Darts: Graham’s fortunes change in stunning quarter-final contest

BATTLING Graham Anderson pulled off a stunning quarter-final comeback as he secured the Airdrie & District Darts League singles’ championship.

The Fourways star was heading for the exit door as he trailed Stuart Tinto 2-0 in their last eight clash.

But the Newarthill arrower responded with two maximum 180s as he turned the match on its head and booked a place in the semi-finals.

Anderson won three legs in a row, two of them in 16 darts and one in 15, to advance in the competition and halt Tinto’s progress.

The 46-year-old then dismissed Alec Stewart 3-0 in the semis before defeating The Swan’s top performer Jim Parker in a thrilling final to win the silverware.

He said: "It was a great night of darts and I am delighted to be the champion again after last winning in 2006.

"The competition was tough throughout the night but I felt I had a right good chance of winning the singles when I came back to beat Stuart."

Parker reached the final hurdle after seeing off Mick Burke 3-0 in the quarter-finals and beating Robert Townsend 3-1 in the last four.

It was Anderson who made the better start as he won the first leg in 18 darts but Parker levelled with a maximum in a 17-dart success.

The contest swung back in Anderson’s favour but his opponent refused to be beaten and claimed a nervy fourth leg.

Parker was favourite to close the deal, but a missed double chance proved costly as Anderson made no mistake to win the title for a third time.

THE Workmen’s B duo of Scott Gibb and Gerry Brown took the honours in the doubles’ championship after surviving the challenge of Robert Townsend and Jim McGeary.

Ged Baillie and Gordon Jackson were the first pairing to be beaten by the young aces who then won against Derek Cunningham and Anderson despite trailing twice.

Gibb and Brown were on easy street as they stormed into a 2-0 lead thanks to 17 and 15-dart victories but Townsend and McGeary showed their quality with two 18-dart triumphs.

With double one remaining, the pressure was all on Gibb in the final leg, but his last dart slammed into the middle of the bed to send the home fans wild.

FOURWAYS reigned in all of three of the team events, dropping just two legs in the process.

McGeary, Anderson and Cunningham totally outgunned Workmen’s B as they cruised to a 2-0 win in the three-man competition.

The Swan were next to feel the force of the league champions with Anderson, Tinto, Townsend and McGeary earning a comfortable four-man event victory.

And Cunningham re-joined his side in time to help them see off The Swan again in the five-man competition.

Results from the league’s finals night were as follows:

Singles’ championship: Quarter-finals: Parker 3 Burke 0; Townsend 3 Quinn 0; Stewart 3 White 0; Tinto 2 Anderson 3.

Semi-finals: Parker 3 Townsend 1; Stewart 0 Anderson 3.

Final: Parker 2 Anderson 3.

Doubles’ championship: Quarter-finals: Fairlie/Queen 1 Farmery/Stanfield 3; Mooney/McCreadie 0 Townsend/McGeary 3; Gibb/Brown 3 Baillie/Jackson 1; Wood/Davy Cunningham 1 Derek Cunningham/Anderson 3.

Semi-finals: Farmery/Stanfield 0 Townsend/McGeary 3; Gibb/Brown 3 Cunningham/Anderson 2.

Final: Gibb/Brown 3 Townsend/McGeary 2.

Three-man team competition final: Fourways 2 Workmen’s B 0.

Four-man team competition final: Fourways 4 The Swan 1.