Vikings Pillage Octagonals In Devon Super League

Victory Vikings made it five wins from five in the Devon Super League but were pushed all the way by their Plymouth rivals in a topsy-turvy clash.

Cornwall A player Kevin Dunstan (25.52) went one down before reeling off four straight legs to defeat Lee Agar (19.62) in set one.

Agar put the first maximum on the board with the first throw of the contest before Dunstan replied with one of his own.

That effort aided a 16 dart leg and was one of nine ton plusses put away by the Duchy thrower.

In the second set, Paul Goundry (24.22) took advantage of throwing first in leg one to take a 1-0 lead against Fred Goldsmith (23.47).

Goldsmith then ploughed in a maximum and levelled before the Devon player's poorest scoring leg allowed the Vikings man to take a 2-1 lead.

Goundry then notched four of his eleven ton plusses in leg four but double trouble allowed Goldsmith to level once more.

Goldsmith hit the front for the first time with a fine 90 checkout before a 74 finish in an 18 dart sixth gave him the spoils in spite of Goundry kicking with a maximum.

Danny Allen (28.52) restored the Vikings lead with a remarkable man of the match performance in a 4-1 win over Billy Evans (26.35) with legs of 18, 17 and 15 darts.

Allen chalked up a maximum and a 101 finish in the final leg, a feat that was beaten by Evans' 102 checkout in the leg he won.

Octagonals levelled after Cornwall youth star Jaden Whitting (22.22) took the scalp of Andy Bates (22.92) with a fine 4-1 with the players sharing twenty tons between them.

Bates took the only leg he won in 18 darts but Whitting was too strong for the Plymouth veteran despite the youngster missing darts at doubles.

Mike O'Brien's (24.49) 4-1 win over Scott Wapshott (23.90) allowed the Octagonals to hit the front for the first time.

Wapshott did put ten scores of a ton or more on the board but it was O'Brien who was more clinical at the business end of legs with a 17 darter his best effort.

Neil White (23.88) edged Mark Odgers (21.00) 4-3 to put the Octagonals one away from the win after hitting ten ton plusses in the set.

Odgers was as many as 3-2 up thanks in part to a 15 darter won with a 95 three dart combination before seemingly running out of steam in the sixth and seventh legs, which gave White the win.

Mark Shears (25.25) hit a brace of 180s that contributed to a ten ton haul in his 4-1 win over Devon teammate Shaun Dring (21.82).

Shears started the contest with a 15 dart leg that ended in a 76 checkout, which helped him peg Octagonals back to 4-3.

Dave Pethick (20.52) went as many as 3-1 up in a spell that included a 16 dart leg before Vikings Paul Gavican (24.09) produced a fantastic comeback to level the match.

Gavican rallied with legs of 18 and 12 (180,97,80,144), which was helped along by some of a thirteen three figure haul on the night.

Despite the precarious position of the match, Scott Cook (25.69) showed no nerves at all to take apart Octagonals Alec Turner (21.28) by a score of 4-0.

Cook plundered a double figure haul of tons in the contest to give his Vikings team the win on the night which will help towards their title hopes.