The Hen Lane Club, Beacon Road, Coventry, CV6 4DS was the setting for the Coventry Open which attracted a wealth of darting talent. The quarter-finals saw Warwickshire duo Danny Lauby and Samuel Price square up to each other with Lauby the 5-2 winner. Dave Pallett had a 5-3 win against Reece Colley (Black Country) while both Steve Hine (Warwickshire) and Michael Powell (Black Country) in turn won 5-4 against Taylor McGuckian (Warwickshire) and Nick Fullwell (Lincolnshire). The semis were extended to the best of eleven legs and both finished with 6-3 scorelines, the results going to Dave Pallett and Danny Lauby at the expense of Steve Hine and Michael Powell. The top prize went to Dave Pallet after he defeated Danny Lauby 6-1 in the final.
Dave Pallett (winner) and Neil Pritchard
Danny Lauby (runner-up) and Neil Pritchard
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The Sheldon and District Summer League played the preliminary round of their League Cup and the draw produced a tie between top of group one, Langley Arrows and bottom of group four, Trident Flights which saw Langley run out 6-1 winners with maximums from both Richard Mills and Aaron Nixon. Other teams to win 6-1 were Shirley Misfits and RAFA who beat respective opponents Maggies and Kingshurst Labour Club. Next to bottom of group one, Mackadown Sports and Social Club, had maximums from Chris Millward and Jake Savage but it was not enough to save them from a 5-2 defeat at EBAHA who are next to bottom of group two. Mick Noonan (Banbury Club) was another player to find the three treble twenties in his team’s 4-3 win at Lyndon Old Boys, Raven winning by the same 4-3 margin at home over Langley Pints. Langley Flights and Trident Spears both won 5-2 in turn against Station Inn and Old Salts Darts.
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The Four Oaks and District League rounded off their season with the finals of the Derek Masters Singles Knockout and in the quarter-finals Kevin Smith had a 160 break in his 2-1 win over Dan Chiswell, Andy Helsip winning by the same 2-1 margin against Colin Davis while both Tom Cupkovic and Chris Sammons won 2-0 against Karl Neale and Simon Edwards. Both semi-finals went to a deciding leg with Tom Cupkovic beating Chris Sammons and Kevin Smith winning against Andy Heslip. The final was extended to the best of five legs and once again the game went to a decider with Tom Cupkovic coming out the 3-2 winner, Kevin Smith finishing as runner-up.
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Northfield Conservative Club took their unbeaten run in the Harborne and District League to twenty-three games when they won 8-1 at home against Weoley Castle WMC, the win opens up as six points lead on second placed Northfield Darts Club for whom there was no result this week and now have a game in hand on the leaders. There were no results either for third and fourth placed Copper Fox ‘R’ and Copper Fox ‘M’ who are both on thirty-eight points, eight off the top with the former having one game in hand and the latter two.
On the individual scene there were 180’s from D.Hill (Northfield Conservative Club), S.Barlow (Weoley Castle WMC), A.Bomber (Smethwick Cricket Club) plus a 160 break from John Fox (Cock Inn).
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A 5-2 win at Kings Norton Flights has confirmed Northfield champions of the Kings Norton League. Although second placed Copper Fox have a game in hand they are eight points short of Northfield and only have three more games to play but they will finish their campaign as runners-up as third placed Bournebrook after winning 4-3 at Bourneville have two games to play but are six points adrift of Copper Fox.
It was a really high-scoring week in the league this week with no fewer than twelve maximums, A.Bailes (Bourneville) hitting two while there was one for K.Webb (Bournebrook), N.Smith, P.Taylor, Kyle Astbury (Perfection), R.Waldron (Greenlands), R.Broadhurst, M.Malone (Longbridge), Joe Fox (Cock Inn), S.Jacques (Toby Jug) and A.Reynolds (E57).
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Bears, leaders of division one in the Shirley and District Monday Night League, suffered a 5-4 home defeat to second placed Langley ‘A’ this week but remain top of the division with a two points lead and superior average over Langley ‘A’ who have only played three games to Bears four.
Leaders of division two, Banbury, are the only team in the league with a 100%v win record, their latest fixture seeing them win 7-2 at home against Sharmans. Second placed Shirley Misfits are on the same eight points as Banbury but have played one game more than them, their latest home encounter producing a 5-4 win over Saracens Slingers.
There were ten 180’s this week and they came from S.Hercules (Stirchley), John Buckingham (Tippetts Bar), Mick Bown (Royals), Trevor Hobbis (Highwood), Adam Cooksey, Jamie Meredith (Banbury), Wayne Clarke (Nomads) and Ryan Monaghan (Saracens Slingers), Banbury’s Kris Green hot two maximums.
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A 6-1 win over Northfield Conservative Club ‘A’, plus a maximum from L.Fowler, keeps Northfield Darts Club top of division one of the South West Birmingham Clubs League with a perfect eight points from their four games. Stirchley United are second, they lost ground this week as they went down 4-3 at Quarry Lane Club, this first defeat for Stirchley leaves them two points behind the leaders as are third placed Quarry Lane Club.
Longbridge top division two despite losing 4-3 at West Heath CEM this week, they remain top of the table on average from their second placed victors. Perfection’s 5-2 win at Moseley All Services Club puts them third in the division, two points behind West Heath.
Quarry Lane Club player L.Fox also hit a 180.
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On the fixture card for the Camp Hill League this week was the preliminary round of their League Cup, there was just the one game played in which currently fourth placed Shannons Rebels lost 5-2 at home to Cotterills Lane EBAHA Club, who are three places below them in the league table.
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Martin Cooper, leader of the Heartlands Sugardarts M&E Co Double Top League, began this week’s fixtures with a 3-0 win over Adam Rogers but then suffered a defeat by the same 3-0 margin to third in the league Dylan Bloomer. Cooper holds on to pole position with fifty-four points, he has a slender one points lead plus a game in hand on second placed Steve Cain who kept the pressure on Cooper with a 2-1 win over Hayden Valovec followed by a 3-0 success against Clive Austin. Third placed Bloomer is four points behind Steve Cain and three ahead of fourth placed Matthew Cain whose 3-0 wins over Tony Pedley and Ryan Cain puts him on forty-six points and although eight behind leader Cooper he has three games in hand on him and four on both Steve Cain and Dylan Bloomer.
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Two games into the second half of the season in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League and only two points separate the top three teams. Allen’s Bar top the table with a two legs advantage over second placed Vine ‘A’ after Allen’s Bar won their home tie with Horseley Tavern ‘A’ 5-2 and Vine ‘A’ won 4-3 at home against Three Horseshoes, both teams are on thirty-two points. Third in the table Cottage Spring had a 6-1 home win over Vine ‘B’ leaving them two points behind the leading duo and four to the good on fourth placed Wonder ‘B’ who won 5-2 at Ivy Bush.
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The Rowley Monday Night League is turning into a two-horse race with leaders Wonder adding a 9-0 home win over Loyal Lodge to their account to put them on forty points and second placed Bell won 7-2 at home against Tividale Sports to put them on thirty-eight points, just two shy of the leaders. Third in the league Tividale FC, despite winning 5-4 at home against Plough and Harrow, are twelve points off the top as are fourth in the league Gate Hangs Well after they also won 5-4 at Romsley Cricket Club whose S.Layton and T.Pike both hit a maximum and J.Harris had a 160 break. There was also a 180 for T.Whitehouse (Spring Meadow) and R.Lenton (Rowley Labour Club), while N.Taylor (Snooks) had a 160 break.
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It was cup quarter-finals week in the Silver End Sunday Morning League, in the League Cup, league leaders Old Star had a 6-2 win at Portway, while third in the league Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club beat sixth placed High Acres ‘A’ 5-3. Also making their way into the last four were Dudley Sports ‘A’ who beat Brier Rose 5-2 and Union who won 6-2 against Old Cat.
In the Shadow League Cup the game between New Talbot and Everest Cottage went to 4-4 with Everest Cottage winning a deciding game. There were 6-2 wins for both Dudley Sports ‘B’ and Old Liberal Club at the expense in turn of Ten Arches and High Acres ‘B’. Brickmakers Arms moved into the last four with a 5-3 win over Bell.
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The finals of the League Cup were played off in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League and making their exits in the semi-finals were Roebuck ‘A’ and Glasshouse ‘A’ to create a final between High Acres ‘A’ and Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’, the Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ making it a league and League Cup double by beating High Acres ‘A’.
There were three rearranged league fixtures played which had no bearing on the league positions whatsoever, league runners-up Bridge completed their programme with an 8-1 win at Roebuck ‘B’, while in the other games played Raven won 6-3 at Tommy Turners ‘A’ and Dudley Sports ‘A won 5-4 at Pensntt Liberal Club ‘A’.
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After the opening five fixtures in the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League, just three of the starting line-up of eighteen teams remain undefeated. Stourbridge FC ‘A’ top the table with just a one leg of average lead over second placed Raven after Stourbridge FC ‘A’ won 5-2 at the Swan and Raven won by the same margin in their home game with Wheatsheaf. Third placed Chop House are a further one leg of average behind after adding their latest 4-3 win at Bird in Hand ‘E’ to their tally.
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The Stourbridge and District Monday Night League played their singles knockout down to the last sixteen players and winning through to finals night were, G.Marson, L.Marson, A.Marson, I.Bradley (Gornal British Legion), J.Stevens, J.Gaskin (Seven Stars), W.Green (Bird in Hand ‘E’), C Pickett, C.Moreton, S.Tipper, C.Hart (Old Liberal Club), R.Wilkinson, M.Abbot (Netherton Conservative Club), D.Edwards, A.Kennedy (Ten Arches ‘A’), S.Gough (Five Ways).
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An 8-1 home win over Old Glasshouse has confirmed Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ as champions of the Netherton Thursday Night 501 League, the champions still have one fixture to play but second placed Old Liberal Club completed their fixture card with a similar 8-1 home win over Plough and Harrow to take the runners-up spot, six points behind the Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ and three points more than third placed British Oak who still have a game to play and although a win in that game would put them level on points with Old Liberal Club they would still trail heavily on average.
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Evonne Taylor rounded off a superb season in the West Midlands Ladies Super League with a 3-0 win over Sam Rowlands and a 3-2 success against Jackie Trott to see her complete the thirty-four games season undefeated. Taylor amassed a total of 136 points which was 21 more than reigning champion and this season’s runner-up Jacqueline Maiden.
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Jason Lowe has extended his lead at the top of the Amblecote RBL Premier League to twenty points with a 7-0 win over Mark Nassralla followed by a 6-1 win over Grant Jackson. Second placed Nick Fullwell had a 5-2 win against Craig Lowin and 6-1 win against Kian Rogers to keep him nine points ahead of third placed Ian Townsend who beat Rhys Cox 6-1 and Jake Shipley 5-2 to give him a total of 254 points. Fourth and fifth placed Cayden Smith and Paul Wells both have three games in hand on the top three players and have respective points of 244 and 243.
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Division one leader in the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League Scott Baker, added two more 6-2 wins to his account when he beat Justin Evans and Jon Blakemore to give him a total of 147 points which is 16 more than his nearest rival Simon Mountford plus he has a game in hand on Mountford who lost ground in the title race when he was beaten 5-3 by Simon Pritchard.
In division two Michael Smith had a 7-1 win over Reece Cook Lucas to take his number of points to 146 which is a huge 27 more than second placed Joe Bartolo who has played one game more than Smith. A close eye should be kept on fourth placed Andy Mullinder who although is on 111 points has three games in hand on Smith and four on both Bartolo and third placed Richard Brown.
Olly Garratt continues to impress in division three, a 7-1 win over Alex Bryant and 5-3 success over Matt Ford gives him a total of 145 points and although his nearest rival Troy Simmonds has a game in hand on Garratt he trails him by some 33 points.
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Three teams, Junction ‘B’, Dog and Partridge ‘B’ and New Gate Inn made it four out of four wins in the singles league of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League. Junction ’B’ top the table with a four legs average lead on Dog and Partridge ‘B’ after the leaders won 5-2 against local rivals Junction ‘D’ and Dog and Partridge ‘B’ beat Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ by the same 5-2 margin. Third placed New Gate Inn are a further one leg behind after adding their latest 7-0 win at Wheatsheaf.
Junction ‘D’ and New Gate Inn are the only two teams to maintain a 100% win record in the doubles league and they are tied together at the top of the table with the same eight points and level on average.
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