Darts: Champion takes last chance to reach final
Current champion Glen Moody was among those still battling for a final place in the last qualifying round of the Mark Williams Memorial Tournament.
Moody would be in the shake-up at the end of the night at Bedlington WMC, along with Ashington’s John Young, Tony Wood and John Stevenson.
Young came through a stiff test against Adam Young before getting the better of Graeme Stoddart and then Keith Wright in a hotly-contested semi-final.
Stevenson would face Young in the final of this half of the draw, Stevenson taking his chances against Milton Anderson and claiming good wins against Alan George and Micky Luke.
This gave him the chance to take the spoils against Moody – and the Scot duly obliged to set up his final with Young. Wood started his campaign with victory against Rob Stanley and Paul Bell.
He was then involved in a tight encounter with Ashington’s Ian Dawson before getting past his semi-final opponent Robbie Parker to set up the second final of the night against Moody.
Moody had overcame the efforts of Mary Moore, Keith Wright, Graham Begbie and Billy Moore in the last four for the chance to face Wood.
Stevenson and Young got the first of the finals underway, with Stevenson taking the initiative with a 180, 100 and an 82 checkout in an 18-dart leg.
Two 140 scores in the next leg saw him go further ahead with a 19-dart leg, and he completed the victory with scores of 100, 100, 140 and an 89 in a 20-dart game to put him into the finals night line-up on August 27.
The pressure turned now to Moody and Wood – and it would be Moody who celebrated a 15-dart first-leg victory with scores of 83, 92, 137 and a devastating treble 20, treble 18, double 16 and a 146 checkout.
Moody followed this up with a second leg containing shots of 180, 137, 100, 44 and double top in a 13-dart game and secured the chance to defend his title on finals night with scores of 100, 68, 100 and 100, in a winning 18-dart leg.
Joining Moody on finals night will be John Stevenson, Gordon Dobey, Tony Eccles, Harry Todman, Dave Gradwell, Gary Robson, Alan Davie, Paul Knighton, Paul Jennings, Phil Borthwick, Davy Dodds, John Watson, Arthur Dobey, Davy Prins and Glen Durant.
Tomorrow night sees the non- qualifiers competition for anyone who has played in the eight qualifying rounds without success (7.30 registration for an 8.00 start).
The latest round of the Ian Whillis Memorial Competition was hosted by Bedlington Station WMC.
Players were looking to gain a finals night place on August 24 – with the chance of pocketing an estimated £1,400 prize money, the winner being guaranteed £600.
The two qualifiers were Birtley’s Phil Borthwick and Bedlington’s Jamie Martin.
Borthwick had to be at his best in an exciting semi-final encounter with Darren Shields and then defeated Glen Scott in his final.
Martin and Mark McCann would contest the other final – which went Martin’s way by four legs to one.
Story By: Chronicle Live