DANNY Aplin was crowned the first-ever ADC singles champion at a packed out Weymouth Angling Society Club.

The top seven players from the league season battled it out on the night to gain the honour of being the first winner of the title, Aplin who has led the table from the midway point showed no signs of final night nerves as he went on to win the coveted crown.

The night started with two play-off matches as fourth spot Mel Burton played seventh Mark Samways and fifth-placed Arnie Quinn played sixth Simon Churchill.

Both matches started very cagily with no player taking advantage of poor darts thrown by their opponent. After a dozen darts missed at doubles by both Burton and Samways it was Burton who nicked the leg before going on to hit a 14-dart leg in the second and then taking the third before Samways registered his first leg.

Burton took the fifth leg and the match 4-1 booking a play-off final spot, but there was controversy in the opening leg of the other match as Quinn went one up, but Churchill mistakenly hit the wrong double, only for the chalker to mark it off as hit and draw the game level.

Churchill found a bit more in the scoring department and pushed himself ahead 3-2, later taking a 4-2 win after Quinn missed his chance at a double.

With many seeing Burton as firm favourite to book a semi-final spot, it was Churchill who came out the blocks firing and went 2-0 up, maybe letting the occasion get to him Churchill suddenly started snatching his darts allowing Burton to draw level at 3-3.

Burton hit a 140 to start the final leg and Churchill hit 17 with a bounce out putting the leg firmly in favour of Burton who did not disappoint and sealed the victory.

Game of the night was the first semi-final between second spot Andrew McDermott and third-placed Andy Masters. The level of darts now raised up a few notches with both players combining maximums and clinical finishing.

McDermott, who defeated Masters 4-0, 4-0 in the league, just could not get away from the experience of Masters and, as the game got to 3-3, McDermott was left on a two-dart finish, only for Masters to take out a 160 finish and go 4-3 up.

A maximum in the next leg from McDermott forced a decider but with McDermott missing four doubles, Masters claimed a final place.

Having played four matches already Burton then had to take on Aplin in the other semi-final.

Aplin, who only this season has recovered from years of dartitus, raced into a 4-0 led before Burton got a shot at a double. Burton then claimed his only leg of the semi-final before Aplin went on to book a place against Masters in the final with a 5-1 win.

Having lost both league meetings with Masters 4-2 after being two up in both games, Aplin was unfazed by the final and raced into a 3-0 lead, winning all legs in less than 16 darts. Masters pulled a leg back before Aplin hit a 92 out while Masters was on a finish to go 4-1 up, and took the next for 5-1.

Masters hit a 180 and took the next leg before Aplin went out in 18 darts to claim the match and most importantly the title of singles champion.

Aplin said: “I’m just so overwhelmed to have won, when you go through 10 years of not being able to throw a dart and come back and play the way I have it has been fantastic.

“Having the players that we have had in this league, and the support from my partner Kirsty Sibley, both have been a massive factor in me regaining my form”

Burton and Scott Gannon took the pairs event, 3-2 beating Aplin and Paul Dormer, before beating his brother Chris Burton 3-0 in the singles cup final.

n League sponsors Paul Paice Blinds and Beds, Aplin’s Garden Services, Expert Catering Appliances and Sales, Marlboro plus Bassetts Lights and Darts Centre are all thanked for their support.