Astley Bridge Area Darts - PAUL Hesten remains unbeaten at the top of the Merit League after securing his 13th straight win.

He holds a three-point lead over Shaun Liptrot at the top of Men's Section One.

There is another close race at the top of Section Two, with John Ainscow just ahead of Ste Cunningham.

Kevin Breen is on top of Section Three, looking over his shoulder at his team-mates Gary Crook and Andy Shaw.

Carl Mosscrop will take a healthy advantage into last few games in Section Four.

Ellen Wareing is just ahead of Dawn Shaw in the dash for the Ladies' Section One title.

In Section Two, just three points separate the top seven players, with M Hall and K Ormrod sharing top spot.

Several players in Section Three are closing the gap on long-time leader Jo Halton, while T Harrison and J McGuire share top spot in Section Four.

High scoring will be the order of the day at the league's next two competitions - The ladies' 133 and over and the men's 180s.

The ladies' competition will be held on Monday, September 20, and the men's on Monday, September 27.

Venues and the names of all the women to qualify for the 133 competition will appear in next Saturday's Bolton Evening News.

This Monday night will present the last chance for teams to enter the Winter League. Any teams who have not completed and returned an entry form can do so at Monday's committee meeting at Halliwell Conservative Club.

RESULTS: Men's Section One: Bowton Bobbins 4 Roundhouse 11; Crofters A 6 Schooner or L8r 9; Greyhound 10 Halliwell Con A 5; X Men 8 Mercenaries 0.

Men's Section Two: Tonge Ward.com 7 Bay Mare 8; Schooner 7 Founders Boys 8; A/B Cricket Club 3 Trophy Hunters 12; Three Pigeons 8 Trophy Hunters 7.

Men's Section Three: Belle Vue Aces 8 Crofters B 7.

Men's Section Four: Carters Arms 11 Halliwell Con Club 4; Royal British Legion 6 Carters Arms 9.

Ladies' Section One: Eva's Hot Pots 7 Down & Outs 8; White Horse Ladies 8 A/B British Legion 7; Rockin Robins 5 White Horse Ladies 10; Robin Hood 7 Crofters 8.

Ladies' Section Two: Smithills Ladies 6 Pilkington 9; Royal British Legion 9 Pomps Angels 6.

Ladies' Section Three:

Charlies Angels 8 Phil's Angels 7; Maggies Molls 5 Charlies Angels 10; Al's Angels 5 Bucks Babes 10; Founders Girls 6 Maggies Molls 9; Bucks Babes 10 Maggies Molls 5; Rileys Smileys 5 Legion Lassies 10.

Ladies' Section Four: Lever Bridge 8 Halliwell Con Club 7; Blue Bells 9 VB Buddies 6; Misfits 5 Lever Bridge 10; A/B Con Club 5 Misfits 10; Halliwell Con Club 9 Tonge Twisters 6; Tempest Trouts 6 Lever Bridge 9.

Men's High Scores: K Smith 140 (2) 100 (4) 95; B Jones 140 123 100 (5); D Edge 140 121 100 (3) 95; S Liptrot 140 (3) 123 100 (3); L Fairclough 140 135 100 (5); T Cross 140 100 (3) 99 98; P Wilson 140 125 121 100 (2) 95; S Hand 140 125 (2) 105 100 (2); W Taylor 140 118 100 (3) 96; P Rawlinson 135 125 100 (4) 97 95 (2); P Williams 140 (3) 100 (2) 99 142F; E Peacock 140 (2) 137 125 122 100; I Salisbury 140 139 135 100 (2) 98; M Bushby 125 120 100 (3) 95; A Partington 171; B Fitzharris 140 139 100 (3) 95; A Northrop 125 121 100 (3); L Houghton 123 100 (4) 95 (2);P Curry 100 (5); M Shields 101 100 (4); F Woods 140 125 120 109 100 (2) 95; E Simpson 100 (4) 95 (2); S Jones 125 100 (5); S Smith 140 116 100 (3) 95; J Raines 140 121 100 (3) K Lord 100 (5); R O'Hagan 171; P Conroy 117F; J Conroy 140 (2) 100 (3) 98F; E Bowker 1450 (2) 100 (3); B Cook 121 97 95 (3); P Conroy 140 100 (4) 95; K Lord 140 125 100 (3) 95.

Ladies' High Scores: P Whittaker 112 101 95 83 (2); S Holden 140 100 (2) 85 (2) 81 (2); L Canham 120 119 98 87 83 80; P Williams 98 92 85 83 80 79; L Heyes 140; J Philbin 95 (2) 86 83 79 (4); I Mungins 115 85 83 (2) 81 79; Mo Taylor 100 (2) 85 85 80; T Kelly 100 (2) 98 85 (2); W Harrison 92 85 81 80 (2); D Worrell 140 100 94 85 81; L Perks 140 (2) 85 83 (2); J Lyon 80F; S Ashcroft 104 95 80 79 (2); J Davenport 100 (3) 97 80; J Nuttall 99 96 95 83 79; B Bowcock 140 100 95 86 80; D Howarth 140; D Lowe 125 100 85 (2) 83 79; A Scott 133; C Mann 140; W Hobbs 140; C McGuffie 97F; C Mann 140 100 95 92 90 86; C Meanley 98 92 83 (2) 81; C Entwistle 133 J Halton 140 110 100 (2) 94 85 81 80; E Gray 97 84 80 (2) 79; J Simpson 97 95 85 (2) 83 80; P Roberts 140; E Hunter 97F; T Bower 100 98 84 80 79; D Lowe 153; S Cook jnr 115 85 (2) 81 80; K Gallagher 134; C Doble 94 92 81 80 79; S Holt 115F; N Whelan 140; D Lowe 125 85 83 (2) 80; B McCarthy 133 99 95 83 (2); T Harrison 97 95 83 81 (2).

Men's Section One

P W L Pts

P Hesten... 13 13 0 34

S Liptrot... 12 11 1 31

I Salisbury... 14 12 2 30

M Bushby... 13 11 2 30

L Fairclough... 12 10 2 28

P Williams... 11 10 1 27

A Baldwin... 14 10 4 25

A Haywood... 13 9 4 24

D Smith... 14 9 5 24

W Merrick... 14 8 6 24

P Rawlinson... 13 9 4 23

M Daniels... 14 9 5 23

B Jones... 10 8 2 22

D Daniels... 11 8 3 22

T Cross... 14 6 8 21

Men's Section Two

J Ainscow... 15 12 3 37

S Cunningham... 14 14 0 36

M Ainscow... 13 11 2 30

J Silcock... 14 11 3 29

P Sutcliffe... 14 10 4 26

S Cook... 13 11 2 25

A Butler... 14 9 5 25

T Stephens... 12 9 3 24

J Fletcher... 12 9 3 24

D Trippier... 12 9 3 24

A Northrop... 12 8 4 24

G Nicholson... 13 7 6 22

M Shields... 12 8 4 21

S Jones... 10 7 3 21

B Fitzharris... 13 7 6 21

Men's Section Three

K Breen... 13 11 2 32

G Crook... 12 10 2 28

A Shaw... 12 10 2 28

P Hunt... 13 10 3 27

D Kenyon... 13 9 4 27

S Brindle... 13 10 3 26

F Smith... 11 9 2 26

C Jackson... 14 9 5 25

D Smith... 13 8 5 24

A Malloy... 12 9 3 23

S Andrunsyn... 12 9 3 23

L Smith... 9 9 0 22

J Watson... 11 9 2 22

D Smith... 10 8 2 21

M Sheehy... 11 7 4 21

Men's Section Four

C Mosscrop... 13 13 0 36

A Massey... 13 12 1 31

D Shaw... 14 12 2 31

C Birch... 12 11 1 31

D Jackson... 14 11 3 30

C Barker... 11 10 1 29

P Conroy... 12 10 2 27

B Thomasson... 15 9 6 26

B Curley... 13 8 5 25

J Thornley... 12 10 2 24

E Bowker... 8 8 0 24

D Woolley... 14 8 6 23

R Taylor... 13 7 6 23

J Conroy... 11 7 4 22

C Andrew... 10 9 1 21

Ladies' Section One

E Wareing... 14 13 1 35

D Shaw... 12 11 1 33

J Nuttall... 14 12 2 31

J Williams... 14 11 3 31

C Bates... 13 11 2 30

A Smith... 14 10 4 30

S Holden... 15 10 5 30

D Lee... 14 11 3 29

E Holden... 15 8 7 27

M Godfrey... 13 10 3 25

Y Reid... 14 10 4 25

K Smith... 12 9 3 25

J Davenport... 13 8 5 25

W Harrison... 13 10 3 24

D Worrall... 14 10 4 24

Ladies' Section Two

M Hall... 14 11 3 30

K Ormrod... 14 10 4 30

D Leece... 13 11 2 29

A Batey... 13 11 2 29

D Howarth... 13 11 2 27

G Whitehead... 13 10 3 27

J Partington... 14 10 4 27

J Law... 14 10 4 25

B Bowcock... 13 7 6 25

S Fearns... 14 9 5 23

B Kennedy... 14 9 5 23

S Kinsella... 14 5 9 22

A Hargreaves... 13 7 6 21

E Clutton... 14 7 7 21

L Kinsella... 14 7 7 21

Ladies' Section Three

J Halton... 15 12 3 33

L Ashworth... 15 10 5 31

R Heaton... 15 10 5 30

S Perks... 14 10 4 29

J Simpson... 14 11 3 28

S Ryder... 13 12 1 27

J Smith... 15 10 5 27

C McGuffie ... 14 11 3 26

T Giblin... 15 10 5 26

L Shaw... 15 8 7 25

P Roberts... 15 9 6 24

E Hilton... 14 8 6 24

M Walmsley... 15 8 7 24

C Gibbons... 11 9 2 23

J Rushton... 12 8 4 23

Ladies' Section Four

T Harrison 15 12 3 30

K McGuire 13 11 2 30

S Bromiley 13 11 2 29

S Smallshaw 14 12 2 27

T Bower 13 10 3 27

S Kingston 12 9 3 27

D Lowe 14 8 6 27

B McArthy 12 10 2 26

C Bolton 14 9 5 26

B Aspinall 14 9 5 25

S Hart 13 8 5 25

B Vining 11 8 3 24

A-M Beaulieu 13 9 4 23

M Gallagher 13 9 4 22

S Duckworth 12 8 4 22