Shamrock in full bloom as they finish runners-up in national tournament

The Shamrock of Buckley were runners-up in the prestigious BDO Champions Cup

A North Wales darts team were the width of a wire away from landing national honours recently, reports David Cooke.

The Shamrock of Buckley travelled to the Magna Centre in Rotherham to lock horns with fellow Superleague region winners to compete in the BDO Champions Cup.

The Shamrock were crowned Clwyd Men’s Superleague champions, therefore had the honour of representing Clwyd at the national finals.

They set off with hope and a more than capable squad which included BDO Welsh Open winner Mike Warburton, 2019 Slovak Masters winner Tony Martin, Welsh international Dafydd Edwards and the evergreen 73-year-old former BDO Gold Cup champion Dave Harold.

The competiton started with a group phase of five teams per pool with a cut-throat format of 9 games, best of 7 legs with all matches played simultaneously.

Game one saw The Shamrock record a 6-3 victory over Bishopgates of Warwickshire, but the North Walians suffered a dent to their knockout stage chances in their second outing when they fell to a 5-4 loss at the hands of the Kepston Cons club of Bedfordshire.

However, the setback was short-lived as the Flintshire crew bounced back to grab a 7-2 victory over Rey Abbey of Hertfordshire.

The Shamrock had their destiny in their own hands going into the final group game with a win securing a quarter-final berth.

In a nervy tungsten tussle the Clwyd outfit edged though 5-4 beating the Worcestershire representatives the Batchley club.

In the last eight it was another nine-set thrilller with the Welsh outfit this time disposing of Surrey’s Walton Working Men 5-4.

The semi-final saw the Buckley men take on Carterton A of Oxfordshire and once again they brilliantly held their nerve to take another 5-4 scoreline with Pete Watkin sinking the all-important winning double.

The final saw Shamrock meet Rochdale Borough of Lancashire and amazingly once again they were involved in another nine-leg humdinger, but there was to be agony at the final hurdle as the Welshmen succumbed to a 5-4 loss – but they can be proud of a magnificent runners-up spot at the prestigious national tournament.