Spot On Dinosaurs suffer shock defeat but remain firmly on course to lift the Division Three title

SIX MAXIMUMS were scored in Blue Ball Division One of the Loughborough and District Pubs and Clubs Darts League last week. Andy Hibbert hit his eighth maximum of the season for leaders Bottom Railway BA as they beat third place Three Nuns Left Footers 5-4 to open up an eight point lead at the top of the division with only two more league fixtures to play.

Andy now leads the rest of the field in the race for the coveted ‘Most Maximums in the Season’ trophy for Division One. Tony Spencer hit two maximums, his fifth and sixth of the season, and Kev Bryan hit his seventh for the Blue Ball Lions as their side beat Navigation Wagg’s Gang 5-4. Second place Spot On MP beat the Royal Oak DP 5-4 and Tap and Mallet JB’s captain Julie Booth also hit a maximum as they lost 6-3 to the Navigation Tap Tappers. The final maximum was scored by Chris Wilson for the Royal Oak Shooters as they lost 5-4 to the Spot On Lads.

In Wanty’s Division Two, Steve Folkes hit his second maximum of the season for leaders Royal Oak Bluemoon Foxes as they beat the Spot On Guy ‘n’ Gal’s 5-4. The ‘Foxes’ are now 11 points clear of second place Arena Gladiators who beat Crown Inn Glory 7-2. Top Railway A reclaim third place from the ‘Guy ‘n’ Gals’ with their 6-3 win against Beacon Yer Lolly.

In S H Cox Division Three, John Thacker hit a maximum for Shepshed Dynamo Gatecrashers as they beat the Spot On Dinosaurs 5-4 to inflict only the second defeat of the season on the leaders. The ‘Dinosaurs’ are still 18 points clear at the top of the table though, and only need to avoid defeat in this Thursday’s game to win the division with a week to spare.

In Generous Briton Division Four, leaders Blacksmiths Blue Army beat bottom side Crown MA 8-1 to move seven points clear of Hathern Club, who did not play. Nathan Bettany hit a second maximum for Plough B as they won 5-4 against the Crown Rejects.

In Navigation Division Five, the Peacock Feathers beat Blue Ball MS 5-4 to take over at the top of the division from Spot On Rejects who also did not play. Dewdrop Blues beat third place Blue Ball CS 5-4 and are now only six points behind them with two games to play, and Matt Wyles hit a maximum, his second of the season, for Top Railway Dave’s A as they lost 5-4 to Tap & Clapper Redbridge Rovers.

Finally in Jim Kidger Division Six the White Hart Stags take temporary ownership of the top spot from The Swan in the Rushes, who still have two games in hand on the ‘Stags’, after their 7-2 win against Go Arena. Generous Briton consolidated third place with a good 7-2 win over Shepshed Dynamo B&W. The full results for Thursday, March 9 were: Blue Ball Division

One: Navigation Tap Tappers 6-3 Tap and Mallet JB (Julie Booth 180), Royal Oak DP 4-5 Spot On MP, Bottom Railway BA (Andy Hibbert 180) 5-4 Three Nuns Left Footers (Rich Greasley 143 Finish), Spot On Lads 5-4 Royal Oak Shooters (Chris Wilson 180), Blue Ball Lions ( Tony Spencer 180 x 2, Kev Bryan 180) 5-4 Navigation Wagg’s Gang. Wanty’s Division

Two: Tap and Mallet CD 7-2 Peacock Lads, Spot On LSU Longhorns 4-5 Brush Club AW, Top Railway A 6-3 Beacon Yer Lolly, Royal Oak Bluemoon Foxes (Steve Folkes 180) 5-4 Spot On Guy ‘n’ Gals, Crown Inn Glory 2-7 Arena Gladiators. S H Cox Division Three: The White Hart v Blue Ball B - No game to be re-arranged, Shepshed Dynamo Gate Crashers (John Thacker 180) 5-4 Spot On Dinosaurs, Black Swan JS 8-1 Three Nuns Albion, Generous Briton LSU Lions 3-6 Three Crowns, Barrow, Bull & Bush Laughing Boys 3-6 Crown NTBB. Generous Briton Division Four: Plough B (Nathan Bettany 180) 5-4 Crown Rejects, Generous Briton Bandits v Hathern Club - No game to be re-arranged, Tap & Clapper 4-5 Top Railway Jesters, Windmill Wild Hearts 2-7 Twelve Degrees 26ers, Crown MA 1-8 Blacksmiths Blue Army. Navigation Division Five: Dewdrop Blues 5-4 Blue Ball CS, Crown Jewels, Barrow 4-5 Generous Briton Luffs, Top Railway Dave’s A (Matt Wyles 180) 4-5 Tap & Clapper Redbridge Rovers, Spot On Rejects v Royal Oak Old Uns - No game to be re-arranged, Blue Ball MS 4-5 Peacock Feathers. Jim Kidger Division

Six: Go Arena 2-7 White Hart Stags, Swan in the Rushes Black Pearls v Windmill Red Triangles - No game to be re-arranged, Three Nuns Bad Habits - Bye, Shepshed Dynamo B&W 2-7 Generous Briton Team GB, Peacock Boarders 1-8 Plough Ernie’s