The return legs in the three cup competitions will be played tonight with the game of the night surely being the meeting of the Shamrock Bar and Brannigans Bar at the Shanbally venue in the CDO Presidents challenge cup.
Brannigans travel to the Shamrock after having lost the first leg on their own board by four games to three but, this game is far from over and I am sure that Brannigans will go to the Shamrock fully confident that they can overcome this deficit.
However it is a very hard ask as this Shamrock side is made up of some of our very best darts players which include Jason Kavanagh, Craig Sproat, Peter Quinn as well as John Twomey just to name a few.
Brannigans on the other hand are not without their own quality players and Steven Coveney, Stephen O’Connor, Damian O’Driscoll, Joe Long will be well up for to turn this game around and book a semi-final spot for next week at the Joshua Tree.
Gerald Griffin take the bus along with a six games to one first leg lead down to Mahon to play the Red Cove Inn and they require two games on the night to see them through to the semi-finals.
Anglers Sports Lounge came away from the Carrigaline GAA club with a five games to two advantage and they will feel very confident of securing their semi-final spot on their own board in this quarter-final second leg.
Tower Bar were in tremendous darting form as they whitewashed the Joshua Tree seven games to nil in their first leg meeting at the Tower Bar and should have very little bother in securing the one game needed to see them through to next Monday’s semi-final draw.
The Joshua Tree will be the venue for the semi-finals and final of the CDO Presidents cup on Monday next April 19 and all four semi-finalists must be in attendance for the semi-final draw at 8.30.
Thursday night coming will see the semi-finals and final of the ladies Carling cup being played at the Gallows Bar on the Bandon Road and again here all four teams who have qualified must be in attendance at the Gallows at 8.15.
Also on Thursday night we have the semi-finals of the ladies Glenryan sponsored B division cup and both of the semi-finals will be played at the Glenryan Tavern with a 9.30 start for both.
The final of this B cup will be played at the Glenryan on Tuesday April 20.
This coming Sunday at Brian Dillon’s GAA club the Cork County Darts Board will hold the first of six ranking competitions for men and ladies with entries accepted at the venue from 1pm on the day.
This is the first chance for players to stake a claim for inclusion on both the men’s and ladies Cork teams to play in the INDO inter-counties championships in Castlebar come February 2011.
A CDO delegate meeting will be held on tomorrow night at Mo Chuisle on Blarney Street where entries for the Crean and McGarry trophy and the B cup as well as the C and junior cups will be accepted.
Frank Goulding.