Delta Cabs Divis Dart League

There were some pretty tasty fixtures in round three of the Delta Cabs Divis Dart League and with last season’s League champions Caulfields receiving their first bye of the season it was a chance for the Sliabh Dubh to take the early advantage as they went up against the green army of Avoca.

Avoca claimed the plaudits thanks to a great away draw over last season’s league runners-up the Sliabh Dubh.

Peter Matthews got the ball rolling with a comfortable 2-0 win over Martin ‘Soupy’ Campbell in 23 darts and a 62 checkout. Big Geordie Bolton levelled the match with a convincing 2-0 win over Paul Scott and chipping in with 22 and 24 darters.

Sliabh Dubh new man Gerard Mick Matthews kept up his winning streak by cruising past young Declan Bolton 2-0.

Last season’s Delta Cabs young player of the year Sean Moran levelled the score at 2-2 with a comfortable 2-0 win over Davy Parker. John Black put Avoca ahead with a great 2-0 win over Joe McCoubrey Jnr but up stepped big Joe McCoubrey Snr to level the score for a third time in the match with a sound 2-0 win over Darren Bolton, who is throwing cracking arrows but the finishing aspect of his game is letting him down at the moment.

Big Seamy O’Brien made it 4-3 to the home outfit beating Gerard Brownlee 2-0 going into the last game as John ‘Irish man’ Moore was looking to end his slump going up against Billy Davidson, but John will have to wait another week as Billy took him out 2-1 and levelled the match earning a great point for Avoca, who will feel hard done by and should have walked away with all three points. Well played to both teams.

We traveled down to Springfield Road next as the Spartans were looking to get one over on the Orient Bar.

Both teams were playing for their first league win of the new campaign. The first game saw Martin Parker put the home team ahead with a 2-1 win over Joe Slavin, the Spartans’ Gary Murphy who is in fine form of late levelled the match beating Marty Carson 2-0 with Gary chipping in with scores of 100, 100 and 107.  Michael Holmes made it 2-1 to the home team beating Kieran McKeeveney in a tight 2-1 score line.

Jim Kerr drew the match up with a comfortable 2-0 win over Martin Taggart, Deno Duffy pulled out all the stops by beating Jamesy Dempsey 2-1 and big Charlie Curley made it 4-2 to the Spartans with a sound 2-0 win over Tony Parker Jnr as Charlie took out a nice 92 finish.

My good friend Caellach Nesbitt pulled one back for the Orient Bar beating young Patrick Slavin and chipping in with scores of 100, 140 and 85 in his winning leg.

So it was left to big Conor Quinn to try and salvage a point taking on Ciaran Healy but Ciaran had other ideas as he beat Conor in a very tight 2-1 score line and winning the match for the Spartans 5-3.

Avoca Star hosted the men from the top of the rock the Sloans.

Both teams seem to be headed in very different directions as Avoca Star picked up their first piece of silverware and seemed to be making a statement to the rest of the league and the Sloans, after their bright start to the season, have surely started to fade giving away too many silly legs.

But with a new week upon us they were looking to make things right.

The first game saw Bapper Bolton lose to young Chris Clarke 2-0 putting the Sloans 1-0 ahead.

Cricky Magee showed the form from previous years, which he had lost for a while after he sustained an injury, and threw superb darts as he outclassed Thomas Slavin winning the game 2-0 with two 19 darters under his belt. Well played Cricky.

Big Kevin O’Neill made it 3-1 as he cruised past Colm Clarke 2-0. Another player who has been in fine form of late Paul Goodman threw some solid darts as he beat Brian Magee in a tight 2-1 win.

Paddy Bell pulled one back for the Sloans by beating Niall Maginness 2-1, who looked good in his first match for Avoca Star this season.

Paddy Magee had to use all his know how to overcome, in my opinion, the Sloans’ top player young Jordan McLaughlin winning 2-1 to make it 4-2 to Avoca Star.

The Star wrapped the match up as they won the next two matches with wins coming from Seany Moore winning against Stevie Caughey 2-1 and Buster Millar threw outstanding darts to beat Dee Hamilton 2-1 hitting scores of 140, 92, 140, 127 and 86 in his winning game to make it 6-2 to the Green-Army.

The last game saw the TLTA host their derby rivals the Green Hut looking to keep their unbeaten league run going.

The lads from the TLTA were looking to put their disappointing cup exit to the Orient Bar behind them and get back on track and they did so in the best way possible by beating their rivals 8-0, claiming their second whitewash this season to date. Butch Mallon got it all started beating Gerry Rooney 2-0 and Marty Tougher made it two winning 2-1 against the living legend in Mr John Glennon.

Jim Smyth threw magic darts as he punished the treble 19s to beat James Kennedy 2-1 to make it 3-0 with Liam McMenimen hitting a 20-darter to make it 4-0, cruising past Brian Slavin. Gerard Holmes threw outstanding darts to seal all three points for the TLTA winning against Henry Carson in 23 darts and Gerard hit four 100s and a 140 to make it 5-0.

The remaining three games saw Paul Smyth get the better of Marty McDaid 2-1, Paul McMenamin recorded four tons himself as he beat Brendan Walker 2-1 and Brendan took out bulls-eye in his winning leg to make it 7-0.

All the pressure was on Joe Flannery to try and make it 8-0 going up against Mr Bobby McStravick and Joe did just that winning 2-1 and wrapped up another impressive 8-0 whitewash.

The draw for the TLTA Cup was made on Monday September 12 and fixtures are as follows: Sloans v Avoca in the Preliminary, Orient Bar v Avoca Star, Sliabh Dubh v Spartans, Winners of Preliminary v TLTA and Caulfields v the Green Hut.

To any teams still looking to join the Delta Cabs Divis Dart League there is a vacant slot still available. If interested please contact Stevie Dee on 02890 312372 for details anytime. Cheers, Stevie Dee.