Cork Darts: Three youth teams represented the Rebels on national stage

TONIGHT, we will have the final series of qualifying games played across all four divisions of the league and all is not yet cut and dried for a knockout stage so it will be all toes to the oche in search of a qualifying place tonight for a spot in those knockout stages which will commence on Monday, April 17.

The race for a knockout spot has heated up in the third division shield, especially after last Monday night's results which saw all games end in very narrow 3-2 scorelines.

Ma Dullea’s and River Lane each had a home win against the Residence and Jack Fords respectively while the Tower Bar had their second 3-2 win in a row, this time around it was away to Walsh’s Sports Bar.

Joshua Tree suffered their second big loss just a week after their 5-0 home thumping by the Muskerry Arms this time they went down 4-1 away to the Local in the second division shield and the Gallows had a 4-1 home success against Hennessy’s also in the second division with improving newcomers the Cotton Ball coming out ahead of Carrigaline GAA by 3-2.

Premier division bound the Gallows 1 had a 4-1 win away against the Groves in the first division shield and also in the first division there were wins for Old Reliable, Aunties and the Local who all had 3-2 wins over River Lane, Residence and O’Cionnaigh’s respectively.

The Crean and McGarry premier division shield saw Ma Dullea’s defeat Top of the Hill 4-1 at home and the Groves 1 were 3-2 winners at home to Quinlans 1 but it was the Joshua Tree and Quinlans 2 who were the real sharpshooters on the night as they both scored a whitewash, the Joshua Tree winning away to Riverstown Inn 5-0 and Quinlans recording the same score at home against the Groves 2.

The Irish National Darts Organisation recently staged its youths inter-counties darts championships at the Talbot Hotel, Carlow and the management of the Cork team had three teams entered into the national championships.

Teams who were unlucky not to progress beyond the opening group stages which were played on a round-robin series of matches, were then entered into a shield championship.

The Cork teams had a relatively successful championships with the Cork number one side making the semi-finals before going out to a very good Carlow side who went on to defeat Westmeath 3-0 in the final. and the Cork number three side going out at the round of 16.

The Cork number two team had a very good shield outing as they went all the way to the final before losing out to Limerick 3-2 and Callum Coade was a quarter-finalist in the INDO singles championship.