DANNY Aplin took the lead in the Weymouth ADC League after two wins against Chris Stones and Andrew McDermott in the first matches back after Christmas.

McDermott and Simon Churchill played out a thrilling 3-3 draw while Arnie Quinn produced a superb comeback against Wayne Jordan as he clung on to his play-off spot.

Aplin won his first match 4-0 against Stones before he faced then leader McDermott in his final match, where he raced into a 3-0 lead.

It was not until the fourth leg that McDermott got a shot at a double but he missed five darts at double 15 which let Aplin hit double eight at the first time of asking and claimed a 4-0 win which put him top on leg difference.

Churchill hit McDermott hard first in their first game of the night, as he led 2-1 but he then went 3-2 down to McDermott before he checked out with 141 to draw 3-3.

This was a huge confidence boost for Churchill who then faced Mark Samways in their final match, as he hit a 15-dart leg in his final leg which saw him win 4-2 and move two points clear of Samways.

Mel Burton and Andy Masters won one and drew one which solidified their positions in the top seven.

Burton won his first game 4-0 against Mel Gregg and then drew with Paul Dormer 3-3, as Dormer hit 78 while Burton was left on 32 as he snatched a draw.

Masters started with a hard-fought 3-3 draw with Trevor Honor and was then lucky to take maximum points in his final match with Paul Paice as both players matched each other for scoring.

It was when both players were below the hundred mark that they struggled to finish but Masters’ experience saw him over the line as he won 4-2.

Samways put the disappointment of his earlier defeat behind him and finished off the evening with a 4-0 win over Simon Sharpe.

Sharpe picked up two points in his first two matches as he drew 3-3 with Burton and Dave Butler.

Honor kept the pressure on the top seven after drawing with Masters. He also claimed a 4-1 win over Gregg, but the scoreline was harsh on Gregg who hit her second 180 of the season but could not hit that all-important double.

Gregg is still searching her first win but is not far away from it going on her latest performance.

Quinn produced the comeback of the night after being 3-0 down to Jordan and looking defeated.

He somehow ground out the next three legs to hang on to the final play-off spot.

Earlier in the evening, Quinn had claimed a very good win in his first game of the night winning 4-1 against Dormer.

Paice continued his pursuit on a top-10 finish as he got a 4-0 victory against Scott Gannon and was more clinical than normal on his doubles while Dormer piled more misery on Gannon winning their contest 4-0.

Burton had another good week drawing 3-3 with Sharpe and then picked up a 4-2 win against Nigeria Davis.

However Davis put the defeat behind him and inflicted on Stones his second 4-0 defeat of the night.

Matty Paice struggled to find his early season good form as he lost 4-0 to Jordan, who again scored well and hit another 180 on the night and he would take three points in total.

Paice’s second defeat of the evening was a 4-2 loss at the hands of Butler who, like Jordan, took three points on the evening after he drew with Sharpe.

Aplin took the 1,001 shot-out for the third week in a row this time doing it in 32 darts.

180s: Samways, Honnor, Jordan, McDermott, Aplin, Gregg, Dormer.

100+ out shot: Churchill 141