Can anyone dethrone the Kings?
The Kings Head A once again underlined their title credentials, while the Red Lion A’s unbeaten start has many wondering if they might be the surprise package of Division 1.
In Division 2, the Powis Arms A continue to set the pace, with the Kings Head B and Angel both close behind, and the Red Lion Misfits’ resurgence one of the early feel-good stories of the season.
In Division 3, the Breidden, Angel B, and Grapes D have all emerged as early front-runners after strong back-to-back victories.
With confidence growing and rivalries forming, the 2025/26 campaign is already shaping up to be a classic.
Division 1
At the Green Dragon, the home side edged out the Oak 4–3 in a match that swung back and forth throughout the evening. Shaun Humphries, Mitch Butler and Den Williams all picked up singles wins for the hosts, while the Oak fought hard through Richard Griffiths and Mike Williams. The doubles proved decisive — Den Williams and Rhys Butler combining for a 2–1 victory to seal the result. Butler also registered a 180 despite defeat in his singles, capping another strong overall team performance.
The Kings Head A continued their dominant start with an emphatic 6–1 win over the Owl & Pussycat A. The hosts won all five singles through Jon Gamble, Darren Hyland, Dave Rix, Gareth Stedman and Kacey Jones. Rix led the way with a 121 checkout and a 15-dart leg, while Mat Knight replied for the visitors with a 17-darter and a 180 of his own. It was another statement performance from the Kings Head, who showed exactly why they are reigning champions and many people’s favourites to retain their crown this season.
The Red Lion A maintained their unbeaten record with a 4–3 home win over the Punchbowl. Chris Jay impressed again for the visitors, hitting a 115 checkout in a 3–0 singles win, continuing his fine start to the season. In a close-fought contest, Arwyn Watkins, Neil Summers and Cai Watkins were key for the hosts as the Red Lion’s doubles strength once again proved decisive — both pairs recording straight-legs victories to edge another thriller in Llanfair.
Meanwhile, at Westwood Park Hotel, the all-Westwood clash saw the A side emerge 4–3 winners over the B team. The B team started brightly, with Ben Davies and Jordan Harding each winning 3–0 in the singles, Harding also hitting a 180. However, the A side fought back through Alan James and Steve Lloyd to turn the tie around. Lloyd and Dave Watson then combined to win the first doubles and complete the comeback. It’s been a dismal start to the season for the Westwood B, who will be frustrated at having missed too many doubles in both of their opening fixtures. In contrast, the Westwood A came into the season low on confidence but have quietly gone about their business and now sit with two hard-earned wins from two.
Division 2
The Powis Arms A maintained their perfect start to the season with a strong 5–2 victory over the Lion (Caerhowel) at Pool Quay. The home side looked sharp from the off, with Simon Richards and Sam Evans each winning their opening singles 2–0. Konrad Scott was impressive again, producing another assured performance that included a superb 110 checkout in his singles win, while Richards also hit one of the finishes of the week with a brilliant 124. The pair then teamed up in the doubles to secure another straight-legs victory, before Richards and Keith Scott completed the night with a 2–0 success in the final pairs. It was another commanding performance from the Powis Arms, who continue to set the standard at the top of Division 2.
The Kings Head B made a major statement of intent with an emphatic 6–1 win at the Grapes A. The hosts made the perfect start when Macauley Nicoll-Davies defeated Jack Lewis 2–1 in the opening singles to give the Grapes an early lead, but from there the Kings took complete control. David Howard, Alex Howard, Luke Jones and Liam Howard all produced solid displays to turn the match around, before the visitors finished strongly by winning both doubles in straight legs.
At The Angel, the Castle A edged a thrilling 4–3 encounter that went right down to the wire. The visitors started superbly, racing into a 4–1 lead after taking four of the five singles through Shaun Hindmarch, John Coulson, Paul Roberts and Mark Smith. The Angel refused to go quietly, though, showing real character to mount a late comeback. Ben McNicholas led the response with a superb 180 and a commanding display alongside Kyle Goodwin to take the opening doubles 2–0, before Jack Pryce and Huw Humphries backed it up with another doubles win. Despite the late surge, the Castle’s early dominance proved decisive as they held on for their first win of the campaign.
The Red Lion Misfits claimed a dramatic 4–3 victory over the Grapes B in another nail-biting affair. The home side made a fast start thanks to straight-legs wins from Bob Titley and Rhys ‘Micra’ Evans, while Iwan Williams impressed with a dominant display of his own. The Grapes fought back through Duncan Cork and Andy Ralph, but the Misfits steadied themselves late on as Liam Williams and Iwan Williams sealed the deciding doubles 2–0. Liam Williams also produced a superb 113 checkout during the match to cap a fine night for the Llanfair outfit. After winning just three games in the entire 2024/25 season, the Misfits have already picked up two victories from two this time around — a remarkable turnaround that shows their growing confidence and momentum.
Meanwhile, the Black Lion edged out the Green Dragon C 4–3 in a thrilling match that kept the crowd engaged from start to finish. The visitors were in complete control early on, winning all four opening singles through Bryn Lewis, Dan Morgan, Tom Bowen and Toby Roberts to guarantee victory before the doubles even began. The Dragon, however, refused to let the match drift away and mounted a spirited response, pulling three legs back through Alasdair Moore, who won his singles and later combined with Andy in the doubles to narrow the deficit. Despite the late rally from the home side, the Black Lion’s early dominance proved decisive as they secured back-to-back wins to climb up the Division 2 table.
The Powis Arms A remain top of the table on 12 points, with the Kings Head B and Angel close behind on nine, and the Red Lion Misfits hot on their heels after another impressive result.
Division 3
The Compass B made it two wins from two with a hard-fought 4–3 victory over the Grapes C in Forden. The visitors made the brighter start, with Colin Quinn and Wiktor Pilinski taking the opening singles to give the Grapes an early lead. The Compass responded well, though, as Harry Davies and Rhett Bailey both produced solid wins before Kayla Ringrose edged out Ruby Nudds in an excellent all-ladies encounter that was played in great spirit and showcased the growing strength of the women’s game in the league. The Grapes levelled the match again in the first doubles, as Cody Hughes and Callum Bonner claimed a narrow 2–1 win over Ronan Edge and Harry Davies, but the Compass had the final say. Bailey and Tyler Bowen held their nerve in the decider, winning 2–1 to seal a dramatic home victory and keep the Forden side unbeaten.
The Grapes D continued their excellent start to the season with a convincing 5–2 home victory over the Castle B. The hosts were dominant in the singles, taking four of the five matches thanks to strong performances from Rhys Roberts, Gwyn Jones, Matt Sherwood and Martin Gough. Roberts set the tone early with a composed 2–0 win, showing real character under pressure to keep his place after a dismal opening week — finally getting the panda off his back in the process. Sherwood and Jones both followed with confident displays to extend the lead, before Man of the Match Martin Gough marked his first run out of the season with a hard-fought 2–1 success over John Lewis in what was arguably the match of the night. The Castle battled hard throughout and were rewarded when Lee Challinor picked up a deserved win in his singles before John Lewis and Amy Williams combined brilliantly to take the final doubles 2–0. Lewis also added a 180 earlier in the evening to cap off a fine personal showing. But it was the Grapes’ consistency and strong team performance that proved decisive, keeping them firmly among the early front-runners in Division 3.
The Angel B continued their fine start to the season with a confident 5–2 away win over the Owl & Pussycat B. The visitors were sharp from the outset, taking control through strong singles victories from Charlie Wines, Kyle Biggs, Sophie Jones and Harry Gannon — Gannon also producing a superb 180 in his win. The Owl found some momentum midway through the tie as Will Powell impressed with a 2–0 victory, while Jacob Schofield and Ajay Taylor teamed up to take the final doubles 2–0. But the Angel’s consistency and scoring power proved too strong overall, keeping them unbeaten after two games.
The Breidden maintained their perfect start with a 5–2 win away at the Powis Arms B. The visitors were clinical in the early stages, racing into a 5–0 lead after sweeping all five singles. Robbie Pugh opened the night with a strong display that included a superb 130 checkout — the highest finish of the week. Antony Hilditch, Killian Mason, Ian Haigh and Damon Jones followed up with composed victories to put the result beyond doubt. The Powis Arms showed resilience late on, winning both doubles through Harry Bonsall and Elijah Richards, and then Finn Buckley and George Scott, to restore some pride in defeat.
The Horseshoe Ardleen edged a tight 4–3 encounter away at the Talbot to pick up their first win of the new campaign. The visitors made a strong start, taking the opening three singles through Rob Weston, Rob Edwards and Cam Thomas — all winning in straight legs to establish control. The Talbot battled back through Rob Finney and Andy Fletcher to close the gap, but the Horseshoe pair of Thomas and Edwards combined effectively once again to clinch the crucial fourth point and secure victory. Finney and Thomas Aymes then wrapped up the final doubles 2–0 for the Talbot to make the scoreline a respectable 4–3.
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