THE Republic of Ireland men's and ladies teams have both qualified for the semi-finals of the Six Nations Cup by winning their groups.
The men's team followed the example of the ladies by finishing on top of their group following a quality day of action today in Wales.
Despite a 13-10 defeat to England in their opening match, the Ireland team stormed back with a brilliant performance against the Netherlands, defeating them 13-5 to win Group 1 on leg difference.
The opening match against England was a tight affair, with each member of the Irish team, made up of captain Stephen Rosney, Dean Finn, Patrick Quinn, Gerard McGlynn and Shane McGuirk all picking up a win each in the first 10 games to leave the match tied at 5-5.
However a mid-game surge from England, in which they won four of the next five games, gave them an advantage they didn't relinquish, even though Ireland pulled it back to 11-10 going into the closing stages.
The 10 points gained by Ireland gave them a decent foothold in the group going into their second match with the Netherlands in which they produced some sensational darts.
The Irish team won four of the first six matches against the Dutch, before going on an incredible seven leg winning run that included six legs in 16 darts or under.
That left the shell- shocked Dutch on the ropes and despite them pulling back three points, it was fitting that Ireland Stephen Rosney saw his team over the line for an impressive 13-5 win.
The margin of victory meant Ireland were assured of a spot in the semi-finals, and they were later confirmed as group winners when the Dutch ran out 13-12 victors over England in their second match.
It comes after the Republic of Ireland ladies team, led by the brilliant captain Robyn Byrne, topped their group on Friday night with two excellent wins of their own.
They began their campaign with a 6-3 with over Northern Ireland, that saw Byrne, Katie Sheldon and Denis Cassidy win five of the six games.
It mean they went into their second game against Scotland, who had beaten the North 7-2, needing a victory to take top place in Ladies Group 1.
That victory was never really in doubt as Cassidy, Byrne and Sheldon rattled off the last five legs to beat the Scots 7-2.
Both teams will now be back in action tomorrow for the semi-finals when both will fancy the chances of going further in the competition.
CHECK OUT ALL THE BEST DARTS BRANDS AT DOUBLE IN DARTS. JUST CLICK ON THE LOGO BELOW:
Add comment
Comments