So, the new season is finally upon us and we welcome six new teams to the league – The Royal Oak B, The Buck Inn-eers, Broadheath Central Aces, The Nelson Didsbury, The Levenshulme B and The Vine Inn.
With a league structure expanding from 26 teams to a record 32 teams, we’ve finally achieved the holy grail of being able to have a first round proper in the SMD Cup, with all losers dropping into the SMD Shield. And no prelims for anyone!
Due to the amount of new teams, it means no byes in the league, which also increases the number of games I need to report on each week from 12 to 16, so its almost like having an additional division. With that in mind I’m going to be a bit more concise with the reports and who gets a mention as I clearly cant be writing the names of all 224 players (up from 168) every single week. So the plan is to focus on team results and give honourable mentions to certain players for good performances and merit achievements. That said, we’ll see how it goes, as I tend to just get on one.
The new season came around quite quickly for me, but clearly not soon enough for six teams (the first three games in the review below) who chose to kick their season off a week early, by playing their Cup game on 26th June. So without further ado….
The Levenshulme 6 vs 1 The Royal Oak B
The Levenshulme of Division 1 got their season off to a strong start with a comfortable 6-1 win over one of the newcomers to division 3 The Royal Oak B. The Oak are made up of some players who are new to the league combined with some who played for the Royal Oak’s Division 2 side last season, and it was one of the latter, team captain Jack Holt who put the visitors into the lead with a 2-1 win.
The Levenshulme took umbrage with this in their own back yard however, and won the next six games for the loss of only one leg. These wins featured the first 180 of the season in Division 1 hit by Joe Kelly in game 3, while the ever consistent Dylan Wimbury registered a 17 darter in game 5.
Ashton-on-Mersey CC 3 vs 4 The Cringlewood
In our second of the early starters fixtures, Division 1’s Cringlewood got the better of their hosts, Division 2’s Ashton-on-Mersey, with a close 4-3 win. A back and forth game saw the visiting Cringlewood take an early lead through Phil Lauder, before a 180 from Stephen Orton helped the home side draw level after two games. The remainder of the games went back-and-forth as the Cringlewood would re-take the lead only for Ashton to pull it back to all square, a pattern which continued until the teams were tied at 3-3 with just a game to play. Cringlewoods new Ladies Individual Champion Lianne Lauder was to prove the difference with a 2-0 win in the decider which put her team into the last 16.
Carters Arms 2 vs 5 The Volunteer
Both sides competed in Division 2 last season, and while The Volunteer saw themselves promoted to Division 1, The Carters were only just spared relegation to Division 3 due to the expansion of the league.
The Volunteer ended this cup match as a contest after only four games, winning all four of those games for the loss of only one leg to seal progression to the next round. In the opener, Toni Williams showed that shes settled straight into her second season of league darts with 3 tons in a 2-0 win, while game 2 saw a 180 for The Carters’ James Flynn in his 2-1 defeat. Two more 2-0 wins sealed it for the Vol, but despite being 4-0 down, the Carters showed some bottle to pull a couple of games back via 2-0 wins of their own. That was to be it however as The Volunteer’s Gary Williams (the only player on the night to match his daughter’s 3 tons) secured a 2-0 win and sealed a final score of 5-2.
Wythenshawe CSC 5 vs 2 LMRCA
Divison 1’s Wythenshawe Sports Club ensured progression to the next round with a tidy 5-2 win against Division 2’s LMRCA. A couple of early 2-0 wins for Martin Power and John Brown put them in pole position, before a 2-1 win for Derek Ostick over Wythenshawe captain Dave Peploe gave LMRCA hope. The home team extended their lead in game 4 with a 2-0 win and match highs of 4 tons and a 66.8 average for newcomer Matt Shaughnessy. Another newcomer Shane Lowe sealed it for Wythenshawe with a 2-1 win in game 5, and while the lead was extended further by Paul McCreevey in game 6. LMRCA gained a little consolation with a 2-1 win in the last game of the night via Tony Spilsbury.
Urmston SC 0 vs 7 Ammies Darts
In another Divsion 1 vs Division 2 game, it was an ominous performance from 2023-24 Division 1 winners and KO Cup finalists The Ammies as they showed no mercy to a shell-shocked Urmston Sports Club with a clean sweep of seven games with no legs lost.
Newly crowned Individuals Champion, Pairs Champion and Ammies Captain Paul Devine (any more ‘titles’ and he’ll need an Apollo Creed style introduction) got 5 tons in his 2-0 win in game 2, hitting a 17 darter along the way and finishing up with a 71.57 average. This season the Ammies have signed big Mike Morrison, airlifted in from the Cringlewood by a pair of a Chinook helicopters, and he was a man on a mission to prove he’s not gone there just to make up the numbers by winning game 5 with five ton plus scores, a 15 darter and a 120 checkout – finishing with an impressive 77.08 average. An honourable mention in game 6 goes to Urmston’s Gaz Lane who hit a team high 3 tons and a 66.71 average in his 2-0 defeat to Andy Tucker (69.91 average). Kyle Bell rounded off proceedings in game 7 with a fine performance featuring a 180, a 75.15 average and a classy 14 dart leg. All in all, it was a stark warning to the league that the Ammies will be looking to regain ‘the Double’ again following last seasons Cup final loss to Timperely, while Urmston will be glad they wont have to meet them again this season.
Stretfordians 2 vs 5 Timperley CC
The next match features Stretfordians, the team that finished bottom of division 3 taking on current cup holders, and Division 1 runner-up Timperley Conservative Club. On paper this was only going to go one way, however the division 1 side had a tougher time than they might have expected as an improved Stretfordians put in a good performance to win two games on the night. Stretfordians even took the lead through a deserved 2-0 win for new signing Georgio Corbett who hit a 111 finish along the way, though the home side were soon 2-1 behind after wins for Gary Sullivan (who also hit a 180) and Kev Kelly.
Stretfordians were level again after 4 games via a 2-1 win for captain Lindsay Rice, but Timperley stepped on the gas from then on with the three Andy’s (Pearson, Brownhill & Broadhurst) securing three consecutive 2-0 wins to finish off the game, Pearson with a 116 finish and Brownhill with 6 tons.
Malt Shovels 2 vs 5 Trafford SC
Newly promoted Division 3 Champions The Malt Shovels had their first taste of Division 2 opposition as they hosted Trafford SC, and found they may have a tougher time of things this season as they fell to a 5-2 defeat on the night with only six players available. Trafford are another side that benefited from the expansion of the league, retaining their Division 2 place after finishing second from bottom last season and this result represented a positive start as they will look to improve on that position.
Trafford won the first two games through Kyle Wands and Jordan Fry, but Rob Clark got the Division 2 newcomers on the board after edging game 3. Due to the bye, Jake Neersoo sealed the match after putting Trafford 3-1 up on the night, with a 2-1 win in game four, before a James Golds win pulled one back again for the Malts. Andrew Davies then finished things off winning a 2-0 in the sixth and final game of the night with a match high 3 ton plus scores.
The Old Market Tavern 3 vs 4 The Jolly Butcher
At the time of the game The Jolly Butcher were still Wythenshawe FC, but following a recent change of venue, and as its taken a while to put this report together, we may as well just take the opportunity to get used to calling them by their new name. This was a closer fought fixture than the relative finishing positions in division three last season would suggest, but it was the team that finished third that brought home the bacon on this occasion.
The OMT took the lead through Howard Haycocks, before Chris McGrory, Mike Swindells and Steve Foster got the better of the OMT’s non-haycocks contingent to put their side 3-1 up. Richard and Mandy Haycocks put a spanner in the works to make it 3-3, but Butcher captain Liz Sweeney overcame Angela Haycocks in a final leg decider to secure a place in the next round for her side.
The Roebuck 7 vs 0 The Buck Inn-eers
It was a rude awakening for Division 3 newcomers the Buck Inn-eers, as The Roebuck, who now find themselves in Division 2 following last seasons relegation from the top flight, delivered one of the performances of the night as they surged to a comprehensive 7-0 win for the loss of only one leg.
The first four games were won 2-0 as Mark Garnett, Steve Preston, Chris Haycock and Hayden Reddy sealed The Roebuck’s progression to the next round of the cup. If I’ve read the comments and stats right, Haydens opponent in game 4, Joe Blacker, hit his teams first ton plus scores of the night when remarkably nailing consecutive scores of 174 to leave a shot at a nine darter, though this obviously didnt go to plan as he lost the leg.
In game 5, the Buck Inn’s Charlotte Bloomfield won their solitary leg of the night during a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Zoe Morris, while games 6 & 7 saw 2-0 Roebuck wins for Chris Merriman and Chris Reddy to seal the 7-0 whitewash.
The Bent Brook 3 vs 4 Excelsior WMC
This all Division 3 fixture was a predictably close clash between the sides finishing 5th and 6th in the divsion last season, and it was ultimately decided by the fact that the Brook were only able to field 6 players on the night. With the first four games shared to leave the score at 2-2, Excels Jimmy Nolan secured the win in game five that effectively secured his sides qualification for the next round, while Alex Morton grabbed a consolation win in game six.
The John Alker 5 vs 2 Royal Oak A
The John Alker had a fine 2023-24 season, finishing third in the league, and took on Division 2’s third placed side The Royal Oak for a place in the last 16. In what was a challenging fixture in any case, it really didnt help the Oak’s cause that they only had six available players.
Gary Thompson got the Alker off to a flier with a 180 in his 2-0 win, a score line repeated by John Hawken as the Alker doubled their lead. Ewan Donegan extended the lead to three, before Baz Rowland sealed progression with a 2-0 win in game 4. At this stage, with the cup tie won, the Alker decided to preserve energy for the remainder of the season as Chris Wormald and Gaz Brickhill fell to 2-1 defeats to the father-son combination of Jordan and Pete Perry, Jordan with a 16 dart leg during his game 5 win while Gaz Brickhill hit a 180 in his losing effort against Pete in the finall game of the night.
The Melville 4 vs 3 Broadhead Central Aces
Division 2 newcomers The Melville secured the win in what looks a good close game against Division 3 newcomers Broadheath Central Aces. The ‘Aces’ are a side with a lot of league experience, with several players having played in the top division last season, while others joined from the Division 3 champions The Malt Shovels. One such player, Geoff Talbot got the Aces underway with a 2-0 win in game 1, before a pair of 2-1 wins for Tom Powell and Paul Sambrook, (Tom with a 130 checkout and Paul with a 100 checkout) put the Melville into the lead. Dave Wood made it 2-2 after four games, before Owen Powell had a 98 checkout in his 2-1 win in game five to put the Melville back in front. Andy McCormack got a 180 when pulling the Aces level after six, but in a final game decider, Jon Powell secured a 2-1 win over Darren Wood to ensure his side were in the hat for the next round.
The Nelson 1 vs 6 St Johns SC
Another bad game for newcomers as a three player short Nelson Didsbury took on the Division 2 champions St Johns (formerly The Silver Birch). The player numbers meant that the Saints needed only 1 game to progress to the next round and this was done and dusted after game one as Oliver Clarke secured a 2-0 win to claim progression. St Johns pulled 2-0 ahead with a 70 avg, 130 checkout and 5 ton plusses for Mike Shaw, before Alan Dawson made it 3-0 with a 2-0 win in game 3. Somebody called Jake then won game 4 for the Nelson to make it 3-1 on the night, but with no more players to go the remaining games went to the Saints, with a final score of 6-1.
The Victoria 7 vs 0 The Levenshulme B
After the Ammies, this was a second double bagel of the night as my side The Vic took a resounding 7-0 win without losing a leg, over another of the new sides in the league The Levenshulme B. The Levie lads will be relieved to avoid Division 1 opposition from now on, while they also showed enough during a somewhat harsh defeat to suggest they might well do some damage in Division 3 this season.
Jack Jarvis got the Vic underway with a 17 darter and 68.32 average in game 1, an average matched in game two by Terry Jepson who made it 2-0. Matt Jepson made it 3, before Connor Wigley put in performance of the night for the Vic with a 75.15 average, a 180 and an 18 darter to put us into the last 16 draw. Lewis Holley hit top checkout of the night in game 5 with an 82, before Sean Edwards and Dave Stanley rounded off proceedings to make it 7-0.
The Vine Inn 3 vs 4 The Bulls Head
Yet another new team next as The Vine Inn started life in the South Manchester Darts league with a close back-and-forth home defeat to fellow Division 3 side The Bulls Head.
Charlie Sanders put the home side one game to the good, before Chris Cordingley drew the visitors level. In game 3, the wonderfully named (from the perspective of a target sport) Bo Bowman then put the Bulls 2-1 up while the Vine’s Wayne Hough made it all square with a 2-0 win in game 4. The home side won again to retake the lead for the first time since game 1 as Kyran Eyes edged a decider with Chris Barber, despite Chris hitting a maximum 180. Showing some mettle as they were 3-2 down with 2 games left to play, the Bulls then staged a fine fightback to win the remaining two games through Ian Fish and Rob Barber, both by 2 legs to nil.
St Antony’s 5 vs 2 Broadheath Central
Broadheath escaped relegtion – due to the great restructuring – finishing second bottom of divison 1 last season, while St Antonys had a season of two halves, starting terribly before a second half resurgence saw them positioned comfortably above the relegation zone. There was no such slow start for the Saints here however as they swept to a resounding 5-2 home win over their Divison 1 visitors.
Mark Corrigan, Carl Paton and Gary Molloy put the home side 3-0 up, before Broadheath newcomer Robert Kettle pulled one back for his team hitting a 180 along the way. Shaun Gill ensured St Antony’s progression to the next round with a 90 finish in a 2-0 win over Broadheath skipper JonJo Devon in game 5, and although Lee Marsh pulled another game back in game six, it wasnt going to spoil the Saints night as they put the game to bed with a 2-0 Dom Batty win, capped off with a 112 finish.
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2 responses
Correct Tony, Joe was on a 9 darter. Unreal, said only been playing for 2 weeks. Nice debut win for Reddy Junior though 🙂
2 weeks? Wow – possibly one to watch then! And I was going to mention the increase in reddys this season 😀