By David Nagel
The stage is set for a thrilling final three weeks in the Summer Season of the South West Gippsland Dart League after some close matches highlighted round 10 of the competition.
Three teams that currently sit inside the top five – Snipers, Mud Rats and Just Social – were pushed to the limits by improving outfits that can still have a major impact in the latter parts of the season.
Top-of-the-table Snipers held on for an 8-7 victory over Dart Devils, who narrowly missed out on their third straight victory.
The Snipers were once again well served by their big three, with Dean Gibbs and Chris Richardson throwing five tons each on the night and Bill Richardson chiming in with three.
That great depth is going to make the Snipers awfully hard to beat for the summer title.
Doug Amos was once again impressive for Dart Devils, who currently sit in sixth place on the ladder.
Fourth-placed Mud Rats were also forced into the final legs of the night against eighth-placed Dart Vaders.
The Mud Rats were on the rebound after a 10-5 loss to Snipers last week, while Dart Vaders were also keen for redemption after becoming the first victim for the season for Dart Attack in round nine.
Mud Rats eventually prevailed 8-7, with Scott Dale throwing three tons on the night to lead his team to victory.
Dart Vaders can’t take a trick at the moment; losing their last two games by the smallest possible margin.
Just Social won the final 8-7 battle on the night, just sneaking across the line against 26ers.
This was a big win for Just Social, who had lost their last two against Cheers and Predators to slip into unfamiliar territory on the ladder.
But they were highly-competitive in those two losses and could be a team to watch out for if they can sneak into the top four by season’s end.
The top-four teams at the end of the season will battle it out for this year’s premiership, while teams five to eight will fight it out for the coveted Don Brown Shield.
Second-placed Cheers is keeping the pressure applied to Snipers after a comfortable 10-5 victory over Bullseyes.
Cheers are chock-full of talented tungsten throwers, with Liam Edwards and Shane Barnett throwing 180s on the night.
Edwards also threw eight triple-figure scores, Barnett seven, and Ant added to the total with five tons of his own.
The story of Cheers’ season will be told over the final three weeks of the season with games against Dart Devils (sixth), Snipers (first) and Predators (third).
In other games this week, AAA Dartz came from 0-3 behind to score an impressive 12-3 victory over Generals, while Predators made it eight-straight wins with a comprehensive 13-2 win over Gembrook.
Jordan Gray was once again in fine fettle for Predators, while Gembrook is struggling after its third-consecutive defeat.
SWGDL SUMMARY – ROUND 10
RESULTS
Snipers 8 def Dart Devils 7, Mud Rats 8 def Dart Vaders 7, Cheers 10 def Bullseyes 5, Predators 13 def Gembrook 2, AAA Dartz 12 def Generals 3, Just Social 8 def 26ers 7. Bye: Dart Attack.
LADDER
Snipers 36, Cheers 36, Predators 32, Mud Rats 28, Just Social 24, Dart Devils 20, AAA Dartz 16, Dart Vaders 16, 26ers 12, Garfield Generals 8, Bullseyes 4, Dart Attack 4, Gembrook 4.
FIXTURE – R11
Snipers (1) v Dart Vaders (8), Dart Devils (6) v Cheers (2), Bullseyes (11) v Predators (3), Dart Attack (12) v AAA Dartz (7), Gembrook (13) v 26ers (9), Generals (10) v Just Social (5). Bye: Mud Rats (4).
MOST TONS
Dean Gibbs (Snipers) 66, Liam Edwards (Cheers) 49, Chris Richardson (Snipers) 42, Jordan Gray (Predators) 37, Michael M (AAA Dartz) 34.
180s
Chris Richardson (Snipers) 3, Liam Edwards (Cheers) 3, Michael Tuck (Mud Rats) 2, Shane Barnett (Cheers) 2, Nathan B (Predators) 2, Bill Richardson (Snipers), Terry Griffin (Dart Attack), Scott Dale (Mud Rats), Steve P (Predators), Terry King.
TOP PEG OUTS
Bill Richardson (Snipers) 157, Ant (Cheers) 134, Ricki Beath (Just Social) 110, Fred Dewart (Dart Vaders) 101, Jordan Gray (Predators) 101.
