Division 1
In the weeks big match, reigning champions St Anthonys B claimed a tight 4-3 win over last season’s runners-up and early season leaders the Ammies, with both sides showing moments of true class in a match that saw huge 142 and 160 finishes from Mike Shaw, a 13 darter from Pete Watson, five 70+ averages across both teams, and a monster 98.02 from Adam Watson. In the weeks other games, John Alker are third after a big 6-1 win at the Volunteer, the Vic Withington move second after claiming a second 6-1 league win in as many games with victory against the Cringlewood, the Vic Burnage come from behind to edge a tight game against The Royal Oak A, while the Navigation got back to winning ways as they claimed a deciding game win with the final leg of the match against Urmston SC.
Ammies Darts 3 vs 4 St Anthonys B
St Anthonys B edged a tight encounter at Wythenshawe Amateurs FC, running out 4–3 winners despite losing the gallon 2–0. Ammies had the better of the early stages and looked well set after racing into a 2–0 lead, but the visitors turned the match on its head with a dominant mid-section run of four straight wins that ultimately sealed the points.
Paul Devine got the hosts off to a flyer, firing in a 180 and a 15-dart leg in his 3–2 win over Anthony Cooper, who also hit a maximum and posted five tons. Pete Watson followed up with another win for Ammies, producing the best leg of the night with a superb 13-darter, alongside six tons, a 180, and a 73.65 average in a tight 3–2 battle with Sean Wilkinson.
St Anthonys hit back in Game 3 through Rich Davies, who notched a 180 and a 15-darter to take a narrow 3–2 win over Callum Nolan. Both players were in fine form — Davies averaged 68.76, while Nolan hit five tons and a 16-dart leg in a 68.01 performance that could easily have gone the other way.
That sparked a four-game streak for the visitors. Kaine Goldie levelled the match with a 3–2 win over Kyle Bell in a high-quality encounter that featured five tons each and a 180 for Goldie. Bell landed a tidy 100 checkout, but Goldie edged it, finishing with an 18-darter and a 70.87 average.
Martin Tyson then gave St Anthonys their first lead of the night, beating Mike Morrison 3–1 despite Morrison’s five tons and an 80 checkout. Mike Shaw delivered the decisive blow in Game 6, sealing the match at 4–2 with a ruthless 3–0 win over Karl Cooper. Shaw produced the highest checkout of the night with a brilliant 160 (honourable mention to his 142 finish as well) alongside six tons and a 79.11 average.
Adam Watson restored some pride for Ammies in the final game with a sparkling 3–0 victory over Oliver Clarke. Watson fired in a 15-darter, led the night in tons with seven, and topped the averages with a superb 98.02 to close out the match in style.
Volunteer 1 vs 6 John Alker
John Alker made it three straight league wins over Volunteer with a 6–1 victory away in Sale, despite losing the gallon 2–0. The home side were hoping to turn the tide after a run of defeats in this fixture, but the visitors hit their stride early and never looked back.
Game 1 saw Ian Moore edge past Karl Bannister 3–1 to put Alker 1–0 up. Despite seven tons from Bannister, Moore got the doubles when it mattered and opened the scoring for the visitors. That lead was doubled in Game 2 as John Hawken delivered a commanding display — five tons, a 180, a 76 checkout, and the least darts of the night with a 17-darter. His 73.92 average was also the highest of the night, giving Alker a 2–0 cushion.
The lead was stretched to 3–0 in Game 3, when John Greaves swept aside Christopher Grinnell 3–0. Grinnell had hit a 180 and four tons, but Greaves was clinical, adding three tons of his own and finishing a leg in 19 darts, ending with a solid 63.51 average.
Gaz O’Donnell made it four on the bounce in Game 4 with a 3–1 win, hitting seven tons to match the highest tally of the night as Alker sealed the overall match at 4–0. The Volunteer finally found a reply in Game 5, when Gary Williams picked up their only point with a 3–2 win over Gary Thompson, Williams hitting seven tons, while Thompson responded with four tons in a tight contest that narrowed the score to 4–1.
Alker answered immediately in Game 6, with Chris Wormald beating James Roberts 3–0, hitting three tons and wrapping up one leg in 23 darts to make it 5–1, and Kevin Acton rounded off the night for the Alker with another 3–0 win in Game 7 as he overcame Toni Williams to complete the 6–1 result.
Victoria Withington 6 vs 1 Cringlewood A
Victoria Withington returned to home turf after last weeks thumping 7-0 cup win at the Bent Brook, with a a second consecutive 6–1 home league win, this time over Cringlewood A, extending their strong record in this fixture. The Vic also picked up the gallon 2–0, a competition in which they are yet to drop a leg, in a win which set the tone for what became another dominant night.
Connor Wigley opened proceedings with a 3–0 win over Lianne Lauder, firing in four tons and a 21 darter to give the hosts an early lead. Sean Edwards made it 2–0 with a composed 3-1 win in Game 2 despite seven tons from Alex Martin, notching five tons of his own and the least darts of the night with an 18-darter, Cringlewood were already two down and under pressure.
Game 3 saw Cringlewood hit back to get their first point, as Ray Levesconte beat me 3–0 to narrow the score to 2–1. I hit five tons but couldn’t find a double, while Ray stayed steady throughout to claim his team’s only point of the night.
Jack Jarvis responded immediately for The Vic in Game 4, sealing a 3–1 win over Ellis Mulhern, hammering in two 180s and a 20-dart leg in a high-quality performance that pushed the home side 3–1 ahead. Toni ‘Scrabble’ Wieczorek followed that up and claimed the win for the Vic with another standout effort, racking up seven tons and checking out on 114 during a 3-1 win against Rob Lauder, to make it 4–1 overall.
Terry Jepson extended the lead to 5-1 in Game 6 with a 3–2 win over David Huddlestone, but he had to work hard for it, coming back from 2-1 down after some early power scoring from the young Cringlewood player, but Terry turned it on himself in the last two legs to take the win.
In the last game of the night Matthew Jepson wrapped up the 6-1 win with a 3–0 defeat of Phil Lauder.
Victoria Burnage 4 vs 3 Royal Oak A
Despite losing the gallon 2–0, Victoria Burnage bounced back to edge a 4–3 win over Royal Oak A in what proved a game of two halves that wasn’t sealed until the very last game of the night.
Royal Oak made the brighter start, with Pete Perry opening the match by beating Pete Evans 3–1 in Game 1, hitting a 180 while putting the visitors 1–0 up. The Oak’s lead was doubled in Game 2, as Ryan Crook edged out Andrew Day 3–2 in a tight contest, Crook posting four tons and a 20-dart leg, while Day hit six tons, but it was the Royal Oak man who won the deciding leg to put his side into a 2–0 lead.
The fightback started in Game 3, with Tom Beatie pulling one back for the Vic with a 3–1 win over Sharon Kirby. Beatie landed two tons, checked out in 19 darts, and averaged 59.35. Kirby had three tons of her own and a 26-dart leg, but couldn’t keep Beatie from halving the deficit at 2–1.
Royal Oak responded through Steve Lawless in Game 4, restoring their two-game lead with a 3–1 win over Ant Hargreaves Sr. Lawless was in fine form, with seven tons and a 17 darter — the least darts of the night. Hargreaves threw a couple of tons but couldn’t hold him off, and the away side moved 3–1 ahead and just one away from victory.
From there though, it was all Victoria Burnage. Dylan Wimbury reduced the defecit to 3-2 overall with a clean 3–0 win in Game 5 against Steven Lee, before Tony Green levelled the match in Game 6, hitting five tons while also winning 3–0 — this time over Liam Perry.
The decider came down to Steve Moane and Luke Loveitt in Game 7. Moane delivered when it mattered, seeing off Loveitt 3–0 thanks to four tons, a 19-dart leg, and a match-winning 61.77 average. Loveitt hit five tons of his own, but couldn’t find a finishing double.
A tight one in Burnage — the Vic (B) taking the last three on the spin to clinch it.
Navigation 4 vs 3 Urmston SC
Navigation edged a 4–3 thriller against Urmston SC in Altrincham, taking the gallon and clinching the match in the final game after the lead swung back and forth all night.
Urmston’s Gaz Lane set the bar high early in Game 1, holding off Michael Hopps 3–2 with eight tons and a 16-dart leg, while Hopps fired in three tons and a 96 checkout in reply, but couldn’t convert in the decider as Urmston took a 1–0 lead. Navigation struck back through Andy Kindred in Game 2, who swept past Harry Fitton 3–0 with six tons, a 21-darter and a nice 68.32 average. Fitton averaged 70.00 himself but couldnt find a double in any of the legs.
Fred Mitchenson nudged Navigation 2–1 ahead in Game 3 with a 3–2 win over Stephen Lye. Mitchenson hit four tons, while Lye had six of his own and a 19-darter, but it was Fred who found the key checkout in the deciding leg. Urmston drew level again at 2–2 when Mason Gamble beat Gary Molyneux in another five-leg scrap, hitting nine tons and a 20-dart leg in a strong display while Molyneux had eight tons and a 17-darter in reply, but couldn’t take the decider.
Callum Loose then showed his class with a storming 3–0 win in Game 5 to push Navigation back ahead, firing in two 180s, four tons, and the least darts of the night — an 11-darter — finishing with a 73.92 average to dominate Luke Lonergan. Urmston weren’t done though, with Glynn Griffiths forcing a final game decider after beating Matt Bulger 3–2 in Game 6. Griffiths threw five tons, while Bulger hit two and checked out in 24 darts for his best leg, but it wasn’t enough to stop the match going to the wire.
It all came down to Andy Broadhurst vs Dave Tong in Game 7, and Broaddhurst delivered — winning 3–2 in a nervy decider. Broadhurst posted four tons, a 16-darter and a 63.18 average as the Navigation claimed the win.
Division 2
Fusion Aces are showing no signs of letting up as they continue to lead the early season Division 2 table after a thumping 6-1 defeat of fellow promoted team Sale Excel. Broadheath Central move 3 points behind the Aces in second after a huge whitewash 7-0 win at St Anthonys A, Carters Arms claimed a first win of the season with an impressive 5-2 defeat of the Bulls Head, The Melville won a final leg shootout with Ashton-on-Mersey to claim a second win of the season, and Trafford added to The Roebuck early season misery with a deciding win that leaves the Altrincham side top of the Gallon table but still seeking a first league win.
Fusion Aces 6 vs 1 Sale Excel
Fusion Aces turned in a commanding display on home turf, storming to a 6–1 win over Sale Excel while also taking the gallon 2–1 to cap off a near-perfect night in Division 2. The Aces were relentless from the off, racking up six consecutive singles wins before Sale salvaged a late point in the final game.
Dave Wood opened the account with a tidy 3–0 win over Peter Sage, and the pressure didn’t let up in Game 2 as Andy Brownhill produced the highest average of the night (57.39) to see off Andy Cheetham, who still impressed in defeat with four 100+ scores and a 53.52 average.
Game 3 belonged to Andy McCormack, who was in top gear as he rattled in six 100+ scores and a 17-dart leg — the quickest of the night — during his 3–0 win over Danny Chua. The momentum carried through to game 4 as Iris Bannister edged a scrappy but decisive 3–2 contest against Marvin Daniel to seal the match for Fusion Aces, before Nigel Beeton made light work of Warren McCoubrey in another straight-legs win to make it 5-0.
Game 6 saw Darren Wood add to the tally further with a steady 3–1 win over Jimmy Nolan, leaving the home side 6–0 up and cruising. The whitewash was averted however as Hannah Tague restored a touch of pride for Sale Excel in Game 7, sealing a deserved 3–2 victory over Alex Wood that included a tidy 24-dart leg and the visitors’ top finish of the night — a composed 65 checkout.
With both the singles and the gallon going Fusion’s way, it was a performance that sends a clear message to the rest of the division.
St Anthonys A 0 vs 7 Broadheath Central
BH Central made an emphatic statement in Division 2 with a dominant 7–0 away win over St Anthonys A, adding a tight 2–1 gallon victory to complete the clean sweep. The result extends their strong start to the campaign, while St Anthonys were left with little to show despite spirited spells from several players.
The night began with Leyton Jackson getting BH Central off the mark in Game 1, overcoming Mark Paton 3–1 and helping himself to five 100+ scores in the process. Dan Cross then doubled the lead with a straightforward 3–0 win over John Goodier, before Jordan Woodbridge made it 3–0 overall, hitting three tons as he saw off Carl Paton, who had managed four of his own in a losing effort.
Game 4 followed a similar rhythm. Sam McCallister turned in one of the night’s strongest displays with six 100+ scores in his 3–1 win over Ian Paton, sealing the match after just four games played. Brandon Lawley kept the momentum going in Game 5, sweeping past Josh Doherty without reply, while Lee Darcey matched that scoreline in Game 6 with a clinical 3–0 win over Dom Batty, despite the St Anthonys man registering both four tons and his team’s only 180 of the night.
Broadheaths Tom Beresford completed the rout in Game 7, adding four 100+ scores and a 180 of his own, as he closed out a 3–0 win against Ryan Bailey, who had also struck four tons himself.
Despite several St Anthonys players finding the treble bed regularly, they couldn’t convert pressure into points. BH Central’s consistent finishing and strength in depth proved too much, and with both the singles and gallon going their way, they’ll take plenty of confidence into the next round of fixtures.
Carters Arms 5 vs 2 Bulls Head
Carters Arms came out on top in a lively Division 2 fixture, beating Bulls Head 5–2 on the night. The visitors had some joy in the gallon, taking that 2–0, but the singles belonged to the home side, who stormed into a 5–0 lead before Bulls Head grabbed a couple of late consolations.
The night started well for Carters as Gavin Halton took a confident 3–1 win over Iain Fish in Game 1, knocking in four tons, a tidy 24-dart leg, and a superb 129 checkout — the highest finish of the night. Terry Caine made it two from two with a close 3–2 victory over Alex Rydstrom, chipping in a couple of 100+ scores and a 26-dart leg along the way.
John Thierens Snr added a third with a solid 3–1 win against Gareth Shaw, and in Game 4, Phil Laws got Carters over the line with a narrow 3–2 win against Rob Barber, which included a classy 116 checkout. That result made it 4–0 and secured the match for the hosts with three still to play.
Harry Mitchell extended the lead further with a 3–2 win over Harry Simper in another close one. Bulls Head finally found some success in the final two games: Allan Simper edged out Charlie Windsor 3–2, and Jamie Harris rounded things off with a 3–2 win over John Thierens Jnr, posting six 100+ scores — the most by any player on the night — and finishing with a 26-darter and a 79 checkout for good measure.
Despite a strong finish from the visitors, the result was already beyond reach. Carters Arms will be pleased with five wins from seven and some quality finishing to back it up, while Bulls Head will take positives from the closing stages and the gallon win, even if the overall result didn’t go their way.
Melville 4 vs 3 Ashton-on-Mersey CC
Melville edged a dramatic 4–3 win over Ashton-on-Mersey CC in a closely contested Division 2 clash, and they backed it up by taking the gallon 2–1 to seal a well-earned home victory. It was a night of tight margins and big scores, with both sides trading blows across seven quality games.
Things kicked off with Paul Sambrook getting Melville on the board, battling to a 3–2 win over Will Radcliffe in a back-and-forth opener. Sambrook threw in four 100+ scores and a 23-dart leg to get his side going, while Radcliffe impressed in defeat with six tons of his own. Ashton hit back in Game 2 as Billy Dawson took a 3–0 win over Cam McFarlane to level things at one apiece.
Game 3 saw one of the standout performances of the night. Gary Brisco delivered a sharp 66.67 average, landed a 180, and hit a 21-darter — the lowest leg of the match — to beat Chris Chapman 3–1, despite Chapman putting together four tons in response. Jon Powell followed that up with another win for the hosts to make it 3-1 overall, hitting six tons and finishing with a strong 61.06 average in a 3–2 win over James Compton, who, despite nine tons couldnt find a game winning doube in what looks like a cracking contest.
Ashton pulled one back in Game 5 as Stephen Orton powered in 6 ton plus scores while beating Owen Powell 3–1, despite Powell firing in a 180 and three 100+ scores of his own. Mark Robinson then made it 3–3 overall with a clean 3–0 win against Jake Powell, his 54.99 average helping steady the ship for the visitors.
It all came down to Game 7, and Melville held their nerve. Joe McCracken took a narrow 3–2 win over Chris Higson, hitting two tons and a 26-dart leg on his way to clinching the match for his side.
With the singles finishing 4–3 and the gallon going Melville’s way too, the home side took the honours on the night — but Ashton showed plenty of scoring power, and on another evening the result could easily have gone the other way.
Trafford SC 4 vs 3 Roebuck
Trafford SC edged out Roebuck in a tight 4–3 battle at home, but the Roebuck had the consolation of a 2-1 win in the gallon at the start of the nigth. In a match where momentum swung several times, the home side just had enough to tip the balance their way.
Things began brightly for Trafford as Jake Neersoo opened with a clean 3–0 win over Hayden Reddy, picking up a couple of 100+ scores in the process. But Roebuck hit back hard, rattling off three wins in a row to take control. Chris Haycock, Ste Reddy and Rick Kiel each produced 3–0 victories in Games 2 to 4, with Haycock leading the scoring charge with five tons, and Reddy and Kiel adding two each to give Roebuck a 3–1 lead.
Needing a response, Trafford found one through Liam Galvin. In a key turning point, he came through a close 3–2 against Chris Reddy, landing seven 100+ scores and nailing a 93 checkout — the highest finish of the match. That lit the spark Trafford needed. Alex Buckley followed suit in Game 6, grinding out another 3–2 win over Phil Wright and adding six tons to his name.
With the scores locked at 3–3, it came down to the final game — and Andrew Davies held his nerve. He sealed the match with a 3–1 win over Mark Garnett, hitting three 100+ scores and closing out a fine comeback for the hosts.
Division 3
The Vine have romped into a 10 point lead at the top of the table after just 4 games played, but they could have been even further ahead if not for a plucky fightback from LMRCA who came back from 4-1 down to 4-3, in doing so gaining extra points that could prove vital for their own season and in keeping Division 3 competitive. The weeks other games saw The Royal Oak B secure a resounding 6-1 win against Old Market Tavern, Dog & Partridge move second after a thumping 6-1 defeat of the Buck Inn-eers – and in doing so giving the Buck their first taste of defeat in a league match in 2025, and the Horseshoe gained some revenge for 2024-25 season 5-2 reverse at the Jolly Butcher (a result which all but halted their promotion charge last season) with a 5-2 win of their own this time around which keeps the Butcher rooted to last place.
Royal Oak B 6 vs 1 Old Market Tavern
Royal Oak B claimed a second win of the season with a commanding 6–1 win over Old Market Tavern, also taking the gallon 2–1 to round off a strong night at home. The hosts wasted no time asserting themselves, taking the first five games to seal the match early.
Andrew Mossop kicked things off with a 2–0 win over Ian Fensome, checking out on 56 and landing a 24-dart leg. Pete DeCordova followed that with a narrow 2–1 victory in Game 2, sneaking past Howard Haycocks with a pair of 100+ scores. The standout scoring performance came next as Rob Whiteside hammered in five tons on his way to a 2–0 win over Steven Foster.
Mark Gilmore sealed the match in Game 4 with a tidy 2–0 result over Angela Haycocks, and Dom Stevens kept the run of games going for the Oak when beating Mandy Haycocks 2–1 in a close contest in game 5.
The Tavern managed a consolation point in Game 6 through Nathan Potts, who edged out Rory Pessagno 2–1. Both players threw three tons, but Potts found the finishing shots to take the win and put his team on the scoreboard. That was to be all she wrote for the OMT though as Jack Bushell then wrapped things up for the Oak with a 2–0 win over Emily Haycocks to complete the 6–1 scoreline.
Dog & Partridge 6 vs 1 Buck Inn-eers
Didsbury based Dog & Partridge swept aside the Buck Inn-eers 6-1, and in doing so gained some level of revenge after home and away defeats to the Ashton-on-Mersey side last season. The visitors did sneak the gallon 2-1, and even took an early lead in the main game, but that was as good as it got as the Dog & Partridge then reeled off six games on the bounce to secure a comprehensive win.
The Buck Inn-eers got off to a bright start as Joshua Craven edged a deciding leg against Dominic Powell in a tight opening game, but Elliot Wynne immediately levelled matters, with four tons and a 25-darter during a deciding leg win against James Abbey which levelled the match at 1-1. From there, The Dog & Partridge never looked back. Game 3 saw Chris Pollard get the winning double against Rick Hindle in another deciding leg to nose the hosts 2-1 in front, before Tom Spillane produced the evening’s first 22-dart leg in game 4 while beating George Banner 3-0 to put the home side 3-1 up and on the brink of victory.
The Dog & Partridge didnt have long to wait to secure their second win of the season, and it came in game 5 after Dave Harris saw off Charlotte Bloomfield 2-0 to secure the bonus points. The lead was soon extended further to 5-1 after Graham Beech found the only 180 of the night en-route to a 2-1 success against Declan Law, and the hosts showed they were in no mood to let up as the final game of the night went the way of Chris Conduit, who hit three-tons, a 22-dart leg and an evenings-best 59.94 average during a 2-0 dismissal of Matt Kershaw.
LMRCA 3 vs 4 The Vine Inn
Early Division 3 pace-setters The Vine Inn won again to stretch their lead in the league to ten points, and from the off it was a familiar story, as they went 4-1 up against LMRCA to claim the win after 5 games played, before having to settle for a 4-3 win overall after the home side claimed the last two games of the night. The Vine also took the gallon 2-1 to make it a profitable Wednesday night as they successfully navigated a tricky fixture on Navigation Road.
Alan Gleave opened in style for LMRCA, reeling off a 17-dart leg, pinning a 50 checkout and hammering a maximum for the night’s best 55.37 average as he overcame Dave Goulden 2-1 in a deciding leg. From here though the Vine kicked into another gear and secured the bonus points by taking the next four games without losing a leg. In game 2, Vine’s Kyran Eyes made it 1-1 with a 2-0 defeat of Tony Spilsbury, and the momentum was about to swing firmly in the visitors’ favour.
Game 3 saw Josh Bailey claim a 2-0 win over Joe Davis to nose the Vine ahead, before team-mate James Garside repeated that scoreline against Ciaran Algar to make it 3-1. Billy Sanders then sealed the Vine’s fourth win of the season as he swept past Dave Brooks 2-0 to bank the bonus points and an unassailable 4-1 lead.
The Vine have made a habit of winning heavily so far this season, but with another big win on the cards LMRCA refused to lie down. Ron Cooke delivered two solid legs, including a 25-darter, to see off Daniel Alcock 2-0 and narrow the gap to 4-2, and in the final game of the night LMRCA pulled it back to 4-3 after Ryan Woods defied a 180 from Geoff Sanders and hit a 99 finish on his way to a deciding leg win that made the scoreline more respectable.
Jolly Butcher 2 vs 5 The Horseshoe
Horseshoe avenged January’s 5-2 defeat at the Butcher by turning the tables on their hosts, running out 5-2 winners in the singles and nicking the gallon 2-1 for good measure. Victory lifts the Levenshulme outfit into the chasing pack, while the Butcher are left hunting consistency after back-to-back home reverses.
Gary Hudson put the locals in front straight away, rattling in a 26-darter and a pair of tons as he swept past Kieran Aherne 2-0, however that early cheer was short-lived as George Moss levelled matters with a tidy 2-0 defeat of Gareth Sullivan.
Kieran Chapman was on good form in game 3, helping himself to three 100+ scores, a sparkling 18-dart leg and the night’s best 99 checkout in a 2-0 win over Liz Sweeney to edge the visitors ahead, and in game 4 Josh McQuillan defied 3 ton plus scores from Tracy Wesemeyer to claim a 2-1 deciding leg win, and leave his side on the brink of victory.
Game 5 saw Michael Wesemeyer briefly halt the Horseshoe’s charge, pinning a brace of tons and whitewashing Rob Moss 2-0 to cut the gap to 3-2, but any hopes of a late fight-back were dashed in Game 6 when Ben Harrington held his nerve to dispatch Stuart Watson 2-0 and secure the bonus points for the visitors. Oscar Coutts then applied the gloss, hitting an 85 finish while sealing a 2-0 victory over Will Halliwell in the final game of the night.
Division 4
Metros Sports retain top spot and an unbeaten league record this season after a close fought win against Cringlewood B, while Fusion sports retain second place despite a first defeat of the season, falling 4-3 to St Anthonys C who conversely pick up their first win of the season. Burst also picked up a first win after a four game salvo at the start of the match set them on their way before being pegged back to 4-3 by Garricks Head, and the Old Plough are still looking for a first league win after a 5-2 reverse at home to Wythenshawe CSC.
Cringlewood B 3 vs 4 Metro Sports
Metros Sports continued their unbeaten start to life in Division 4 of the South Manchester Darts league, but were made to fight for it in a tight tussle at the Cringlewood Club, edging the singles 4-3 and bagging the gallon 2-0.
The visitors struck first when Callum Medd took the deciding leg against Neil Chappell in Game 1, but Cringlewood B hit back immediately in Game 2 when Stephen Chipchase pinched a deciding leg to see off Harry Wilson and square the contest.
In game 3 Metros moved 2-1 ahead thanks to a good display from Mike Bray, whose 19-dart leg stood as the night’s least darts during his 2-1 win over Mark Chappell, but Cringlewood’s Sean Chappell answered with style in Game 4 – three tons, a 22-darter and a 60.12 average to level the match at 2-2.
The decisive burst from Metro’s came in Games 5 and 6, as a classy 112 checkout from Gareth Cooke was the highlight of a two-legs to nil victory over Jackson Dace before team-mate Andrew Lewis piled in four tons and a 25-dart leg to topple Dillon Delaney, sealing the match at 4-2.
Cringlewood still had time to gain another point as Michael Basham beat Jack Yates 2-0 to make it 4-3, but the damage was already done. Metros move four points clear at the top of the table and are starting to look like one of the teams to beat this season, while Cringlewood B should be content with third place in whats been a fine start to the season for them too.
St Anthonys C 4 vs 3 Fusion Sports
Fusion Sports fell to their first league defeat of the season as St Anthonys C claimed their first win after edging a tight contest 4-3, though Fusion Sports did manage to win the gallon 2-1.
Game 1 saw Dale Holt settle the hosts’ nerves, tidying up in two straight legs against Lewis Walker. Eddie Williamson then doubled the advantage in Game 2, but had to withstand a maximum from Stephen Barnes before pinning the winning double in the deciding leg.
Fusion found their footing in Game 3 as Andrew Mills pulled it back to 2-1 overall with a neat 2-0 success over Steve Williams, but any hopes of an away surge were checked immediately in Game 4, where Jimmy Starr produced the performance of the night – three ton-plus scores and a 20-dart leg powered him past Jon Cummins and restored the home sides two game cushion at 3-1.
Daniel Long kept Fusion alive in Game 5, whitewashing Ryan Horrocks to narrow the gap to 3-2, but Dan Tierney answered in kind in Game 6, sweeping aside Martin Long and banking the league points for St Anthonys at 4-2.
There was still time for Fusion to grab a further consolation point, and so it was as Matthew Barnes reduced the deficit in the final game, completing a tidy 2-0 win over John Holt to leave a final scoreline of 4-3 to the home side.
Garricks Head 3 vs 4 Burst
Burst secured their first win of the campaign with a 4-3 win over the Garricks Head, and did it in style by storming the first four games to claim the bonus points before Garricks Head hit back late to grab three points from the fixture and close the overall gap to a single game.
Ray Townhill settled the visitors in game 1, stringing together four ton-plus scores to beat Tom Brinnan 2-0, while Mark Leather doubled the advantage in game 2, with 3 ton-plus scores helping him past Connor Trueman 2-1. Burst’s momentum kept rolling in game 3 as Jack Newsham eased past Lex Davies without reply, and when Mike Westlake claimed the deciding leg of game 4 against Lucas Entwistle the Trafford outfit had the win wrapped up at 4-0.
Garricks Head finally found their range in game 5: James Heslop rattled in five tons to fend off Marc Tancock 2-1 and put the hosts on the board. Lee Capper followed with a tidy 2-0 over Jimmy Murphy in game 6, and the Garricks gained a third point after Daryl Patrick’s 3 tons helped him to a 2-0 win over Lindsay Rice.
Old Plough 2 vs 5 Wythenshawe CSC
Wythenshawe CSC collected their second win of the season to move up to joint fourth place with a game in hand, with a good win over The Old Plough. They started the night as they meant to go on with a 2-0 victory in the gallon, and took that form into the main game to secure a solid 5-2 victory.
The visitors opened with conviction, Shane Lowe’s three-ton’s helping him to a straight-legs win over Lewis Kent in game 1, before Captain David Peploe doubled the lead in game 2, after claiming the winning double in a back and forth game with Stephen Senior.
The Plough’s Paul Fent stemmed the tide in game 3, levelling matters after taking a 2-0 win against Josh Field to halve the deficit, but Big John Brown restored the two game Wythenshawe cushion in game 4 with a 2-0 defeat of Nick Brown to leave Wythenshawe just one away from the bonus points.
Lewis Gould kept the contest alive for the Plough by sweeping past Paul Brankin 2-0 in game 5, yet the travelling side slammed the door shut on any comeback immediately afterwards when Martin Power produced the performance of the night in game 6, pinning a tidy 98 checkout while sealing the match at 4-2. Dave Massey then rounded things off for the visitors in game 7, registering the evening’s quickest leg at 25 darts and a match-best 58.94 average to make it 5-2.
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