Darts return as five-week sprint to the finish begins
The Westmeath Darts League returns this evening (Friday) after the Christmas recess and no doubt everyone will be inspired by what they watched at the All Pally over the holidays. For all teams, it's now a case of putting the best foot forward and driving towards the knockout stages.
Coming into this year’s league under a new format it's always interesting to see how teams take to it, who goes for it, who slips backwards etc. With guaranteed Prize Money for the top six teams confirmed early on this season it clearly helped to drive the ambition and mindset among the 12 sides. Kerrigan's came out of the traps quickly and have stayed in that top spot, but that defeat against Bagnall's A shows just how competitive this league is and other teams will take inspiration from that result.
The Beech Tree and The Bridge Bar have gone from shield finalists to sitting in the #2/3 positions, which is a massive leap from both sides. Strengthening your squads in the off season is one thing, but you still need those players to start performing. The Maypole bar are in a similar position with a refreshed side, but over the course of the season found their footing and will be a massive danger in a five-week sprint in phase 2 to get that coveted home semi-final spot.
Bagnall's A went about their business-as-usual week on week getting the number of points required to see themselves in the top six and have done a reverse Beech Tree on it, where their current players are the focus and points getters this season, not the new players.
The race for the sixth spot was one that was the main storyline since the start, where for 8-9 weeks Clarke's Bar, The Wagon Wheel and The Western Gem were swapping positions on a weekly basis. In the end it was ‘The Gem’ who got into it by virtue of not losing games heavily, as opposed to The Wagon Wheel, who won three more games than them but had some big swings in points which cost them.
Clarke's Bar suffered a small drop off in availability towards the end of Phase 1, but having had wins over McHugh's and Shamrocks, and a 5-4 home loss to The Wagon Wheel will no doubt be eyeing up that home semi-final spot in the shield. Loughlin McHugh’s side had a feature win over The Bridge Bar away from home and are nicely positioned now to fight it out with Clarke's Bar and Shamrocks for the coveted home draw in the last four.
Shamrocks youthful side under the leadership of Sean and Joe Farrelly have taken to the league well and, like Bagnall's B, are well in touch with the shield leaders should they slip up. For Tom’s Bar, it was always going to be a tough start in the WDL, but you can see the performances week on week improving, getting more legs on the board, even if that’s not translating into victories just yet.
All in all, we're now set up nicely for a super end of season sprint as teams look to push on and, in some cases, ensure they hold onto their positions the work of the first 11 weeks has given them.
Friday’s championship fixtures:
Beach Tree v Maypole; Kerrigan’s v Bagnall’s ‘A’; Western Gem v The Bridge Bar.
Friday's shield fixtures:
The Wagon Wheel v Clarke’s Bar; Bagnall’s ‘B’ v McHugh’s; Mullingar Shamrocks v Tom’s Bar.
League Sponsors shoutout
The WDL committee would like to once again thank Stephen Lynn & Co Accountants/Auditors, McNamee Tyres and Geerah's Daybreak Ballinalack for their sponsorship and support of this year's Westmeath Darts League.