THE latest game in the Lancashire GMC Superleague Division Three saw St Annes travel to Rochdale to play Milnrow.

The trip to the bottom club should have produced a victory for St Annes, but for the first time in their history they could only field nine players. With relegation out of the question the match was purely academic and the standard of play reflected both sides' relaxed approach.

Alan Dyer got things off to a good start for St Annes with a comfortable 3-0 win, but produced Alan's lowest three-dart average of the season. Next to the oche was new boy Mick Crewe who started by taking the first and third legs against the darts but then ran out of steam, finally losing 3-2, and he must surely be wiser for the experience.

Jim Scott's season has been up and down, but this game was another 'up' and some steady scoring managed to leave his opponent way behind. He won 3-1 to give St Annes a 2-1 lead.

Jamie Clare has not been producing his best form in Superleague matches, yet his resolute attitude drove him to a 3-2 win and a 3-1 match scoreline. The next game saw Bob Warham playing the man of the match, Kevin Taylor, and the crowd were treated to a clinical display as Kevin won 3-0, checking out his last two legs in 15 and 16 darts, making the match score 3-2 to St Annes at the interval.

The first game after the interval was another example of so-near-but-so-far, when Jon Fish set up a 2-0 lead only to see his opponent hit an 18 dart leg to claw one back. In the last two legs Jon had 27 darts at doubles to win the game, but failed to check out and make the match score all square.

Team captain Malcolm Poole had won 10 of his previous 11 games this season and, although recovering from a slipped disc, took a two-leg lead, only to see his opponent win the next two legs with finishes of 146 and 130. Malcolm then had one dart at a double in the deciding leg and made no mistakes to give St Annes a 4-3 lead. With only two games to go St Annes needed both for a win and one for a draw, and when Frazer Bagnall took his game by 3-0 in considerable style, with one of his best performances of the season, the win seemed on. However, Milnrow wanted the draw and Stevie Doran found the going tough when his opponent took the game 3-0, hitting a 180 in the second leg. With the last game forfeited, due to St Annes being a player short, the match ended with the teams sharing the points.

Milnrow 5 St Annes 5

In the Lytham and St Annes Private Clubs Darts League, Ansdell Institute is guaranteed to win the pairs section with the four pairs remaining all being from the club. They will play off on Finals Night, Wednesday, May 15. The pairings are: Malcolm Poole and Jim Scott; Tony Rivett and Tommy Lyons; Paul Cookson and Martin Roberts; Stuart Peacock and Bob Bainbridge.

In the Team Knock-out semi finals, St Annes Ex-Service 'A' beat Ansdell Institute 'A' 10-9 after a play-off and Birley Arms beat Ansdell Institute 'B' 12-8.

The Plate Team Knock-out final will be between British Legion 'B" and The Dunes.

Both these finals will be played on Wednesday, May 8.