Division 1
A shock defeat for the previously unbeaten Timperley CC against the previously without a win Volunteer see’s them slip to seven points behind the Ammies at the top of the table after their rivals secured a 5-2 win against the John Alker. Vic Withington get a thumping 7-0 win at Broadheath, while Wythenshawe’s win at the Cringlewood sees them move up to third. St John’s secure a big with against the Victoria Burnage to move up to fourth, just three points off second with the same record as both the Ammies and Timperley.
Victoria (Burnage) 1 vs 6 St Johns
This fixture was moved to a neutral venue at the committees request, and on an eventful night St Johns claimed a 6-1 win before The Levenshulme became The Victoria Burnage after this ‘home’ defeat played at the Victoria Withington.
Oliver Clark, Martin Tyson and Lewis Ellis put the visitors into an early 3-0 lead, Oliver with 8 ton plusses and a 76 average in his game. Dylan Wimbury pulled one back for the Victoria Burnage, but there was to be no comeback as Kaine Goldie secured the win in game 5, before Mike Shaw and Anthony Cooper added a couple more wins to make it 6-1.
Wythenshawe CSC 5 vs 2 Cringlewood
Although they’ve played a game more than everyone else by avoiding rearrangements, Wythenshawe won’t care as this win sees them move up into third place in the league just a point behind Timperley.
Ryan Coffey put the vistors into an early lead, but Wythenshawe responded well with wins in each of the next three games for Martin Power, David Peploe and John Brown. Rob Lauder got the better of Mandy Smith to pull it back to 3-2, but wins for Shane Lowe and Jason Grimshaw in the last two games of the night gave Wythenshawe a 5-2 victory over all. Special mention to Shane Lowe for a fine perfromance which featured a 180, a 116 finish and a splendid 2 dart finish.
Ammies 5 vs 2 John Alker
The Ammies extended their lead at the top to seven points with another fine win, while the Alker suffer only a second loss of the season so far and drop to fifth in the league, but are still only 4 points off second and 10 behind the Ammies.
The Ammies thundered into an early 3-0 lead with fine performances in each of the first three games – Kyle Bell with 8 ton plusses, a 180, a 114 finish and 71.57 average in the first, Pete Watson with a magnificent 3 (three) 180s, a 16 darter and a 74.84 average, then Adam Watson with a 180, 15 darter, 122 finish and an 82.46 average. Ewan Donegan pulled one back for the Alker in the fourth, but Paul Devine secured the win making it 4-1 with a 180 and a 14 darter. The Alker’s Gaz O’Donnell rolled back the years with a 180, a 15 darter and 80.52 average to win game 6 but the Ammies werent finished yet as Andy Tucker claimed a 16 darter in his win over Gaz Brickhill in the last game of the night.
Broadheath Central 0 vs 7 The Victoria
After a pounding at the hands of St Johns the previous week, The Victoria made up for it in style with a whitewash of Broadheath. The score may have flattered us a little, but I dont care – the points are more than welcome!
Matt Jepson started the evening off by walking directly into what must have been a very clean window that he didnt realise existed, but he got over the shame of that to win the opening game of the night 3-1. I doubled the Vic’s lead with a 3-0 win in the second, before Dave Stanley made it 3 with a 3-0 win of his own. Joe O’Shea secured the bonus points for the Vic with another 3-0 win in game 4, Pete Leslie made it 5 with 8 ton plusses during a comeback from 2-0 down to win 3-2, Connor Wigley took the deciding leg in a back and forth game with Leyton Jackson in the sixth, and in the final game, Sean Edwards and Shane Crellin both hit maximums, but it was Sean who came out on top in yet another last leg decider to give the visitors the whitewash.
Timperley 3 vs 4 The Volunteer
These sides met in the cup a couple of weeks back in what turned out to be a comfortable 5-2 win at the Vol for Timperley, and with the sides at opposite ends of the table and with opposite records (Timperley unbeaten while the Vol had no wins) you’d be expecting nothing else than a home win. Well you’d be wrong.
Toni Williams put the Vol in front as she finally got the Division 1 win that she has been threatening for some time with a 3-1 defeat of Paddy Clayton, but Andy Brownhill levelled it up as he claimed a 180 and 19 darter during a fine 3-0 win against in-form Callum Nolan in the second. Dan O’Donnell put the visitors back into a 2-1 lead with a 3-0 win in the third, and that lead was soon 3-1 thanks to Gary Williams’ 3-2 win over Andy Broadhurst. In what looks a superb game, Gary hit a 180, 18 darter and 120 finish to finish on a 79.59 average, while Andy also hit a 180, hit a 17 darter and finished on a 76.10 average. Callum Loose pulled it back to 3-2 with a 180, 17 darter,142 finish and 79.11 average during his 3-0 win, and when Gary Sullivan won his game 3-0 the visitors were level. So it all came down to a final game, and cometh the hour cometh the man, as Volunteer captain Geoff Sanders won the deciding leg of the night with Andy Pearson to condemn Timperley to a first defeat, while giving his own side their first win of the season and moving them off the bottom of the table and up to eighth.
Division 2
We finished last week with three teams tied at the top, but the Royal Oak’s 7-0 win against the Carters sees them move to the top of the table outright. Ashton and The Melville were the other two sides in that tie, and both played each other, Ashtons 6-1 win enough to see them sit second outright, a point behined the Oak (though Ashton have a game in hand). Urmston’s 5-2 win at St Anthonys moves them into third, Trafford return to form with a close 4-3 win over The Roebuck, and in the battle of the winless teams, The Malt Shovels finally shake off that unwanted tag with a 4-3 defeat of the LMRCA.
Ashton on Mersey 6 vs 1 The Melville
Ashton’s 6-1 win is a second in succession and their 4th such result in 6 league games played this season, and this form means they are second outright and a point off the lead despite having played a game less than the teams around them. The Melville’s loss was just their second of the season and sees them drop to fifth, but only 8 points behind leaders The Royal Oak.
Mark Robinson put Ashton into an early lead, but Jon Powell quickly equalised for his team with victory in the second. That was to be as good as it got for The Melville on the night as Ashton won the remaining games though James Compton, Ian Winter, Chris Chapman, Harry Guthrie and WIll Radcliffe for the loss of a just a single leg.
Carters Arms 0 vs 7 Royal Oak
Last week saw the Carters get a first league win, but they were back down to earth here after a humbing at the hands of the new league leaders the Royal Oak.
The Royal Oak were determined to make up for the previous weeks loss against The Roebuck, and shot into an early 3-0 lead following wins for Steven Lee, Ryan Crook and Pete Perry. The fourth game was as close as the Carters got, with Ryan Pollitt forcing a deciding leg with Tony Kirby, but that one went Tony’s way and secured the bonus points for The Oak. Lee Medd then made it 5-0, before the icing was put on the cake with 3-1 and 3-0 wins for Jordan Perry and Steve Lawless respectively.
The Malt Shovels 4 vs 3 LMRCA
Both sides went into this match looking for their first win of the season, so something had to give, and it was last season’s Division 3 winners who finally get a Division 2 win at the seventh time of asking.
Rob Clark and Dave Hindmarch put the Shovels into an early 2-0 lead, before the lead was halved following a 3-1 win for Alan Gleave. James Roberts restored the 2 game margin, making it 3-1 to the Malt Shovels with a 3-1 win in game 4, but successive wins for Dave Brooks and 180 hitting Tony Spilsbury levelled the sides up on the night and made game 7 an overall match decider.
A last game decider is probably not the best time to have to make your debut, but in a moment that would have made Kevin Keegan proud, Luke Loveitt showed some steel when claiming a deciding leg victory over Joe Davis to give his side their first win of the season.
St Anthony’s 2 vs 5 Urmston SC
Urmston’s good form this season continued with a fine away win against St Anthonys which moves them into third place outright in Division 2.
The home side’s Dom Batty scored 7 ton-plus scores but it wasnt enough to help him get the better of Harry Fitton who ran out a 3-1 victor to put Urmston into an early lead. Further wins for James Heslop and Steve Lye made it 3-0, but Carl Paton stopped the rot by pulling one back with a 3-0 win of his own in game 4. Gaz Lane made sure Urmston would leave with the bonus points with a 3-0 win in the fifth, and although Shaun Gill hit a 180 while reducing the defecit to 4-2, the night was Urmstons, as Jacaub Worral won the remaining game to give a final score of 5-2.
Trafford SC 4 vs 3 The Roebuck
A recent dip in form had seen Trafford lose their last two league games after an unbeaten start, while the Roebuck had quietly gone about their business logging 3 consecutive 4-3 wins, losing only once all season and with a game in hand on teams above them. Trafford’s 4-3 win here sees them handily placed in fourth only five points off the lead, while The Bucks are sixth, but have that game in hand on most of the teams around them.
Trafford got off to a flying start and were soon 3-0 up thanks to wins for Kyle Wands, Liam Galvin and Alan Wands. Chris Reddy hit a 180 during a 3-0 win that put the Roebuck on the scoreboard, and after Rick Kiel won a deciding leg with McKenzie Evans, it was soon 3-2. That was the extent of the comeback though, as Andrew Davies claimed a 3-0 win to give Trafford victory, but there was time for a consolation point for the Roebuck as Chris Haycock won a decider with Gaz Collins to give a final score of 4-3.
Division 3
Broadheath Central Aces secure a 5-2 win at the Levenshulme to extend their lead at the top of the table to 14 points, Bulls Head move up to joint second after a 5-2 victory against the Vine, The Excel are also joint second after a big 6-1 win over the Jolly Butcher, The Buck Inn-eers make it back to back wins with a 4-3 defeat of Stretfordians, The Bent Brook earn a handy 5-2 win over bottom placed Old market Tavern, and the Nelson Didsbury edge a close 4-3 win against The Royal Oak B.
Bulls Head 5 vs 2 The Vine Inn
Bulls Head recorded back to back wins in the league for the first time this season to move joint second, while the Vine drop to fifth, but only a point behind second as their fine run of five consecutive league wins finally comes to an end. A properly close game though, as every game bar one went to a deciding leg.
Alex Rydstrom put the Bulls into an early lead, but that was wiped out by a win for Dave Goulden of the Vine in the second game. Rob Barber and Bo Bowman restored, then extended the the Bulls lead to 3-1 with wins in games 3 and 4, but Charlie Sanders pulled it back to 3-2 while hitting a match high 5 ton-plusses in the fifth. The Bulls Head were not to be denied though, and after wins for Allan Simper and Chris Cordingley, they had the win that moves them into second.
Excelsior WMC 6 vs 1 The Jolly Butcher
The Excel started the season in great form, before falling to a run of three straight defeats, however they bounced back here to record their joint biggest win of the season so far. The Butcher have only won two of the seven games played so far but the previous two losses had been close affairs which could have gone either way.
Jimmy Nolan got the Excel underway with a 2-1 defeat of Chris McGrory, but Mike Swindells replied immediately with his 7th win from 8 in all competitions this season to level it up. From there on in however it was the Excel show, as 2-0 wins for Marvin Daniel, Danny Chua and Connor McCorkell were enough to win the match, before Andy Cheetham and Warren McCoubrey added a touch of gloss to make it 6-1.
Old Market Tavern 2 vs 5 The Bent Brook
The OMT’s search for a win goes on, while the Bent Brook make it three wins on the trot, moving up to sixth in the process only three points off second place.
Jake Proctor put the visitors one up with a 2-0 win against Howard Haycocks, but Angela Haycocks matched that scoreline in bringing the OMT level. Rob Moore put the Brook back in the lead with a 2-1 win in the third, before Sam Oldham and Josh Shaw both won deciding legs to give their team the points and a 4-1 lead on the night. It was soon 5-1 as Ken Turnock beat Mandy Haycocks 2-0, but Richard Haycocks made it 5-2, and from a personal perspective 7 wins from 8 in league and cup, with a 2-1 defeat of Alex Morton to earn his side an extra point.
The Buck Inn-eers 4 vs 3 Stretfordians
The Buck Inn-eers secured their first ever win last week, and quickly made it back to back wins with a defeat of a resurgent Stretfordians that moves the Buck into eighth, just two points behind their opponents.
Georgio Corbett put the visitors ahead, but the Buck Inn-eers swashbuckled back (if thats a valid expression – if its not – i dont care, I like it..) as wins for James Bloomfield, Matt Kershaw and Charlotte Bloomfield put them into a commanding 3-1 lead. Morgan Nickson brought the Stretfordians back into it with a 2-1 win in game 5, but Declan Law ensured back to back wins for the home side with a 2-1 win in game 6. Adam Jackson earned Stretfordians a consolation extra point with a 2-0 win in the final game of the night, with a creditable 19 darter to boot.
Levenshulme B 2 vs 5 Broadheath Central Aces
The Levenshulme B became the latest additions to The Aces victim list, as their third defeat on the trot sees them drop to seventh. The Aces on the other hand march on, with a seventh win in succession extending their lead at the top of the league to 14 points.
Nigel Beeton put the league leaders ahead with a fine 2-0 win in game 1, finishing with a match-high 68.31 average, before Josh McQuillan drew the Levenshulme level. There followed three 2-0 wins for the visitors which secured the match points via Darren Wood, Geoff Talbot and Dave Wood, and despite a 2-0 win for the Levenshulme’s Keiran Chapman in game six, the Aces finished off proceedings with a 2-0 Andy McCormack win in the last game of the night.
Royal Oak B 3 vs 4 The Nelson Didsbury
These two newcomers have both had decent starts to life in the league, with the Nelson having the better of it with 5 wins from 7 games played to sit fourth, level on points with second and third. Due to some big losses the Oak are tenth, level on points with the Buck Inn-eers despite having won a game more.
Jack Holt and Tommy Mitchell put the Oak into an early 2-0 lead, but the Nelson fired back with four games on the trot from Derek Winess, Dave Harris Anthony O’Brien and Chris Conduit to seal the win. Andrew Mossop pulled another point out of the bag for the Oak, but it was just a consolation with a final score of 4-3 to the visitors.
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