Last Thursday
the international qualifiers for the Lakeside World Championship were contested
at Bridlington. The Fifers who travelled down representing the Kingdom to try
and earn a place at the Lakeside in January in the first round proper all bowed
out early doors. Brenda Hunter lost to Neslihan Algul Diniz of Turkey in the
deciding fifth leg of their match in the second round. In the men’s event,
Stewart Rattray lost by two sets to nil to Jermaine Wattimena (NL) in round
two; Neil Brunton fell at the same stage by the same score to Peter Kosmalski (ENG);
and Stuart McGaulley attending his first national event lost out in the first
round to Spaniard Javier Gonzales by two sets to nil but will have gained some
invaluable experience from his trip.
From
Friday to Sunday the WINMAU World Masters finals were also held at Bridlington
and unfortunately two of the three players made first exits; Stewart Rattray
lost his tie against Irishman Connie Finnan (who made it through to the quarter
finals) by the odd leg in five, while Brenda Hunter lost out 1-4 to Apylee
Jones of England.
There
was a bit of luck for one of the Fifer’s though as Neil Brunton made it through
rounds one and two with fine three nil victories against Icelander Thröstur
Ingimarsson and Ireland’s David Coyne, before losing out to Ulsterman Stephen
Rennie by three legs to nil in the last 64, just two round away from being on
television.
Meanwhile
back on the home front and this Thursday the next monthly meeting of Fife Darts
Association will be held in the CISWO, Glenrothes. The meeting starts from
7.30pm.
On
Saturday there will be a meeting of the players and selection committee of the
County squad. The meeting takes place in the CISWO and will begin from 12.00pm.
Following
the players meeting, the Fife Fives tournament will be held and this will start
at 1.00pm. Entry fee is £25 per team.
Lochgelly
League kicked off season 2009 - ’10 last Friday with the George McCormack
Shield, which was held at the Railway Tavern in Bowhill. With a record entry of
56 players for the 301 double start tournament, the darts eventually got
underway – despite the technical difficulties with the draw – and making their
way through to the quarter finals were; Alex Jeffrey (BRT A) 2-0 James Scougall
(Craigie Bar), Math Wilson (BRT A) 0-2 Gordon Donnelly (Craigie Bar), Brendyn
Donnelly (Craigie Bar) 2-0 Paddy Reilly (Shardys A), Ian Cochrane (Cowdenbeath)
0-2 Kevin O’Hagan (BRT A).
The
semi-finals lined up with two Tavern players versus two Craigie players and it
could have been a father and son final but the BRT boys had different ideas and
although the 3-0 score lines would appear they had easy games, nothing could
have been further the truth. Both ties were closely contested matches and
fourteen year old Brendyn gave the more experienced Kevin a run for his money
in the first two legs of their match, as he had done to his other opponents in
previous rounds, and forced Kevin to produce the best game of the night in the
third leg with a nine-darter to win the match.
With
the two finalists having won the title nine times between them, one thing was
certain, it would be a cracking final and the players never let the crowd down
with some excellent darts from both. The first four legs went with the throw
and Kevin took advantage in the fifth to need only one more leg to win, but
Alex pulled level again in the next leg to make the score 3-3 and take the tie
into the deciding leg. It was dart for dart as both got away first throw and
with Alex having the advantage of the throw, he held on to win the leg, the
match and claim his ninth victory in this popular competition.