John Still The Mann In Steve Chapman 501 League

The top players from eleven of the twelve teams in the Steve Chapman 501 League did battle to be crowned Singles Champion last Tuesday with a prize of £300 on offer.

After a stellar Steve Chapman 501 League campaign where John Mann topped the league's individual standing with 129 points from 132 available, King Billy A's John Mann was the clear favourite.

And Mann lived up to that billing with a 3-1 win over Kings Arms Warren Gordon in the first tie of the preliminary round, which was aided by a 17 dart leg.

Second game of a bumper night of darts saw Mark Shears, representing the King Billy B, defeat Cherry Tree's Marc Webber 3-1 with two 180s and legs of 15 and 18 darts that was finished off with a 78 checkout.

Jayden Dodd of the Octagon then took out the talented youngster Cleo Trelease from Victory B 3-0; completing the preliminary round with a 77 checkout and a 17 dart leg.

Dodd would be next up for Mann in the quarter finals with Mann (25.25) coming through 3-1; adding another 17 darter to his evening's work to put him into the money stage.

Fawn B's Jaden Whitting (28.90) added his name to the last four with a brilliant 3-0 win over Indian's Ian Heggie which was helped along by legs of 15 and 17 darts, as well as an 80 one visit finish.

St Levans' Tex Pearce then showed his credentials to go deep into the tournament with a fine 3-0 win over Torpoint Cons' Paul Tackle with an 18 darter finishing off an emphatic win.

Shears returned to the board in the final quarter final but found himself quickly 1-0 down to Fawn A's Mark Sargeant.

However, Shears (28.59) rallied with a 67 checkout and ran out a 3-1 winner with a third maximum of the evening and a leg in 17.

Devon teammates Pearce (27.13) and Shears (29.65) were drawn in the semi final with Pearce taking an early 1-0 lead thanks to a superb 14 darter (121,140,100,100,40).

Despite Pearce racking up his first maximum of the evening, Shears then took a 2-1 lead with back to back 18 dart legs which was rammed home with a 96 checkout.

Missed double held Shears back from taking the win before Pearce stole in to make it 2-2 before running out a 3-2 winner with a sublime 17 dart leg under pressure.

That defeat saw Shears pickup £25 in prize money for his evening's work whilst Pearce moved on to face the winner of the other semi between Whitting and Mann.

The Cornwall youngster seemed to let the occasion and the mammoth task of defeating the imperious Mann get the better of him though as Mann ran out a comfortable 3-0 winner thanks in part to an 18 dart leg.

Despite Whitting's title tilt ending in disappointment, the youngster can take incredible pride and confidence from making the latter stages amongst a high class field of competitors.

In the final, Pearce (26.85) took a 1-0 advantage with a 70 checkout before Mann (26.03) reversed that scoreline with two legs that included a 15 darter to make it 2-1.

Pearce fired a 15 darter of his own in a leg that included a 180 to level the tie going into the final leg in which Mann had the added buffer of the throw.

That was to prove crucial as Pearce came down in just 15 darts and missed two clear darts at doubles for the victory before Mann sealed the £150 first prize and the title of Steve Chapman 501 League Singles Champion.