The Crowson Volkswagen Pinchbeck & District Winter Darts League is nearing its conclusion and last Friday saw the semi-finals of both cup competitions.
In the Division A Cup, league champions Lincoln Arms A travelled to Services Club B, looking to keep their hopes of a league and cup double alive.
They made a strong start, with Paul Blow and Dean Murray and Steve Stancer and Si Hill winning the opening two pairs games.
Ady Smith and Steve Rawding then pulled one back for Services, beating John Charlton and Steve Gaughan, who had a 16-dart leg.
Lincoln extended their lead when Stancer won the first singles against Andy Mason, producing a 16-dart leg in the process.
Jonny Pell and Tony Clark then levelled the match at 3-3, both claiming 2-0 wins over Blow and Murray respectively, with Pell firing in a 17-dart leg and Clark checking out on 126.
Hill restored the Lincoln advantage with a 2-0 win that included a 16-dart leg, before Dave Norbury again brought the match level with a 2-1 victory over Gaughan, highlighted by a superb 154 checkout for a 15-dart leg.
In a tense deciding game, Smith took the opening leg against Charlton but Charlton responded to force a final-leg shootout.
With both players feeling the pressure, it was Smith who found the winning double to give Services a 5-4 victory.
Royal Mail Cart booked their place in the final after a hard-fought 5-4 comeback win at Pinchbeck FC B.
Trailing 3-0 after the pairs, Jack Chilvers pulled a point back for the Mail Cart with a 2-1 win over Mark Dixon.
Connor Mackenzie then beat Stef Atudosiei 2-0 to extend Football Club’s lead to 4-1.
However, Mail Cart responded superbly, taking the next three singles through Chris Fidler, Ash Allen and Josh Ford.
Fidler produced the standout darts of the night with two 180s and a 15-dart leg.
That set up a last-game decider between John Mackenzie and Stu Page. With the match poised at one leg apiece, it was Page who found the winning double to complete Mail Cart’s comeback.
In the H&H Cup for Division B teams, champions Kirton Leisure booked their place in the final with a 5-4 win at Green Dragon Z.
Trailing 2-1 after the pairs, singles wins from Joe Martin, Ash Brown, Finn Andrew and Alex Bemrose secured their progress.
The second semi-final produced an all-Consti Club clash, with the Z team hosting the D team.
The D side raced into a 3-0 lead after sweeping all the pairs games, before David Bristow got the Z team on the board.
Riley Collins then edged past Callam Ward 2-1 to put the D team within a point of victory.
Connor Newton and Mick Atkin responded for the D team, winning the next two singles to force a final-game decider.
John Harris held his nerve superbly, sealing a 2-0 win over Dean Drage to give the Z team a 5-4 victory and a place in the final.
Results – Knockout Cup, semi-finals: Pinchbeck FC B 4 Royal Mail Cart 5, Services Club B 5 Lincoln Arms A 4.
H&H Cup, semi-finals: Consti Club Z 5 Consti Club D 4, Green Dragon Z 4 Kirton Leisure 5.
