The Northland Age

Home advantage dashed in openers

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Domestic

The new 2019 darts season in the Far North began last Wednesday where the following results were recorded.

Aces were at home to RSA Red and dictated proceeding­s with a 16-0 whitewash thanks to a 180 and a 73HF for Mike Shalders and Jason Matthews hitting 10 100-plus scores while Melena Thomas led the scoring for Red.

At home Awanui WBTB lost to 90 Mile Collards 13-3 with 90 Mile fill-in Aaron Phillips hitting the match HF with 68 and a 180 as well as winning all his games, while Richard Martin top scored for WBTB and claimed a couple of wins.

Home advantage counted for little as well for RSA Kauri, who went down to the Collards Raiders 15-1. BJ Williams hit a HF 100 and 13 of the game’s 40 100-plus scores, while Rachelle Popata led the scoring for Kauri.

It was the same at Ahipara where Arrows hosted Waipapakau­ri and lost 15-1; 59 100-plus scores, Jo Steed on fire with a number of good finishes including a match HF 96, with Leon Matthews topping the scoring and John McGovern claiming a good win for the hosts.

Mission Impossible lost in 16-0 a whitewash away to the Houhora Warriors and surrendere­d the Dick Wellington Cup in the process. Annie Tau hit a 180 and top scored for Missions, while Shane Godinet and Pete Watson were impressive scoring for Warriors with Becca Marinkovic­h HF 52HF.

Elsewhere, Awanui hosted and lost 16-0 to the RSA Nomads with Erana Watts leading the scoring for Awanui, Harry Tepania nailing 90HF and Dan Jobe claiming the most 100-plus scores; Mussel Rock’s Graham Parker hit 14 of the 47 100-plus scores recorded in his side’s 12-4 home win over Tuatua Tavern whose Warren Scott hit the 101HF; and, the RSA Pixies lost 15-1

The Far North celebrates its Challenge Cup win over Whangarei Taniwha at Collards earlier this month.

at home to XL Mussel Rock, with Les Roberts top scoring for Pixies while Chris Hilton-Jones threw a 107HF for XL.

DRAW for tomorrow night (April 10): Waipapakau­ri vs Kauri, Red vs Arrows, Raiders vs Mission Impossible, Warriors vs Squash Club, Mussel Rock vs Pixies, Tuatua Tavern vs Awanui, XL vs Awanui WBTB, 90 Mile Collards vs Chiefs, The Vault vs Aces.

Challenge Cup

In other local darts news, the Far North representa­tive sides managed to mount a

successful defence of both the Challenge Cup and the Challenge Shield against the visiting Whangarei Taniwha Darts contingent at Collards Tavern earlier this month.

The Northland Darts Associatio­n event on Saturday, April 6, saw particular­ly close contest for the upper tier cup event where, with the score at 8-all after the doubles and with 16 singles games to go, it came down to the 13th game which Becca Marinkovic­h won to give the Far North an unassailab­le 17 points and a final 17-15 win.

There were nine 180s hit, five for the Far North’s Brian Steed while Taniwha hit four.

Also played for on the day was the Challenge Shield, awarded on a combinatio­n of points between the two factions’ A and B teams. This trophy was also retained by the hosting Far North B team, which led by 12-4 after the doubles before going on to emerge on top with a 24-8 victory.

Local standouts included Robbie Matthews with two 180s while John Stewart hit one along with a 118 finish.

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