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Thursday Novemebr 22nd 2012 Away V Crooked Billet

With Harry Redknapp waiting in the wings for a top flight return this was the Darts equivilent of Manchester United V QPR as top of the table Crooked Billet take on bottom of the table Rose & Crown (arguably the divisions longest serving team) who find themselves in a relegation dog fight cut adrift now from those above them. If the trek to the title favourites and the runaway leaders wasn’t bad enough on a rainy Thursday night to Colney Heath things went from bad to worse as a bad accident at the Smallford roundabout added an extra three quarters of an hour to an already arduous trip into the country. The empty car park eventually greeted the visitors and perhaps was a sign that the home side were furnished with local villagers who had no need for mechanical devices other than those needed to work the land, but this was soon revealed to be a falsehood as the Crooked Billet far from being locals who enjoyed a game of arrows after a hard day in the fields were in fact townsfolk more a kin to driving white transit vans around the streets of Watford than that of the John Deere tractors through the pastures of Colney Heath. Skipper Alan Turner feeling the pressure decided tonight was the night to mix up the Rose & Crowns underperforming pairings and took the unusual step of splitting up Mulls and Neil Crosby who had previously lost only one match all season and his selection look vindicated as Skip who partnered Mulls went on to take the first leg with some ease but that was as good as it got and seemed the jinx of the first game continues as the Rose and Crown surrendered what should have been an easy victory, largely due to a lack lustre performance from Mulls who was way off the mark given several chances to wrap up the each of the next two legs. The Rose and Crown needed someone of the calibre of Harry Redknapp now to give them that motivation that they so seemed to be lacking but a quick look around the bar and apart from the darts players just one man and his dog sat in the saloon both appearing to be drinking curiously from the same vessel, it was therefore clear that this would have to come from within. Dude and Ian were up next and it has to be aid that Ian looks a different player away from his brother somewhat uninhibited. Nip 'n' tuck in the early stages then Ian rattles in 87 followed by Dude who leaves 42 against 116 Ian putting the home side out of their misery to go one leg up. Struggling to get off in the second leg surrendering 200 before eventually getting off but unable to make any inroads as the home side levelled the game. This habit repeated if’s self in the early stages of the second leg but Dude eventually gets off with 90 and Ian backs it up with a cool 81 to put them right back in the game. Both pairs then trading blows but it’s the dude with the knockout punch as he nailed 32 to level the scores 1-1. Ron and Kev now had a chance to give the Rose a surprise 2-1 lead. A slow start but they are soon off and running Kev hits 97 before Ron cracks in 101 giving the pairing a big lead in the first leg which Big Ron eventually wrapped up giving the pair an unlikely lead against their more illustrious opponents. A ton followed by 140 puts the Super league pairing for the Crooked Billet in the driving seat and with a 300 plus lead the pairing easily level the match. 18 darts and a 5 minute braak for ablutions later it was clear that the Rose and Crown were going quicker down the pan than Kevin Atkins could get to it. How crucial that first game now was and how Mulls must have been reflecting on it knowing that 2-1 down could easily have been 2-1 up. The honour of the first single fell at the feet of John Goode who put in a no nonsense performance with some solid scoring at the crucial times to produce a two leg victory and give the Rose, what Tony Scott (that other great” motivationalist”)would have described as a "sniff". It was up to Ian now to keep the momentum going for the visitors. This was going to prove to be a tall order against arguably the best player on the night and the tone was set as the home side got off to a flier with 120 away in reply to Ian's 20 from then on it was one way traffic as Ian was taken apart and putting paid to any reversal of the score line in the process. None the less the Rose were well and truly in this contest and most certainly not being put to shame by their more illustrious opponents and with the inform Kevin Atkins next to the oche anything could happen. If there was controversy tonight it revolved around Kev and the first leg was no exception with scores of 60,125 and 89 on his way to leaving 39 he then stepped forward to the oche and as the giraffe said "You don't get any leaves unless you stick your neck out a bit" hit 16, 9 and then checked out with double 8, the visitors thought that was it but on count back it was realised that in fact ex-school master now business manager had in fact miscounted and in fact required 39. This proved to be pivotal despite Kevin rattling in a 140 on his way to levelling the match the third leg was a leg to far all his efforts it seemed put into the first two legs. Despite being 2 legs down the Rose were still hopeful of pulling off an unlikely result especially as Mulls, Big Ron and the inform Neil Crosby were still to be play. It was down to Mulls to keep the St. Michaels outfit in the tie but right from the off Mulls was never in it. His opponent hitting the crucial scores at the crucial times whilst Mulls just simply went missing for parts of the game. Losing the first leg he managed to get back to level it but his darts were unusually wayward at times and his opponent took full advantage to wrap up a 2-1 win handing victory 5-2 to the league leaders. For the home side it was surely another two points as they march relentlessly towards the league title, for the visitors it’s back to the drawing board and perhaps a phone call to Harry!

November 15th 2012 Home V Merrymen

Hopes were high this week after a convincing win in the cup the week before which rewarded them with a tricky away tie against top of table Crooked Billet.
But tonight was all about the league and the need for two points to ease the relegation worries.
Tonight's visitors were the newly promoted Merrymen from the Robin Hood who themselves have yet to set alight the top division making this the first true four pointer of the season for the home side.
The brothers Grimm were up first as is customary on these occasions and were aiming to put behind them a miserable run of form, but as in previous weeks it was not to be as they went down 2-1.
The home side are no strangers when it comes to having to claw back a deficit, and have done so time and time again down the years So when Big Ron and Dave Noble stepped up to the Oche hopes were high of squaring the match but neither of them were able to get going and played well below their usual standards. So it was down to Skip himself along with the Dude to bring the Rose and Crown back into tie for surely it would be an uphill struggle coming from 3-0 down. But that is exactly what they must do as Skip and Neil were unable revive this tie for the home side.

If coming back from 3-0 down wasn't a tough enough task then coming back from 4-0 behind surely would be as Big Ron continued what for him has been a miserable season so far losing two straight legs.
A mini revival was on the cards as the dude produced probably his most accomplished performance to date on his way to an impressive 2 leg victory which was closely followed by Kev who seems to be getting better and better as the season goes on. But the mini revival was just that as Ian narrowly missed out in a tight affair that none the less condemned the home side to defeat. So with just pride and legs to play for the former Blue Anchor prodigy John Goode pulled one back but a below par Dave Noble was unable to get the forth leg and the home side went down meekly to a 6-3 defeat

The Potato

I feel I must explain the sometimes subtle and at other times no so subtle references to the humble potato during my last entry. For the potato is not usually the protagonist on a darts night. Indeed the potato is the supporting actor, the part that brings a crunch to the roast beef or part that elevates the can of tuna into a gourmet meal. But last night the potato was the fire starter. In previous campaigns arguments have raged over contentious blog entry's, loud music, unstable oches, and just rude behaviour, after all we are talking about highly tuned athletes locked in combat in often claustrophobic conditions as they quaff back vast amounts of alcohol in a relatively short time period. But never before have I encountered such a rowdy plate of chips.
I wasn't privy to the actual shenanigans that unfolded but I somehow believe that they involved Neil the "Dude" Crosby's' former betrothed and a gentlemen by the name of Tarquin O'malley who one rather suspected had quaffed a little too much Pimms.

November 8th 2012 Challenge Cup 1st Rd Victoria "A"

This was the week when Barack Obama effectively became a lame duck by being re-elected for a second term of office as US President, it was also the week that a herd of Elephants broke into an off license in India downing 500 litres of liquor and going on a drunken rampage through the village destroying shops and huts in their quest one imagines for more of the hard stuff. But this was also the week which saw the Rose & Crown break their losing streak as they swept aside their opponents with aplomb.
Having played 5, winning only the one solitary game back in September and losing the last 4 all by the same score (5-4) it would be fair to say it was squeaky bum time in St. Michaels on Thursday night and given that their opponents topped their division (albeit the fourth division) by having won all six of their previous games it was surely going to be a big test for the division one outfit. Any thoughts the visitors may well have had of causing an upset were quelled as early as the first pairs as the "Brothers Grimm" after a topsy turvy first leg which went to the home side pressed home their advantage in the second by quickly opening up a 200 lead. Needing 100 Kevin unerringly honed in on treble twenty before his accuracy narrowly let him down as his next two arrows grazed the wire. Ian left double 5 giving their opponents a sniff of a chance, Kevin failed to capitalise once again as their opposition sought an unlikely upset. But it wasn't to be and Kevin finally nailed double 2 to put the Rose in the ascendency the pair returning to the bar as one would imagine a triumphant Sir Walter Raleigh would do after carrying a sackful of spuds through the streets of Dublin during the potato famine. A brief fight back followed, Big Ron, whom it has to be said is wearing his advanced years well as he clocks up yet another one and Skipper Alan Turner failed to follow up on the Brothers Grimm success. This despite a first leg that was so hot it would have melted what was left of the Greenland Ice sheet. Skipper Al Turner getting off with 28 and Big Ron following on with ton, sixty, sixty and a magnificent 137 to leave Tops allowing Skip to wrap things up with double 5. But like Long John Silver they needed another leg and just like the fictional pirate this eluded them as the visitors came from behind to take the next two legs and level the match. Any hope that the visitors may have had were soon extinguished as Mulls and the flighty John Goode renewed acquaintances and chipped away patiently to gain a deserved two leg victory to restore the Rose & Crowns lead after the pairs. Indeed the visitors were not to win another leg as first Ian who seems to relish the opportunity of being unshackled from his brother was like a baked King Edward and definitely to hot handle for his opponent as he eased to a two leg victory. Then Kevin himself who was impervious rattled in a ton forty and a one two five as he swept to victory and really drove a wedge between the two sides. This left Mulls to wrap up proceedings and two legs later it was all over. For the home side safe passage to the next round but for the visitors the chips were well and truly down.

November 1st 2012 Away V White Lion A

The chilly nights have now returned to St. Albans and the smoke being expelled from the various chimney stacks around the town is just visible as it twists and turns its way up into the night sky. The western Christian feast of All Hallows is upon us and the trick or treaters have returned home pockets bulging from their night of legal racketeering. The darker nights have set in now that the clocks have been turned back but how the Rose & Crown must wish that they could turn them back more than just the hour. Perhaps they wish they could turn the clocks all the way back to the AGM that changed rule 8.7. Veteran Skipper Alan Turner hardly had to rely on his wealth of experience to pick the team as with only six players available to him the side picked it’s self, Indeed it was the skipper himself and fellow veteran and Rose & Crown stalwart Dave Noble who got matters underway just after eight thirty. Taking over from the absent Brothers Grimm this was always going to be a tall order for balding pair who at times offered us a glimpse into the distance past with some patches of vintage arrows but these patches sadly were all to fleeting and the duo quickly succumbed 2-0 to leave the Rose trailing by 1-0. Big Ron who surprisingly had not played a doubles all season, partly one suspects due to the absence of Tony Scott and partly due to the change in format found himself partnering the mercurial John Goode. After losing the first leg the pair were quickly away and were soon a hundred in front but a slip up from Big Ron (7) left the door open for their opponents who didn’t need a second invitation and stormed through it leaving the hapless visiting pair to pick up the pieces of a 2-0 defeat which left the Rose now facing an uphill battle if they were to get anything out this encounter. 2-0 quickly became 2-1 as Neil Crosby partnered by Mulls put the disappointment of their only defeat of the season so far against New Greens behind them to register a crucial victory. Indeed the “Dude” discovered some form that has deserted him for large parts of the season to date and possibly went into the first singles of the night as a slight favourite. The favouritism seemed justified as Neil went straight off and followed it up with two consecutive tons leaving his opponent trailing in his wake before finally securing the first leg on double 4. With his opponent seemingly beaten having also the lost the doubles to Neil this was surely Neil’s chance to take what would later prove to be the pivotal match of the evening. But old habits die hard and Neil’s previous failings came back to hit him like the storm surge of hurricane Sandy as it battered New York into submission earlier this week. Needing what almost approximated 33 darts to get off in the 2nd leg Neil had lost the initiative and his opponent took it with glee putting Neil to the sword to level at one a piece. Neil needed a good start and duly got it having a one hundred lead in the early stages but a ton forty by his opponent opened up a gap and despite a late rally hitting one thirty seven the White Lion opened up a 3-1 lead. It was soon 3-2 however as Big Ron, who despite losing the 2nd leg to Steve Herring always looked in control and never looked like losing duly checking out 48 for a 2-1 victory. 3-2 soon became 3-3 and the fight back was on as John Goode who came back after losing the 1st leg and registered a victory with an impressive spell that at one stage saw him hit two straight tons. Skipper Alan Turner was up next but it was always going to be a tall order for possibly the leagues’ longest serving captain as the hosts had a wealth of talent available to them as they restored their lead. Mulls pulled it back to 4-4 to set up the finish but in truth the Rose and Crown’s chance slipped away in the pivotal first singles of the evening and Dave was just fodder for the home side condemning the Rose & Crown to a fourth successive 5-4 defeat.