Darts News - Alan Towe’s The Line On Darts – West of England v Shropshire
After a demoralising 24-12 home defeat at the hands of the Montgomery and Radnor team in the opening fixture in division four of the BDO Inter County Championships Shropshire bounced back in the best possible way with a 23-13 win away to West of England.
The first four games in the ladies ‘B’ match all went against the first throw advantage Sarah Cook the first winner for West of England beating Shirley Reading 3-1 and Kirsty Jenks cancelling out the win with 3-0 success against Louise Ballantyne to level at 1-1.
The home side went ahead again, this time through Janet Ashton who won a close 3-2 encounter with Shropshire’s Lynne Watton, but again the hosts lead was short lived as Deana Worrall defeated Cathrine Rosser 3-1 to earn herself the match award with a 15.66 average.
It was the penultimate game before the sequence was broken and it was Shropshire’s Michele Pritchard who brought it to a halt as in double quick time she handed out a straight 3-0 defeat to Susie Brown. The final tussle between Lucy Connor (West of England) and Suzanne Lane could have gone either way but it was Connor who got the close 3-2 verdict to salvage a share of the points for her team in a final 3-3 draw.
Neil Powell gave the men’s ‘B’ the ideal start when he beat Josh Allen 3-0 and although Darren Purnell (West of England) negated Powell’s win when he won 3-2 against Darryl Sheldon the rest of the half was all Shropshire’s.
Robert Harris had a 3-1 win over Shaun Anstey before Michael O’Neill and Jacob Perrins in turn handed out 3-0 defeats to Dale Fitzgerald and Gary Pinker and taking the away teams lead to 5-1 was Martin Riggs with a 3-1 success against Liam Dawe.
The second half began in a similar manner as Wayne Speed made it 6-1 for Shropshire when he beat Karl Amos 3-2, but then it slipped away from the visitors slightly as Lee Ellison beat Robert Trumper 3-0 and with 3-2 and 3-1 wins from Mark Jones and Steve Long against respective opponents Adam Thackray and Chris Perrins West of England were back in the game although still trailing 6-4.
Peter Eley supplied the vital seventh win for the away team a 3-1 win over Davis Kiernan and taking the final score to 8-4 was man of the match Andre Knox (25.47) who recorded a straight 3-0 win over Michael O’Neill.
The ladies ‘A’ had a great start sailing to a 3-0 lead without dropping a single leg. Katharine McLean got them underway with her 3-0 win over Jackie Skinner, the lead was then doubled when Marie Riggs, produced a lady of the match average of 18.56 and beat Claire Iles 3-0 then chalking up the third straight win was Stephanie Clarke who accounted for Helen Jones.
Jayne Fitzgerald pulled one back for the hosts when she beat Julie Griffiths with a narrow 3-2 result, but the final score was taken to 5-1 to Shropshire with 3-1 wins from Mandy Morgan and Caroline Powell who in turn defeated Tracey Webb and Amanda Tyler.
The men’s ‘A’ team got off to a rather slow start but nevertheless won two of the first four games, Dan Lovell put the home team one up with a 4-1 win against Clive Lucking only to see John Cornmell beat Robbie Long 4-2 to wipe out Lovell’s win. The hosts went ahead again in the third when Andrew White beat Kevin Harris 4-2 again only to see the lead cancelled out as Derek Coulson won 4-3 against Martyn Noakes.
From 2-2 West of England moved the score along to 4-2 in their favour Alan Skinner beating Darryl Sheldon 4-1 and Wayne Allen winning 4-2 against John Cooper before the visiting team stepped up a gear to take three in a row Roger Taylor winning 4-2 against Gary Grimmitt, Andrew Chatter beating Adrian Williams 4-3 and giving Shropshire the lead for the first time in the game at number nine was Neville Quinton with a 4-2 win over Paul Fellows.
Putting the running score back to level terms at 5-5 was West of England’s Martin Smith who won 4-0 against Eddie Austin. The penultimate encounter produced Shropshire’s man of the match Danny James who was involved in a thrilling seven legs affair with Alan Thatcher but came through with a 4-3 win and an award winning average of 25.50.
Going into the final game the outcome was still uncertain as to whether it would be a 6-6 draw or a 7-5 win for Shropshire and fortunately for the away side it was the latter as Ian Pallett beat Bill Bird 4-2 for not only a men’s ‘A’ 7-5 win but also a well deserved and vital overall 23-13 victory for Shropshire to lift them up two places in the table to seventh.
Full Results:(West of England names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Dan Lovell 4 Clive Lucking 1, Robbie Long 2 John Cornmell 4, Andrew White 4 Kevin Harris 2, Martyn Noakes 3 Derek Coulson 4, Alan Skinner 4 Darryl Sheldon 1, Wayne Allen 4 John Cooper 2, Gary Grimmitt 2 Roger Taylor 4, Adrian Williams 3 Andrew Chatter 4, Paul Fellows 2 Neville Quinton 4, Martin Smith 4 Eddie Austin 0, Alan Thatcher 3 Danny James 4, Bill Bird 2 Ian Pallett 4, Men’s ‘B’:- Josh Allen 0 Neil Powell 3, Darren Purnell 3 Darryl Sheldon 2, Shaun Anstey 1 Robert Harris 3, Dale Fitzgerald 0 Michael O’Neill 3, Gary Pinker 0 Jacob Perrins 3, Liam Dawe 1 Martin Riggs 3, Karl Amos 2 Wayne Speed 3, Lee Ellison 3 Robert Trumper 0, Mark Jones 3 Adam Thackray 2, Steve Long 3 Chris Perrins 1, David Kiernan 1 Peter Eley 3, Michael O’Neill 0 Andre Knox 3, Women’s ‘A’:- Jackie Skinner 0 Katharine McLean 3, Claire Iles 0 Marie Riggs 3, Helen Jones 0 Stephanie Clarke 3, Jayne Fitzgerald 3 Julie Griffiths 2, Tracey Webb 1 Mandy Morgan 3, Amanda Tyler 1 Caroline Powell 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Sarah Cook 3 Shirley Reading 1, Louise Ballantyne 0 Kirsty Jenks 3, Janet Ashton 3 Lynne Watton 2, Cathrine Rosser 1 Deana Worrall 3, Susie Brown 0 Michele Pritchard 3, Lucy Connor 3 Suzanne Lane 2.
The first four games in the ladies ‘B’ match all went against the first throw advantage Sarah Cook the first winner for West of England beating Shirley Reading 3-1 and Kirsty Jenks cancelling out the win with 3-0 success against Louise Ballantyne to level at 1-1.
The home side went ahead again, this time through Janet Ashton who won a close 3-2 encounter with Shropshire’s Lynne Watton, but again the hosts lead was short lived as Deana Worrall defeated Cathrine Rosser 3-1 to earn herself the match award with a 15.66 average.
It was the penultimate game before the sequence was broken and it was Shropshire’s Michele Pritchard who brought it to a halt as in double quick time she handed out a straight 3-0 defeat to Susie Brown. The final tussle between Lucy Connor (West of England) and Suzanne Lane could have gone either way but it was Connor who got the close 3-2 verdict to salvage a share of the points for her team in a final 3-3 draw.
Neil Powell gave the men’s ‘B’ the ideal start when he beat Josh Allen 3-0 and although Darren Purnell (West of England) negated Powell’s win when he won 3-2 against Darryl Sheldon the rest of the half was all Shropshire’s.
Robert Harris had a 3-1 win over Shaun Anstey before Michael O’Neill and Jacob Perrins in turn handed out 3-0 defeats to Dale Fitzgerald and Gary Pinker and taking the away teams lead to 5-1 was Martin Riggs with a 3-1 success against Liam Dawe.
The second half began in a similar manner as Wayne Speed made it 6-1 for Shropshire when he beat Karl Amos 3-2, but then it slipped away from the visitors slightly as Lee Ellison beat Robert Trumper 3-0 and with 3-2 and 3-1 wins from Mark Jones and Steve Long against respective opponents Adam Thackray and Chris Perrins West of England were back in the game although still trailing 6-4.
Peter Eley supplied the vital seventh win for the away team a 3-1 win over Davis Kiernan and taking the final score to 8-4 was man of the match Andre Knox (25.47) who recorded a straight 3-0 win over Michael O’Neill.
The ladies ‘A’ had a great start sailing to a 3-0 lead without dropping a single leg. Katharine McLean got them underway with her 3-0 win over Jackie Skinner, the lead was then doubled when Marie Riggs, produced a lady of the match average of 18.56 and beat Claire Iles 3-0 then chalking up the third straight win was Stephanie Clarke who accounted for Helen Jones.
Jayne Fitzgerald pulled one back for the hosts when she beat Julie Griffiths with a narrow 3-2 result, but the final score was taken to 5-1 to Shropshire with 3-1 wins from Mandy Morgan and Caroline Powell who in turn defeated Tracey Webb and Amanda Tyler.
The men’s ‘A’ team got off to a rather slow start but nevertheless won two of the first four games, Dan Lovell put the home team one up with a 4-1 win against Clive Lucking only to see John Cornmell beat Robbie Long 4-2 to wipe out Lovell’s win. The hosts went ahead again in the third when Andrew White beat Kevin Harris 4-2 again only to see the lead cancelled out as Derek Coulson won 4-3 against Martyn Noakes.
From 2-2 West of England moved the score along to 4-2 in their favour Alan Skinner beating Darryl Sheldon 4-1 and Wayne Allen winning 4-2 against John Cooper before the visiting team stepped up a gear to take three in a row Roger Taylor winning 4-2 against Gary Grimmitt, Andrew Chatter beating Adrian Williams 4-3 and giving Shropshire the lead for the first time in the game at number nine was Neville Quinton with a 4-2 win over Paul Fellows.
Putting the running score back to level terms at 5-5 was West of England’s Martin Smith who won 4-0 against Eddie Austin. The penultimate encounter produced Shropshire’s man of the match Danny James who was involved in a thrilling seven legs affair with Alan Thatcher but came through with a 4-3 win and an award winning average of 25.50.
Going into the final game the outcome was still uncertain as to whether it would be a 6-6 draw or a 7-5 win for Shropshire and fortunately for the away side it was the latter as Ian Pallett beat Bill Bird 4-2 for not only a men’s ‘A’ 7-5 win but also a well deserved and vital overall 23-13 victory for Shropshire to lift them up two places in the table to seventh.
Full Results:(West of England names first):Men’s ‘A’:- Dan Lovell 4 Clive Lucking 1, Robbie Long 2 John Cornmell 4, Andrew White 4 Kevin Harris 2, Martyn Noakes 3 Derek Coulson 4, Alan Skinner 4 Darryl Sheldon 1, Wayne Allen 4 John Cooper 2, Gary Grimmitt 2 Roger Taylor 4, Adrian Williams 3 Andrew Chatter 4, Paul Fellows 2 Neville Quinton 4, Martin Smith 4 Eddie Austin 0, Alan Thatcher 3 Danny James 4, Bill Bird 2 Ian Pallett 4, Men’s ‘B’:- Josh Allen 0 Neil Powell 3, Darren Purnell 3 Darryl Sheldon 2, Shaun Anstey 1 Robert Harris 3, Dale Fitzgerald 0 Michael O’Neill 3, Gary Pinker 0 Jacob Perrins 3, Liam Dawe 1 Martin Riggs 3, Karl Amos 2 Wayne Speed 3, Lee Ellison 3 Robert Trumper 0, Mark Jones 3 Adam Thackray 2, Steve Long 3 Chris Perrins 1, David Kiernan 1 Peter Eley 3, Michael O’Neill 0 Andre Knox 3, Women’s ‘A’:- Jackie Skinner 0 Katharine McLean 3, Claire Iles 0 Marie Riggs 3, Helen Jones 0 Stephanie Clarke 3, Jayne Fitzgerald 3 Julie Griffiths 2, Tracey Webb 1 Mandy Morgan 3, Amanda Tyler 1 Caroline Powell 3, Women’s ‘B’:- Sarah Cook 3 Shirley Reading 1, Louise Ballantyne 0 Kirsty Jenks 3, Janet Ashton 3 Lynne Watton 2, Cathrine Rosser 1 Deana Worrall 3, Susie Brown 0 Michele Pritchard 3, Lucy Connor 3 Suzanne Lane 2.