Lomas and Tyson triumph on a thrilling night of darts

Sefton Super League XIV reached a nail-biting climax on Maundy Thursday as the club's annual winter tournament produced a night for the ages at Croxteth Drive.

First off was the the Sefton Plate Final which saw two of the four men - Jamie 'Arrows' Bowman and Jim 'The Gentleman' Tyson - with two Plate titles go toe-to-toe.

The match did not disappoint as Jamie raced into a 2-0 before Jim launched a stunning comeback with the Cumbrian winning four legs in a row to lead by 4-2. The tie then turned again as Arrows hit back to make it 4-4 and all to play for going into a final leg. Bowman looked to have clinched it but after bending the wire on a match-winning double two, Tyson was able to take advantage with a double nine finish to clinch a third Plate title.

In front of a large crowd the main event had a tough task following the Plate final but boy did it deliver. Adrian O'Hara and Stuart Lomas first met in the final back in !SSL! VIII - all their league games this decade have ended in draws and their two post-lockdown semi-finals have been decided in sudden-death legs. Both were unbeaten this season. The clues were there but nothing prepared the watchers for what was to follow as O'Hara built a 5-0 lead with a stunning flurry of finishes and high scoring from both players - including a 180 from Lomas. But as 'Killer' has proved over the years, no lead is unassailable and he gradually began to peg back the 'Blue Angel' until the scores were level. The game began a nail-biting period of cat and mouse but with two clear legs needed for victory it was Lomas who pulled clear, winning 10-8 following a magnificent final.

A rare picture of a smiling Stuart Lomas....

Thank you to the large crowd who attended, Steven Royston for some wonderful jokes in his capacity as MC and Andy Fallows and Jim Tyson for refereeing.

A special mention for Adrian for his efforts this season: he has - for the second time - swept all before him, dropping just three legs as he finished top of the table and won the best leg, high outshot and high score trophies. And yet the !SSL! title continues to elude him.

Also a huge thanks must go to Stuart Lomas for his efforts in organising the !SSL! each year and encouraging new members and attendees to the club. Congratulations 'Killer'!