CLACTON produced a lacklustre performance at last year’s Essex Superleague B division champions Chelmsford and slumped to a 7-5 defeat.

With Curtis Hammond away competing on a PDC Pro Tour event and Nic Groves also missing, Alan Currivan was handed his first appearance of the season.

The match didn’t get off to a great start for Clacton as Wayne Bloomfield (24.05) and Andrew Currivan (22.44, comb 23.31) lost against Simon Monk (27.37) and Mark Chapman (26.72, comb 27.05).

Coen Wiekamp (32.05) and Eddie Keary (20.00, comb 26.34) levelled with a victory against Andrew Kateley (27.57) and Senan Corry (22.78, comb 25.36).

Adrian Genery (22.57) and Keith Farthing (27.74, comb 25.03) produced a solid performance to give Clacton a 2-1 lead as they defeated Matt Garrett (24.57) and Mel Sylvester (20.89, comb 22.87).

The last pairs game saw Alan Currivan (17.52) and James Wilson (21.83, comb 19.55) have 12 darts to win the game from 42 but lose out to Des Vickers (20.74) and Harry Smith (16.33, comb 18.54).

Genery (20.22) struggled to find his range in the opening singles game, losing 3-1 against former Essex man Vickers (23.53).

Farthing (23.41) found Essex player Kateley (26.37) in good form and it was the latter who prevailed a 3-0 winner, also hitting a 171.

Andrew Currivan (22.41) was up against the unbeaten Monk (22.43).

He raced into a 2-0 lead and then hit a maximum 180 in the third leg before missing six clear darts at the double to win 3-0.

Monk stepped in to check out 74 and give himself a lifeline, before levelling with an 84 finish on the bull.

Currivan missed another five match-winning darts at the double in the deciding leg as Monk completed the comeback to win 3-2.

Wilson (24.27) was up against Essex man Garrett (26.84).

He started the match with a 180 and was rampant, winning 3-0.

Wiekamp (22.95) went all the way against Jason Vickers (20.43).

However, he pulled out a 15-dart last leg to claim a 3-2 victory and stop the rot for Clacton.

Bloomfield (24.64) carried on the momentum with another impressive man-of-the-match display, hitting two maximum 180s and a 117 finish on his way to a 3-0 victory against Corry (20.77).

Alan Currivan (20.53), making his first appearance of the season, started poorly as he found himself 2-0 down against Chapman (23.77) and the Chelmsford man missed match darts to win 3-0.

Currivan pulled a leg back and then levelled the game at 2-2 with a 17-dart leg, but, after a high-scoring last leg, Chapman finished in 14 darts to claim a 3-2 victory.

Keary (23.25) was also involved in a five-leg match against Sylvester (21.47).

However, he kept his cool and made sure of a 3-2 victory.