The race for the ladies’ league title will go to the wire after the top two both won to set up a final match which will decide the destination of the Newark and District Double Board Darts League crown.
Castle and Falcon Bangers went into their final match of the season against bottom of the table Railway Club Artists with a slender two points lead over Railway Youngers who were up against fourth placed RHP Ladies in their penultimate outing of the campaign.
The Bangers knew they needed a resounding win to put pressure on their rivals and they nearly pulled off the perfect result but they were left to rue missed chances that may cost them the retention of their title.
The reigning champions, who had won the reverse fixture 13-2 earlier in the season, raced into a 4-0 lead after victory in both of the opening pairs encounters before securing the win as Karen Whittaker and Kathy Buttong overcame Marion Quant and Lyn Dewick respectively in the first two singles matches to go up to an 8-0 lead.
Knowing they needed as big a win as possible they continued their relentless pursuit of points and they completed the clean sweep of singles wins as Mandy Walker defeated Julia Condliffe-Turner before Debbie Walker beat Barbara Hood to extend their advantage to 12-0.
With just the concluding team leg, worth three points, to play the Bangers appeared to be heading for a perfect result but they failed to the land their crucial double attempts and the Artists took advantage as Dewick holed out on double-9 to avert the whitewash, reduce the deficit to 12-3 and potentially put a serious dent in the Bangers’ title hopes.
Meanwhile the Youngers were also regretting losing the team leg in their clash with RHP Ladies.
The title challengers had raced into a 6-0 lead after following their victories in both of the opening pairs encounters with Anice Wells’ win over Heather Webb in the opening singles tie before RHP got off the mark as the next singles match was drawn.
RHP then continued their fight-back as Sandra Baker overcame Louise Fletcher to reduce the deficit to 7-3.
Earlier in the season RHP had come on out on top 8-7 but their hopes of a repeat were then ended as the Youngers’ Linda Gregory earned the point required to seal victory as she drew with Julie Feeney to give her side an unassailable 8-4 lead.
Despite the win the Youngers knew that victory in the team leg could be significant in respect of the title race but it wasn’t to be as Webb landed the winning double to reduce the final deficit to 8-7.
The result of this is that the Railway Youngers will need to pick up seven points in their final encounter eighth place Collingham Mother Chuckers, who they defeated 14-1 early in the season, to regain their title but anything less and Castle and Falcon Bangers will retain their crown.
Wheatsheaf Wandering Misfits will need five points from their remaining fixture to guarantee a top three finish after they were beaten 9-6 by The King’s Queens.
All appeared to be going well for the Misfits as they raced in a 4-0 lead but the Queen’s responded as Andi Atherley,
Michelle Antcliff and Aimee Wood all secured wins in the opening three singles encounters to lead 6-4.
The Misfits then levelled as Linda Brockson won the final singles match to set up the team leg decider but it was the Queens who took it to seal their sixth win in their debut season.
The remaining match saw Falcoholics come behind to snatch an 8-7 victory over Collingham Mother Chuckers thanks to skipper Sherri Hall’s first dart double-top finish in the deciding team leg.
Leanne Forman’s victory in the opening singles tie had given the village an early 5-1 lead and they maintained this cushion as the next two matches were drawn to lead 7-3.
Falcoholics’ Stacey Grand-Scrutton then kept the match alive as she overcame Sharon Hovey in the final singles clash before Hall’s finish in the team leg completed the fight back.
