Druids march to the final four of Challenge Cup

Druids Arms A booked a place in the semi-finals of the Portsmouth Men's Summer League Challenge Cup with a 7-2 victory over Apsley House.
Danny Smith. Picture: Habibur RahmanDanny Smith. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Danny Smith. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Druids immediately took control of the match, writes Lee Todd.

Alan Smith, Ray Marsh, Charlie Hymers and George Green put them 4-0 up.

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Paul Morgan kept Apsley in the match before Neil Hallett took the sixth tie to put Druids through to the next round.

Gareth Rees took a consolation leg for Apsley before Darren Maplesden and John Rogers completed the rout for Druids.

Darren Barnes threw an 18-dart leg for Lord Chichester B as they beat Artillery Arms to move into the last four.

George & Dragon A progressed from the plate competition quarter-finals as they edged Newcome Arms B 5-4.

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Russell Swain-Edwards and Les Weston put George 2-1 up with legs either side of a Newcome win from Luke Graf.

Newcome then gained control through Ron Farmer and Don Cronin but it was short-lived as George rattled-off three on the trot courtesy of Frank Woodward, Robbie Brooks and Anthony Plummer.

Ron Neale won the last leg as a consolation for Newcome.

Harvest Home took advantage of a depleted Lord Chichester A side, demolishing them 8-1 in division five.

Bill Bevan was awarded the opening leg as a walkover for Harvest before Tom Bartholomew, Ben Mowatt and Phil King put them firmly in the driving seat.

Chichester won the next leg thanks to Paul Stanley.

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But that was all they could muster with David King, Terry Scullion, Trevor Martin and Paul Henty sweeping Harvest to victory.

Milton Arms earned their first points of the season in division one, beating Druids Arms A 7-2.

Milton wasted no time in bagging the points as Neil Silvester, Allen Lloyd, Daniel McHugh, Neil Hewson and Paul Emeny won the first five sets.

Alan Smith and Neil Hallett took consolations for Druids while Kevin Wilson and Charlie Linkhorn completed Milton's convincing win.

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Fountain came from behind to win 6-3 against Clarence Gardens in division two.

Aaron Shambrook and Paul Richmond both gave Clarence early leads.

But each time they were pegged back straightaway though Terence Ward and Kyle McManus.

Fountain then gained the lead as Tom Neary and Laurie Clark put them 4-2 up.

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Leigh Rawlins won the next set for Clarence before Brian Colenutt and Dean Kilford won the remaining games for Fountain.

Stag B stay undefeated at the top of division three following a 7-2 triumph over Fawcett Inn A.

Steve Clarke's 111 finish got the ball rolling for Stag before Paul Miller and Danny Browne made it 3-0.

Josh Olden won a first set for Fawcett but Dave Lock was on hand to restore Stag's three-set advantage.

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Fawcett pulled a set back again with Steve Goodeve on the mark but it was one-way traffic from there on with Dave Smith, Dion Jukes and Liam O'Driscoll propelling Stag to victory.

Jolly Taxpayer B fought back from 3-1 down to beat Rutland Arms 5-4 in division four.

Chris Wallis won the opener for Taxpayer but they were soon behind as Ian Sprake, Lewis Archer and Steve Houghton struck for Rutland.

Momentum then swung to Taxpayer with Alex Adams, Tom Money, Gary Tobitt and Ray Coombes giving them an insurmountable lead.

Sam Malone won the last leg as a consolation for Rutland.

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Wes Farminer, of Shearer Arms, threw a 14-dart leg while Dan Eade, Phoenix North End B, notched a 16-darter and there were 17-dart legs by Chris Jafkins, of Rose in June C, and Admiral Drake B player Danny Smith.

Lee Smith, of Phoenix North End B, and Fon Owen, Rose in June C, both had a pair of 18-dart legs, with Smith finishing on 122 and 120.

Mark Pearce, Druids Arms B, Kevin Gilchrist, Lord Chichester B, and Jon Bramble, Shearer Arms, all had 18-darters and 180s.

Pearce also hit a 114 game-shot.

Jon Cooper, of Artillery Arms, also finished a leg in 18 darts.

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Phil Harty, of Admiral Drake B, and Charlie Mitchell, of Phoenix North End C, checked-out on 105 and 104 respectively.

Lord Chichester B player Wayne France fired a maximum.

Newcome Arms B are looking for players. Anyone interested should contact Ron Neale on 023 9283 8434 or 07795 380393.