hollywood Social Club.
In the last eight games of the Sheldon Shield, division one side Old Salts Darts had a 6-1 win over their premier league opponents EBAHA while Lyndon Old Boys, who are placed fourth in division two beat division two leaders Moseley Rugby Club 4-3. The all-division one clash between Kingshurst Labour Club and Hunters Moon saw the former win 6-1. The fixture between Iron Horse Rebels and Raven was a late result.
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Round two of the Prestridge Shield and Roy Bird Shield were the order of the day in the Four Oaks and District League, division one leaders Highcroft Hotdogs making a surprising exit as they lost 5-4 to Rise Club who are next to bottom of the division one table. No such problem for the division one second team Nomads @ Hollyfields as they beat their second division opponents Sutton Sharks 8-1. The other two games played both finished with 7-2 scorelines as Bishop Vesey (division one) defeated St Thomas Arrows (division two) and in the all-division one encounter, bottom of the table Plough and Arrows lost against fourth in the top division Old Horns Lions.
Three of the four fixtures for the quarter-finals of the Roy Bird Shield brought together division one teams against division two teams with all three of the division sides wining 7-2 as Charley’s Flights beat Rosey Mac’s Bar, Heartlands won against Beggars Bush and Red Lion took out Deer’s Leap. The other game was an all division two affair with Pint Pot Flights beating Rosey Mac’s 5-4.
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With a 5-2 home win over fifth in the league Greenlands, Northfield took their unbeaten run in the Kings Norton League to sixteen games and keeps them six points clear of second in the table Copper Fox who had a similar 5-2 home win against Cock Inn. Third placed Bournebrook lost ground in the title race as they went down 4-3 at home to Kings Norton Flights who are five places below them and have ten fewer points than their opponents. Bourneville are fourth on twenty-two points and ten off the top after they won 5-2 playing away against Toby Jug. Greenlands defeat leaves them on twenty points they are twelve short of Northfield.
On the individual scene this week, there were five maximums scores and they came from M.Cormell and T.Moore (Stirchley), N.Porter (Copper Fox), K.Webb (Bournebrook) and R.Waldron (Greenlands).
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The top two teams in division one of the South West Birmingham Clubs League played each other this week and the 5-3 result went to the away team and leaders of the division Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’ who defeated Northfield Darts Club despite a maximum from the hosts J.Cutler. The win leaves Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’ four points ahead of their opponents with a game in hand. Third placed Longbridge had a bye and are now two points short of Northfield Darts Club but with a game in hand.
In division two, leaders Quarry Lane Club played away against second placed Perfection, the result was a 4-4 draw with Quarry Lane Club holding on to their five points lead on their hosts. Third in the division Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club handed out a 7-0 whitewash to their visitors, bottom of the table Moseley All Services Club to keep within two points of Perfection with a game in hand. L.Fox (Quarry Lane Club) hit a maximum.
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Gornal British Legion chalked up a huge 7-0 win in their home game against seventh in the league Bird in Hand in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League to hold on to pole position with twenty-two points from twelve games. Second in the table is Old Liberal Club who also handed out a 7-0 whitewash to their hosts Gate Hangs Well to put them on the same twenty-two points as the British Legion but from eleven games, they have won all of their fixtures so far and are the only team in the league with a 100% win record. Third placed Ten Arches ‘A’ suffered a setback as they lost 4-3 playing away against sixth in the league Five Ways whose R.Jones and B.Watts both recorded a 160 break. After the top three there are four teams all on sixteen points, Glasscutters ‘A’, Netherton Conservative Club, Five Ways and Bird in Hand, Glasscutters ‘A’ lost their home game with Gigmill 4-3 while Netherton Conservative Club won 4-3 at Seven Stars.
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The Netherton Thursday Night 501 League played the first leg of the semi-finals of their League Cup and Shadow League Cup. In the former both games finished with a close 5-4 result, fourth in the league Bulls Head beating sixth placed Hill and Cakemore Ex Serviceman’s Club and second in the league Old Liberal Club winning against Plough and Harrow who are fifth. There was a maximum for Plough and Harrow’s M.Abbott and one also for Old Liberal Club’s S.Passey.
The first leg of the Shadow League Cup saw third in the league British Oak amass a 7-2 win to take into the second leg, which will be at home against Rose and Crown, Spring Meadow Social not far behind with their 6-3 success against Townsend Social Club.
There was just one rearrngaed league fixture played in which bottom of the league Cherrywood registerd their third win in seventeen games when they won 5-4 at home against Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘B’ whose G.Peters found the three treble twenties.
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The Silver End Sunday Morning League have got their new season underway with a total of twenty teams. The early pacesetters are Old Liberal Club who opened up their new campaign with an unbeatable 8-0 result at Brier Rose. Dudley Sports ‘A’ and Tenth Lock are not far behind with their 7-1 wins in turn against Bell and New Talbot ‘B’. After the top three teams come four who all won 6-2, Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club, Old Star, Pensnett Liberal Club ‘A’ and Ten Arches who in turn had wins against Pensnett Liberal Club ‘B’, Old Cat Inn, Ashwood and Dudley Sports ‘B’.
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It was finals night in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League, the finals of their Doubles Knockout and lifting the title were A.Nicholls and R.Riaz (Swan) who defeated C.Snelus and C.Penzer (Hollybush) in the final.
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The Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League staged the semi-finals of their Memorial Cup, third from bottom of the league Horseley Tavern ‘A’ pulled of the shock of the round by beating Sandwell who are placed third in the league, 5-2. Sixth in the table Wonder ‘B’ beat their seventh placed Ivy Bush 7-0.
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Wonder march on in the Rowley Monday Night League, their latest 8-1 win at Hawthorns ‘A’ making it twelve straight wins to keep them top of the table with a two points lead on reigning champions Bell who also won 8-1 at home against bottom of the table Ex Serviceman’s Club. A further two points adrift in third place is Tividale FC who had a 5-4 home win over Whiteheath Tavern giving them a two points breathing space on fourth in the league Snooks after they added their 5-4 win at Rowley Labour Club to their account. Fifth and sixth in the league Gate Hangs Well and Plough and Harrow are both on sixteen points after they won in turn against Loyal Lodge (7-2) and Tividale Sports (5-4).
There were maximums for K.Hopton (Wonder) and J.Tart (Tividale FC).
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In their most recent fixture New Inn 2 had a 6-3 home win over Mount Pleasant who are placed fourth in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League. The win keeps New Inn 2, two points better off than second in the league Gornal British Legion who handed their hosts Red Cow a 9-0 whitewash. Both of the top two teams have played eighteen games whereas third and fourth placed Netherton Sports and Social Club and Mount Pleasant have played nineteen. Netherton Sports and Social Club were also 9-0 winners in their home fixture against New Inn. After the top four there is a gap of six points to fifth in the table Royal who won their latest fixture at home against next to bottom of the league Meadow Lark 5-4.
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Gemma Barrett holds on to pole position in the West Midlands Ladies Super League with a 3-0 win over Kat McLean taking her points from twenty games to seventy. Jacqueline Maiden moves up one place to second following her 3-2 win over Debbie Davies followed by a 3-1 success against Sam Rowley to put her on sixty-nine points from nineteen games. Former leader Yvonne Taylor didn’t play this week, she is currently third in the league on sixty-four points from only sixteen games.
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Leader of the Amblecote RBL Premier League Jason Lowe played and won two more fixtures this week beating both Pete Illic and Joe Poole 6-1 to take his points tally to 170 from twenty-six games which gives him a lead of nine over second placed Ian Townsend who had a close 4-3 win over Mark Hopkins but then registered a 7-0 win against Matt Halliday. A further five points adrift, but with a game in hand is Nick Fullwell who didn’t play this week. Gavin Smith is fourth and has games in hand on all the players above him, he has played twenty-four games and this week after winning 4-3 against Connor Whitehouse won his game with Michael Harding by the same 4-3 margin to put him on 141 points from his twenty-four games.
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In the Gilbert’s Bar Monday NIght Singles League division one leader Scott Baker had a 6-2 win over fourth placed Mark Zambra this week to remain top of the table with eighty-four points from ten games, he has a lead of eight points plus two games in hand on second in the division Chris Manoila who had a 6-2 win over Ben Forrest. Simon Mountford beat Allan Davies 5-3 to give him a total of seventy-four points from eleven games and put him third in the division.
Michale Smith tops division two, he won 6-2 against Joe Bartolo to leave him on eighty-nine points from eleven games with a lead of fourteen over second placed Wayne Barratt who has played twelve games after being held to a 4-4 draw by Jon Williams. Reece Cook lucas is third, he has only played nine games and is just four behind Wayne Barratt with three games in hand.
Olly Garratt has a huge eighteen points lead plus a game in hand at the top of division three, his 6-2 win over new player Troy Simmonds making it eleven wins and one draw from his twelve games and giving him a total of 102 points. Second in the division Keogh Bate beat Ffoebi Bower 7-1 before being held to a 4-4 draaw by Alex Bryant to take him to eighty-four points with a slender lead of two over third placed Charlie Baker who also has a game in hand after a 6-2 win over Sarah Barratt.
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With all the domestic results all done and dusted the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League have been busy winding down their season with various cup finals, the latest of which was the finals of their 4 A-Side Knockout. Making their exits in the semi-finals were Junction ‘B’ (Paul Price, John Simms, Paul Bromley and Ryan Bourne) and Junction ‘A’ (Len Slade, Adam Slade, Mike Harris and Jack Duck).
In the final the Junction ‘B’ team of Jack Aldridge, Dean Simmons-Fullwood, Callum Parkes and Ryan Locker had a 4-2 win over the Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ team of Ben Johnson, Andy Jervis, Jon Blakemore and Chris Hill.
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