Mann Performs But Title Favourites Pegged Back

John Mann produced eighteen ton plusses for the Octagon but almost saw his team toppled as the Stonehouse side has to rely on a last leg shootout to defeat Victory B 6-5 in the Plymouth City Super League.

Despite Mann's mammoth total included one of six maximums in the contest, the veteran found himself on the end of a 3-2 defeat to reigning Players Champion, Mark Gilbery.

Gilbery reached ten tons personally on the night, including one three maximums for his side, and survived legs of 14 and 18 darts to put the visitors 5-2 up with four to play.

This was after Billy Evans joined the Victory's 180 club in his 3-0 singles success over Dave Pethick; who chalked up his team's second maximum of the night.

The Occy fight back started with a 3-0 success for Neil White, who in doing so reached ten tons for his evening's work with an accomplished win.

Fred Goldsmith then battled hard for a triumph over Lewis Dare as legs of 16 and 18 darts, and a 95 checkout, allow the master to beat the apprentice.

Despite the defeat, Dare showed the type of form that has made him one of the most revered and feared arrowsmiths in Plymouth as he reached twelve tons with the help of a 180.

Dave Matthews (25.05) then produced the individual performance of the evening with the sixth and final maximum of the tie in a 3-0 success to level the score line up at 5-5.

Matthews's Devon teammate Lee Hellings had to work hard for his 3-2 success in a final leg decider as he notched a 17 darter and sixteen tons in total to give the title favourites a close fought win.

Hellings opponent, Paul Hoare, certainly contributed to both this tie and the match overall as he ploughed in eleven three figure scores for the evening.

Raffles moved up to second in the standings after a 9-2 success over Duchy Of Cornwall which saw Harry Bull dominate proceedings with fifteen tons overall.

Bull was ably supported by Danny Bull who chalked up eleven ton plusses whilst Alec Turner and Peter Cornish both secured maximums for the team and James Ewing checked 100 in a singles visit.

Current Champions King Billy's 10-1 success over Hyde Park was accented by twelve tons for the imperious Antony Hayman; a total that included both of the night's maximums.

Hayman's teammate Paddy Archibald also reached double figures with eleven tons and a 17 dart leg from Paul Goundry in his 3-1 success was the best of the tie.

Lee Doncaster's 113 finish was the biggest recorded for the week across all fixtures whilst Ben Welsh was the Peverell team's best performer with ten tons for the night.

A 9-2 success for Bluebird A over Kings Arms B allows them to top the standings with five wins from five outings so far.

The win was anchored by both James Stoodley and Glenn Halford who both reached eleven tons, with the former hitting his team's only maximum.

Glenn Austin's 3-2 success was won with what turned out to be a crucial 15 dart leg against Dave Johns who bagged one of three maximums for his team in the narrow defeat.

The others came from the hands of Paul Carpenter and Roger Backway in two more narrow singles defeats whilst the highest checkout prize in this one went to Tony Teal's 79 for the victorious Compton team.

Tom James continued his good form as he notched up eleven tons in a 10-1 success for Victory A over Ker St; a total that beat teammate Mark Shears ten tons by a single effort.

Danny Allen (28.35) was at his blistering best as he took out legs in 14 and 18 darts in a 3-0 triumph over Pete Lamerton in a matchup where both players hit maximums.

A third maximum of the evening came from Allen's Victory stablemate Paul Gavican during the very next tie which was also won by a 3-0 score line.

Half Moon picked up their first win of the campaign with a 6-5 win over Clifton who, despite the defeat, had Wayne Town in fantastic form with eleven tons and a 98 checkout.

Simon Stevenson helped himself to ten tons but still saw his Fawn A team end on the wrong side of a 6-5 defeat to Colebrook.

Stevenson notched a 180 in a spell that saw where the Greenbank team were as many as 4-0 up and then produced a 13 darter in a 3-0 win, which gave his team a 5-1 lead.

However, the Plympton team then reeled off the next five singles in a spell that included a maximum for Dave Hollow and a 92 checkout for Darren Smith in a 3-0 win with the scores locked at 5-5.

Another close fought battle saw St Levans go down in their trip to Cherry Tree by the exact same score, despite having Tex Pearce in good form with ten ton plusses.

Pearce's 16 dart leg in his 3-0 singles win had put the Keyham side 4-2 up after a spell that included a maximum for Anna Johnson.

Johnson's teammate John Sturdy also acquitted himself excellently with a maximum and a 78 checkout but ultimately his team fell as Nick Miller produced a 3-1 individual win in the final tie of the match.

Colin Sloman showed there's plenty life in the old dog yet as he reached ten tons during a 7-4 defeat for Kings Arms A against Bluebird B who had Nigel Bassett finishing from 104.

Ten tons from George Beckett enabled Steampacket to come away with a 10-1 success at Fawn B; a match that also saw a modest 66 from Phil Taylor grab the highest checkout prize.

Victory C had Lee Lagor and Liam Taylor hitting maximums, whilst teammate James Smith finished from 100 in a single visit, but they couldn't get over the line as Victoria won the match 6-5.