Mann Of The Moment

John Mann picked up yet another Steve Chapman 501 League singles competition title after a brilliant night of individual action at the annual event staged at the St Levans and sponsored this year by Pearce Brothers Ltd.

The night started with a playoff between Andrew Cook and Simon Washington to decide the league phase's individual winner after both players finished on seventy-six points from a possible seventy-eight.

Cook, who represented the King Billy, ploughed into a 2-0 lead in a spell that contained an 18 darter and the game's only maximum.

Cook missed darts at the whitewash before Washington won the next two to make it 2-2 before having his chance to take the title.

However, Cook finally got over the line 3-2 to take the league prize as the best individual player with Washington settling for a more than respectable second.

The first matchup of the singles saw Rob Wills put a 180 onto the scoreboard in the very first leg of the match and tournament to help him to a 1-0 lead.

Opponent Dave Johns then fired a leg in 16 before running out a comfortable 3-1 winner before Paul Tackle and newly crowned individual champion Cook took to the stage.

Cook added his second leg in 18 of the night to help him to a 3-1 win over the man representing Bar Mez before Mike Pearce took his first step at claiming the title and prize money that his own company had put up.

Despite a 15 dart leg from Mark Hatherley of the Indian, Mike Pearce ran out the third 3-1 winner of the competition so far to book his place amongst the eight elite players.

The final preliminary round matchup saw Cherry Tree's Dan Brazier come through a 3-1 winner over Fawn A's Mike Bassett thanks in part to a leg in 18 from the former.

Next opponent of the night for Cook was Kelvin Rowe of the Victory A who became the fifth 3-1 victim during a match that saw Cook hit his third leg in 18 of the night.

The draw saw Mann paired with Washington, and the former looked in the mood for the title as he netted a 15 darter to make it 1-0 before going 2-0 up.

Just like in the first match, Washington survived his opponent's poke at a 3-0 win to mount his second comeback of the evening, which saw him level at 2-2 in just 18 darts.

Washington walked the same path as his other matchup of the night by having chances to win again before Mann checked in 17 darts to slip through at the expense of his younger counterpart.

Billy Evans, who was Victory C's nominated marksman, started his quarter final against Dan Brazier with a maximum in his third visit before Brazier ran out a winner in 18 to make it 1-0.

The high class darts continued with Evans taking a 2-1 lead before Brazier forced the decider won by Evans with another 180 during a leg in 17 for a 3-2 success.

The biggest finish of the night of 109 helped Pearce (28.36) to a 3-0 win over Kings Arms' Johns who put a maximum onto the scoreboard in vein, bowing out in the last eight.

More of the same continued at the semi final stage for Pearce as he ran out a 3-0 winner against Evans before Mann repeated Pearce's feat with the help of a leg in 16 against Cook.

Mann (29.79) opened the final up with a 180 in his very first throw, which helped him to the best leg of the night of 14 darts.

Pearce (28.26) levelled in 16 darts before two legs in 19 made it 2-2 going into the last leg decider that was won by Mann in just 16 darts to narrowly deny Pearce a second successive title in this league.