NO fewer than six players are in contention for the top-four places in the Pickering Rec Club Individual League after more twists and turns.
Many round 13 and 14 matches contained high-quality darts, with 128 100-plus scores on the ‘A’ board.
Phil Bointon cemented top spot by whitewashing Roger Dawson 5-0, throwing three 19-dart legs.
Alan Dawson looks safe in second after beating Jon Rule 4-1, with two maximums and 10 100-plus scores, and Steve Taylor 3-2, including two 15-dart legs. Taylor later defeated Bointon 3-2 and is in the mix.
In-form Rich Webster beat the out-of-sorts Billy Hague and Geoff Atkinson 4-1. Hague recovered to beat Roger Dawson 3-2 in a scrappy match but is looking over his shoulder as Simmy Cass, Taylor and Atkinson are on his heels in the race for a top-four finish.
Jon Rule, John Bristow and Roger Dawson are in a relegation scrap.
Young Liam Dawson is favourite for the ‘B’ league title and automatic promotion after beating Jon Bointon and Jonny Smith 4-1. He is now just one point behind Steve Dawson with two games in hand.
Dawson edged Ryan Taylor and Arthur Gibson 3-2. Gibson went down by the same score to Jon Bointon.
Graham Love went third with two 4-1 victories.
Meanwhile, in the Pickering League, leaders Pickering Working Men’s Club were given an early shock as Darren Thorn and Roger Dawson gave Recreation Club a two-point advantage.
Thorn rounded off a 20-darter with an 82 finish, and Dawson hit three 140s, a 121, two 100s and a 22-dart leg.
Neil Eddon, with legs of 18 and 24 darts including a 114 finish, got WMC on the scoresheet but Steve Taylor (140, 2x100) opened the gap with a 16-dart leg.
However, captain John Bristow (4x100) hit a 21-darter to help WMC recover to snatch a 4-3 victory.
Black Swan kept up the pressure, winning 6-1 at Bar 4. Rob Umpleby (180, 4x100) stormed out with a 19-darter and John Rule threw with a 21-darter finishing on 103.
Horseshoe went 4-0 up against Sun Inn, Kevin Wilson rounding off a 23-dart leg with a 60 finish and Graham Steel winning with two 22-darters - despite hitting double top in the deciding leg while aiming for bullseye.
Al Hodgson (132, 140) replied with a 52 finish for 20 darts, and Sun closed the gap in the team games to 4-3, hitting a smart 24-dart three-a-side game.
Terry Harper got Horseshoe ‘B’ off to a winning start at Royal Oak but the hosts won 5-2, captain Martin Cook shining with four 100s and a 140.
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