Sluggish start costly for Oldham

DARTS:

IT was a case of third time unlucky for Oldham in the Lancashire GMC Super Eights Elite League.

Unbeaten in their first two fixtures of the season, the town team succumbed 6-4 at home to Burnley.

Without three regulars because of other commitments, Oldham lost the first five matches, but kept alive their faint hopes of a draw by winning the sixth 4-1 thanks to Stuart Holden’s 4-1 victory.

Holden averaged 91.72 for every three darts thrown to claim the man-of-the-match award.

Oldham reduced the deficit to 5-2 courtesy of John Moreton’s 4-2 triumph (ave 75.40).

However, victory in the next match for Burnley wrecked Oldham’s hopes of a draw.

Oldham did make the final score 6-4, with wins from Lee Holden (4-0, 72.56) and Lee Williams (4-0, 87.49), but it was too little too late.

Meanwhile, organisers are hoping for in the region of 200 entries for Saturday’s Oldham Open at Queen Elizabeth Hall.

The biggest tournament of its kind to be held in the borough, it has a prize money pool of £2,500, with leading players from Lancashire and beyond set to lock horns for the day-long darts bonanza.

The winner will receive £1,200, with the runner-up picking up £600 and the losing semi-finalists each bagging £100. The woman who goes the furthest in the competition will also receive a cash prize for her efforts.

Players can enter on the day or at Treble Darts and Trophies on Yorkshire Street, Oldham, for a fee of £10.

Registration is from 9am until noon, with the action on the oche getting under way at 1pm. Entry for spectators is £2 with under-16s free.