DOUG Smith was inconsolable after failing to find the winning bullseye shot that would have lifted the Earlestown and District Darts League Premiership Cup for Bridge Inn.

The Bridge captain was first to reach the bull in the deciding game of an enthralling contest between two of the league's top notch clubs.

Smith had made all the running against BRSA B's Gary Mather and it looked like a Bridge Inn win but he was finding it hard to hit the bull.

Mather kept beavering away as Smith again could not find the winning shot. By this time Mather was also on the bull and with one dart fired home to leave Smith a broken man.

BRSA B had lifted the title through a lot of good luck and not really good throwing.

The final started with BRSA B striking the first blow in a somewhat scrappy affair. Bill Jones sank Chris Farrell in a 27 darts marathon of a match.

Bridge's Al Furay looked to have the edge in the second game but superlative dexterity from BRSA B's Les Wilkie saw him fire home in a good 21 darts.

The third leg brought two of the league's top guns together as BRSA B's Jimmy Carrey faced Tony Mawdsley. It was a classic with both players on top of their game but the ice cool Mawdsley fired home with a cracking 17-darter to reduce the score to 2-1.

Pat Ruane tackled Bridge's superstar Les Anders in a dog eat dog affair but the supremacy of Anders' top marksmanship saw him home in 18 darts to make it 2-2.

BRSA B's destroyer Dave Pojunas squared up with young top gun Chris Snelson. Both players were tense but the immaculate Pojunas clinically finished to put BRSA B in front again.

Ste Morse put BRSA B's case against Lancashire county ace Steve A. Jones. Both players started well and when Morse hit double four, double nine, single 19 he looked a sure winner as Jones was on 10. Jones showed why he is in the county A team with a double 10 and double four to put the pressure back on Morse.

He hit single 20 and wired the double four which was the green light for Jones to fire in a bullseye second dart for a brilliant 11 darts man of the match performance.

In the seventh game, with the scores at 3-3, Bridge called on the services of Ron Ambrose to face Dave Smith. Ambrose was at his very best giving Smith no chance at all firing home in 18 darts to put his team in front for the first time.

BRSA's captain Ken Woods toed the oche against Paul Weston, the Bridge's top young gun, and after a mediocre game Woods fired home to level the scores at 4-4 to set up the nail-biting finale in which Mather held his nerve for BRSA B.