KO Cup Last 16 round-up Winter 23/24

There has been some unrest over the format of the cup competitions this season, however the official line is that the rules are being enforced. For me, the rule – as currently worded – can be interpreted in a number of ways, so that the issue.

**Disclaimer ** Before I begin, a quick reminder that i’m not a committee member, I’m just a player who makes a website based on the stats that the teams submit.

For the record, if your team lose the first game you actually play in the KO Cup, then your team drop into the plate. If you’ve won a game in the cup already, you don’t get a second bite of the cherry. Which is fair (from my point of view) – but I’m sure there are people who will want to raise it at the next AGM.

For me, its a straight knockout competition with an awkward total number of teams. The prelim round isnt a seeded thing, its a random draw, and being drawn and winning in the prelim shouldnt give a team an ‘extra life’ if they then lose in the last 16.

Think about it – If a team gets a bye in the prelim, meaning their first game is in the last 16, and lets say they win that but then lose in the last 8, then in no previous season would they then go into the shield comp – so at the end of the day the rules being enforced are fairer for all teams.

The only thing I can suggest is that to prevent grey areas and misinterpretation, then the rule should be reworded to specifically state ‘if a team lose their first played game in the KO Cup‘. However as stated, that’s one for the AGM. Enough rule rambling, onto an interesting Last 16.

Timperley CC 5 vs 2 The Roebuck

An all Division One fixture to get us underway, with both teams hoping their second cup game of the season resulted in qualification for the last 8.

Game one saw Kevin Kelly, (who I ‘think’ was the opponent in Prince Naseem Hamed’s American debut WBO title fight in December 1997), take on the undisputed barracking champion of the world – former Timperley player Andy Kindred. Both are quality players but it was Kevin who won both of the first two rounds to put his side in the lead. Andy Pearson was brought in as part of a Conservative Club reshuffle, and he’s been in sterling form ever since, winning again with a 68.32 average in a 2-0 win over Steve Preston. Steve Reddy edged game three 2-1 against Chris Stone, before Timperley’s Andy Brownhill had a comfortable 2-0 win to put his side on the brink of victory at 3-1.

Chris Reddy managed a decent 65.56 average in game five, however probably didn’t see too many attempts at a double, after an imperious performance from Callum Loose sealed both his game and the match including a maximum, a seasons best 12 dart finish and an absolutely quality 103.66 average. Rick Kiel pulled one back for the Roebuck in game six, but a final 2-0 win for Michael Watling gave a final score of Timperley 5 Roebuck 2.

Match Stats

John Alker 2 vs 5 Ammies Darts

Another all Division One contest next, between two sides who progressed though the last round at the expense of Urmston SC and the Malt Shovels respectively.

It was the league leaders who got off to a great start winning the first two game with quick 2-0 wins for Pete Watson and Ray Dore, but Baz Rowland of the Alker stopped the rot with a 2-0 victory of his own, hitting a 73.32 average and a 19 darter along the way to hand Andy Tucker his first defeat in the South Manchester Darts league. Mike Nolan was certainly left ‘in the mood for dancing’ (probably one for the older reader), pulling his side level at 2-2 in game four, with a 180 contributing to a 2-0 win over Scott Livingstone. In game 5, Skipper Paul Devine took his first leg in a sluggish 44 darts after a brief spell in th madhouse, however after a bit of devine intervention, he won the second leg in 16 to put the cup holders ahead. Chris McKenzie sealed the tie by beating Gary Thompson 2-1, and Adam Watson finished it off with a 2-0 win over Ewan Donegan to put the Ammies in the Quarter Finals for the 653rd time in as many seasons. Credit to the Alker for becoming the first team this season to take two games off the champions however.

Match Stats

Cringlewood A 3 vs 4 Broadheath Central

In our third Division one matchup of the night, we had a KO Cup rematch of the Summer league KO Shield final, and although we had the same close 4-3 score it was the Altrincham side who ran out victors on this occasion. With four of the games going the distance, this one really seems like it could have gone either way.

Chris Woodhouse put Broadheath ahead in game one, before Rob Lauder put an end to Leyton Jacksons unbeaten season with a 2-0 win in game two to put the sides level. Broadheath Captain JonJo Devon beat Luke Mulhern 2-1 in game three, and Andy McCormack hit his third maximum in as many games this season during a 2-1 win of his own over Ray Levesconte. Darren Wood then sealed progression with, you guessed it, a 2-1 win against Wayne Proud to make it 4-1 overall, but consecutive Cringlewood wins for Alex Martin (2-1 again) and Mike Morrison (2-0 with a 19 darter and 69.91 average) meant the game finished Cringlewood A 3, Broadheath Central 4.

Match Stats

Wythenshawe CSC 5 vs 2 The Melville

Division 3’s Melville have made a good start in their first season in the league, but were up against it when visiting Wythenshawe CSC.

And so it proved, with the early exchanges putting Peps side 3-0 up in quick fashion following 2-0 wins for Martin Power, Adam White and Mandy Smith. Jon Powell stemmed the tide with a 2-0 win in game four to put the Melville on the scoreboard, but Col Smith, in his second appearance of the season got a 180 in his 2-0 win against Brad Hodgson, putting the home side 4-1 up overall and sealing a quarter final berth. The final two games were shared, with Wythenshawe captain Dave Peploe suffering a 2-0 loss to Paul Sambrook in game six, before Kian Sherlock added the gloss for the home side, beating Jake Powell 2-0 in the final game of the evening.

Match Stats

The Silver Birch 5 vs 2 Old Market Tavern

Division 2’s Silver Birch got another win under their belts gaining a 5-2 win after a slow start against Division 3’s Old Market Tavern.

The first four games saw alternating two nil wins with two for each side. Lee Davies won game one for the Birch against the first of five Haycocks’ on the night, before Steve Foster of the OMT made it 1-1. Martin Tyson put the Birch back in the lead, and Richard Haycocks evened it up at 2-2. Kraig Loose and Diane Davies both won 2-0 for the Birch to seal the game, and Alan Dawson polished off the match with a 2-1 win to help the birch march on to the next round.

Match Stats

The Victoria 4 vs 3 Cringlewood B

Next we had a rematch of the Summer season KO Cup Semi final which had been won 5-2 by the Withington side. Surrounded by the ridiculous cacophony created by South Manchester’s student population, Cringlewood B were very unlucky not to get their own back after being 3-1 up before falling to a painful 4-3 defeat suffered whilst enduring the soundtrack of southern accents urging Man United on against FC Copenhagen.

Sean Edwards got the Vic off to a good start with a 2-0 win over an out of sorts Gary Williams, but the Cringlewood came roaring back with a 2-1 win for Geoff Sanders over Matt Jepson. Dan O’Donnell put the Cringlewood ahead at 2-1 after beating Lewis Holley 2-0, before Billy Sanders extended both his sides lead and turned the knife further on my run of abysmal form, with a 2-0 win. Newcomer and Manchester University student John Lynch, who usually plies his darting trade in the inter universities leagues got the Vic back on track in game five with a tidy 2-0 win hinting of good things to come, before Terry Jepson took matters into his own hands with a 17 darter and 75 average in his 2-0 win against Pete Williams. With it all down to the final game, Vic veteran Dave The Knife Stanley cut through George Lewis 2-0 to put his team in the hat for the quarter finals.

Match Stats

Trafford SC 2 vs 5 The Royal Oak

The visiting Royal Oak wasted no time at all in putting their Division Two rivals to the sword in our next game, surging into a 5-0 lead after as many games. A pair of wins for Trafford in the last two however averted any fears of a whitewash.

Lee Medd, Pete DeCordova and Sharon Kirby all had 2-0 wins to put the Chorlton side in the driving seat, before Tony Kirby had a fine performance in winning the game for the Oak with a 69.6 average and 17 darter in his win over Andrew Wood in game four. Pete Perry made it 5-0 in game five, but Trafford Social managed to make it more respectable overall by winning the final two games through Kyle Wands and Liam Galvin who both won 2-0 to ensure the whitewash was avoided.

Match Stats

Carters Arms 3 vs 4 Ashton-on-Mersey CC

Our final report comes from another all Division 2 fixture and saw Ashton-on-Mersey continue their quest this season to only be involved in 4-3 games, with another such result against Sales Carters Arms, who also succumbed to the same scoreline in the recent league fixture between the two sides.

Mark Robinson got Ashton off to a good start with a 2-1 win, but Jim Morris and Dave Sills got the Carters back on track and into an early lead, both with 2-0 wins in games two and three. Chris Chapman pulled Ashton level hitting a 106 finish and 18 dart leg during his 2-0 win over Ben Mitchell, and Mike Buckley put them ahead with his own 2-0 win featuring a 110 finish. League Chairman James Compton, sealed it for the Cricket Club winning 2-0 in game six for an overall score of 4-2, but Gavin Halton managed one more for the Carters with a 2-1 defeat of Andy Mathias.

Match Stats

So we have our Quarter Final line up in place, with holders Ammies Darts joining fellow Division One sides Timperley CC, Broadheath Central, Wythenshawe CSC and the Victoria in the draw alongside Division Two’s Silver Birch, Royal Oak A, and Ashton-on-Mersey.

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