Macy Gibbons and Rebecca Allen won one event apiece in the Girls Series as the former took a six-point lead at the top of the standings with one weekend to play.
Gibbons, who won the opening event of the weekend to claim her fifth win of the season, also threw a 95.94 average in the Event 8 quarter-final – only to lose to Allen in the semis.
Allen claimed her first event win of the season when she beat 12-year-old Harley Glover, who was playing in her first final.
EVENT 7
Macy Gibbons picked up where she had left off on the previous weekend of Girls Series action, securing a second successive event win – and her fourth in five events.
The 16-year-old won all four of her round-robin matches, including a 3-1 win over Celyn Saunders in which she averaged 72.29 and sealed the win with a 90 checkout.
She kicked off the knockout stage with a 3-1 win over Event 5 winner Abbi Ettridge, averaging 78.56, clinching victory with a 15-dart leg.
She then beat Katie-Lee Parish 3-1, before a 3-2 win over Rebecca Allen in the semi-finals, the highlight being a 14-dart leg to make it 2-2 before she broke Allen’s throw to advance to the final.
In the final, she beat Lucy Shepherd 4-1, gaining the crucial first break in the fourth leg to lead 3-1.
Shepherd, the Event 2 winner, was playing in her second final after beating Ella Hannaford 3-1 in the semis.
RESULTS
Final:
Macy Gibbons (Eng) 4-1 Lucy Shepherd (Eng)
Semi-finals:
Macy Gibbons (Eng) 3-2 Rebecca Allen (Ire)
Lucy Shepherd (Eng) 3-1 Ella Hannaford (Eng)
EVENT 8
Rebecca Allen won her first Girls Series event of the season as she beat Harley Glover in the 12-year-old’s first final.
Since missing the opening two events of the year, Allen has been consistent – reaching the final or semi-final in every event she has played. But this was her first event win since Event 6 last year when she beat Lexi-Jayne Rooksby to the title.
Allen only dropped one leg in the knockout stage, beating Olivia Goddard 3-0 with an 81.98 average and a 130 checkout, before a 3-0 win over Natalie Baxter.
She then faced Macy Gibbons, who went into the match in fine form after averaging 95.94 in the quarters against Bailey-Leigh Barrow. Gibbons opened with a 13-dart leg after kicking off with a 140 and 180, then won the next two legs in six visits.
But in the semi-final, Allen – last year’s Junior Power League champion – was too good for Gibbons – this year’s JPL leader – as she won 3-1 with a 75 average. Gibbons won the opening leg against the darts, but Allen broke straight back, then held with a brilliant 160 checkout, before taking out 40 to break again and win the match.
She won the final 4-0, with a 100 checkout in the second leg, but enormous credit must go to Glover, playing in her final after previously reaching the Event 1 semi-final.
She had beaten Cerys Llewellyn, Lola Wheeler and Abbi Ettridge on her run to the final, showing cutting edge in taking out 71 and 90 in successive legs against Llewellyn, and 86 in her opening leg against Ettridge. While Allen proved too strong in the final, it was a hugely positive day for the 12-year-old as she looks to build her career in the JDC.
RESULTS
Final:
Rebecca Allen (Ire) 4-0 Harley Glover (Eng)
Semi-finals:
Rebecca Allen (Ire) 3-1 Macy Gibbons (Eng)
Harley Glover (Eng) 3-1 Abbi Ettridge (Eng)
Add comment
Comments