West Midlands Relieve Pressure With Win Over Durham

West Midlands scheduled fourth fixture of the season in the UKDA National League (but in reality was only their third as their game with Worcestershire was previously postponed) was a home tie with County Durham, a game whereby the hosts were in desperate need of a win and points to ease their situation at the foot of the table as in their previous games they had lost 19-17 at Leicestershire and then won by the same margin at Suffolk leaving them next to bottom of the table but with a game in hand.

The County Durham fixture saw the visitors get the better start to the weekend as their ladies ‘B’ won 4-2 with Crysta Wilcox and Shellbie Simmons the only winners for the home team. Shellbie taking the match award for her 3-0 win over Babs Smith and her 19.03 average.

First blood went to County Durham in the men’s ‘B’ game as Paul Johnson opened up with a 3-2 win over Mark Craddock but the score was levelled in the second when Neil Pointon got the better of James McClurg with a 3-1 result. The home side went ahead for the first time in the third when Jay Woodhouse beat Paul Berriman 3-2 and with 3-1 wins from both Ben Johnson and Mark Maiden over respective opponents Michael Walker and Ian Adamson the Wet Midlands were 4-1 up. By the break the score was 4-2 as Rob Wild (County Durham) closed the half with a 3-1 win over John Morris.

The second half began well as Dean Simmons-Fullwood, despite being taken to a deciding leg by Carl Redden won 3-2 and at the end of the day took the team’s man of the match award for his 28.31 average.

From leading 5-2 West Midlands had their surplus reduced to 5-4 as County Durham’s Jonny Barnes beat Kieran O’Mahoney 3-1 and David Nixon pulled one out of the hat to record a narrow 3-2 victory over Sam Guest.

Glen McGrandle got West Midlands back on winning ways and assured his team mates of at the worst a draw when he took the running score along to 6-4 with his 3-2 win over Robert Howe and although Stuart Walker kept the visitors in with a chance of a draw when in the penultimate encounter he won 3-2 against Ian Stanton the 7-5 win for the home side was chalked up when anchor man Rob Thompson beat John Teal 3-1.

It was a weekend to forget for the ladies ‘A’ as they slumped to a 5-1 defeat with Jacqueline Maiden their sole winner as she defeated Clare Stewart 3-2 giving her the match award for her 16.64 average.

The first half of the men’s ‘A’ game went exactly the same as the men’s ‘B’ game with County Durham going one up and by the midway point the hosts were leading 4-2. Gerry Hall put the first stripe on the board for County Durham as he won 4-1 against Michael Baker.

Then came four consecutive wins for West Midlands as Kevin Bambrick won 4-1 against Robbie Douthwaite, Gavin Baker beat Stuart Walker 4-0, Jon Platt was taken to a decider by Michael Gladstone and won 4-3 and taking the score to 4-1 was man of the match Shaun Carroll whose 4-0 win over Jack Bell and 28.63 average earned him the award. After the first six games the score was 4-2 as Chris Dominey (County Durham) beat Adam Johnson 4-2 in the last game of the half.

From 4-2 up the second half was all one-way traffic and all in West Midlands’ favour as they romped to a 10-2 victory with wins from Ian Jones (4-2 against Gary Miller), Ryan O’Connor (4-1 against Rob Wild), Owen Maiden (4-1 against Stephen Annan), Darren Williams (4-3 against Dean Scott), Ash Khayat (4-3 against Eddie Brown) and Richard Platt (4-0 against Jack Kirtland).

The overall score for the weekend saw West Midlands win 20-16 to relieve some of the pressure on them in their lowly position but the game in hand they have could hopefully lift them way up the table to safety.

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Alan Towe writes with the support of Red Dragon Darts

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