SOME of the Crewe Oddies Club Open League pacemakers, especially in the dominoes sections, seem to be showing a few nerves as the season reaches the final four full weeks of league matches.

Premier Division Darts top duo West End LMR B and Coppenhall Club B top scored with respective 7-1 and 6-2 wins over Amalgamated B and at Willaston Club, with ‘Mals skipper Steve Mellor and Rich Sharp staving off the whitewash with a last game pairs win.

Pacemakers LMR B are six points clear of Coppenhall, with third placed Cosey Club, who were 3-0 behind in their 5-3 victory over Vine A, a further five points adrift.

Eight Farmers A let slip a 3-0 lead in their draw at the Oddies, while another drawn clash involving Broughton Arms and Cheshire Cheese saw the Cheese overcome a 4-1 deficit. Top arrows of 14 and 17 plus a 180 were fired by LMR B’s Patrick Lynskey.

Robbie Arrowsmith (Vine A) chucked 15 and 16 darters, Ted Hankey (Coppenhall B) won in 16 and 17 and John Speed (Cosey) included a 180 in his 16 darter. Willaston’s Paul Blythe was also on the mark with a 16 dart leg and also blasted a trio of 180s.

Fred Smith (Coppenhall B) hit a brace of 17 darters and a 180, Shaun Wilkinson (LMR B) won in 17 and 18 and single 18 darters came from Danny Ayres (LMR B) and Paul Jones (Amalgamated B).

John Cooper (Coppenhall B) finished on 120, with further 180’s hit by Steve Tizard (Vine A), Jamie Clorley (Willaston), Barry Cooper (Cheese) and Carl Dennel (Cosey), whose team mate Mark Jodrill hit two.

Division 1 Darts toppers Express whitewashed bottom team Horse Shoe to take a seven points lead over Kings Arms, 6-2 victors over fourth placed Bridge A, consequently way off the pace.

Raven, who did not play, drop a place to third, one point behind the Kings, but with a match in hand.

Garth Clyne (Nantwich Road Club) won in 16 and 18 darts, Cliff Davison (Express) and Dan Downey (Pioneers) fired 17 darters, Dan including a 180 in his, while his elder sibling Darren hit a 19 dart leg, as did Dave Patton (Kings Arms). Fred Smart (Pioneers Club) bombed an unbeatable 170 checkout, the first this season, with Andy Pitt (Kings Arms) firing a more sedate 114 finish.

Division 2 Darts four matches all finished 5-3. Top pair Swan & Chequers and White Lion (Ford Lane) beat an understrength Nags Head A and Rising Sun to remain three points apart.

Main challengers Flying Lady A and the Hawk met, with the Hawk moving one point clear of the losers after they overturned their early 3-1 deficit, although the telling factor is still Lion’s match in hand. Simon Phillips (Nag A) bombed a maximum 180.

Division 3 Darts top two met, with hosts Alberts Corner gaining a significant 5-3 win to take over the lead on the matches won parameter.

Third placed Vine B walloped White Lion 7-1, Michael Dawson’s win preventing the whitewash, as the Vine reduced their points deficit on the top two to five, with very interesting clashes with both the leaders pending.

Gareth Wood (Alberts) bombed an 18 darter and Chris Gibson (Vine B) a maximum 180.

Division 4 Darts has no change in and positions as all three matches ended as draws, although second and third placed Eight Farmers B and Junction may regret letting slip significant early leads over leaders Foresters Arms A and fourth placed Coach & Horses.

Premier Division Dominoes leaders The Oddies suffered a 6-2 home defeat by Eight Farmers A and had their lead slashed to two points by new challengers West End LMR B after their whitewash of Amalgamated B.

Vine A’s 5-3 defeat at Cosey Club demoted them to fourth, with Farmers A ahead of them on matches won.

Division 1 Dominoes pacemakers Bridge A completed a night to forget when duplicating their 6-2 darts loss to Kings Arms, now just three points behind them. Third placed Nantwich Road Club remain well in contention after beating Bridge C 6-2.

Division 2 Dominoes now has Nags Head A, 6-2 winners at bottom placed Swan & Chequers and Dishers Club B, who beat Woodside 5-3, on the same points mark with the Nag top on matches won.

Third placed Coppenhall Club’s bye week dropped them seven points off the pace, but with a match in hand, in a seemingly three team contest. A Jim Preece win prevented White Lion from being whitewashed by Rising Sun.

Division 4 Dominoes leaders Brunel Arms B came back from 3-0 down to scramble a draw at Alberts Corner, but as second placed Vine B were beaten 5-3 by White Lion they actually increased their points lead to three. Sydney Arms won 6-2 at Duke of Bridgewater C to climb to third, ahead of the Lion on matches won, with all three challengers now on the same points mark. Brunel Arms C made a spectacular recovery from 4-0 down to draw with Flying Lady B.

Division 4 Dominoes returned a trio of 5-3 wins by Coach & Horses, Foresters Arms A and Hop Pole B, who all close in on leaders Dishers Club A, whose bye week mean they now head main challengers Coach on matches won, but have one more to play.