Last year's finalists the Kicking Dickey are out of the Ridley League Darts Cup, beaten by local rivals Felsted Chequers on a night of agony for home skipper Keith Sweeting.

In a see-saw clash, the Dickey went into the singles 2-1 up. Paul Rudd's defeat by Barry Linin brought the scores level, but league singles champ Graham Milbank restored the Dickey's advantage, and Barry Miles scored what seemed a decisive blow, beating visiting captain Matt Day.

Then it started to go wrong. Darren Thomas turned the tide against his old team-mates, producing a maximum 180 and a 123 to see off Trevor Sweeting, and Darren Laudrum got the better of Dean Dix.

Dave Darton completed an unhappy hat-trick of defeats for the Dickey, losing to Wayne Price.

Kelvin Tyler made it 5-5 to give the Dunmow side a lifeline, throwing the onus on his luckless skipper to win the captains' tie-breaker.

In his first match of the night, however, the challenge was beyond Sweeting, and Day earned the cheers of his side with the crucial finishing double.

Published Friday November 8, 2002

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