Hagg Bar A show no mercy to their rivals

Johnstone league leaders are still the team to beat

Reigning darts champions Hagg Bar A clearly don’t fancy surrendering their crown following another thumping victory.

The Johnstone side showed no signs of letting up as they returned to league action after their brief festive interlude.

Taking part in the match of the night, Hagg Bar A took on St Peter’s – and they showed exactly why they have been the team to beat for the last few years.

The current champions gave up only five legs as they recorded a 9-0 whitewash.

It is a result which leaves them two points ahead of Pickwicks.

They too continued their great form into the new year as they put together a 9-0 result with the loss of just two legs against bottomplaced Arthurlie Inns.

Flying Horse A are still fourth despite suffering a 6-3 defeat to Court Bar – but the result now places Court on the same points as Flying Horse and only one leg behind them.

Elsewhere, Burgh Bar maintain their position in sixth place, however, they too suffered a defeat, this time at the hands of Hagg Bar C – which was their first win of the season.

Keystone A sit dead level with Burgh Bar in sixth place, but they stumbled in the match against Railway Inn as the Howwood team came away with the points after a 6-3 win.

The result puts the Railway team on the same points total as Burgh Bar and Keystone and they sit only three legs adrift, so will no doubt be looking to capitalise on any future slip-ups.

Joining the trio on eight points, and only one leg behind Railway Inn, are Gleniffer Hotel after a 6-3 home win over rivals Pockets Red.

There was excitement too in the Second Division as the top four teams all played each other, and with three of them sharing 14 points something had to give.

In the clash of the top two between Pockets Black and The Kelburn, it was the leaders Pockets Black who kept their composure to run out 6-3 winners and put a gap between themselves and their opponents.

In the third versus fourth clash between Cafuffals and Tartan Rose it was the West End team that came out on top as they won 5-4 in a very tense game.

The result means that Pockets Black now have a two-point lead over a trio of their nearest rivals.

Sitting just behind the chasing pack are Inkerman Bowling Club in fifth place after a 5-4 victory at Keystone B. Court Bar B stay in sixth place even after they suffered a dent in their aspirations following a 5-4 defeat to Flying Horse B.

Hazel Arms closed the gap between themselves and Court bar B to just two points after a very hard fought 5- 4 win over pub-mates Hazel Pirates.

At the bottom of the table, Kelburne Cricket Club scored their first win of the season as they recorded an impressive 7-2 win over Hazel Pirates B with the win lifting them above their rivals to consign the Pirates B to bottom place.

As expected, the trebles took a battering this week as 18 scores of 180 were hit during the matches with Hagg Bar A’s Richie Baillie and Railway Inn’s Garry Jardine both hitting two.

Of the 13 games finished in six throws or less, the most impressive was from John Barclay Sr of Court Bar with a 14-dart leg.

The highest finish of the week came from Graham Morrison of Pickwicks as he took out a very creditable 130 finish.