Darts News - Alan Towe’s The Line On Darts (Midland Open)
The prestigious Midland Open title, plus the £1,000 top prize this year went to Lancashire county player Steve Bunting. The current WDF World top player Bunting took on fellow Lancashire and former Warwickshire county player Mark McGeeney in the final, which he won by 6-2, giving McGeeney a pay day of £400.Many famous names fell by the wayside in the earlier rounds of the competition, Dennis Smith making his exit in the preliminary rounds as he lost 4-3 to England International Jamie Hughes. Two Tipton super league players were drawn together in the first round proper, Tom Aldridge losing out 4-0 to Ian Jones in what was a stunning game. Colin Osbourne was a 5-3 casualty in the quarter finals losing 5-3 to the eventual champion, Bunting then going on to beat Steve West 5-4 in the semi’s.
McGeeney had a 5-2 win against Johnny Haines in his quarter final game, then with a similar scoreline he accounted for local hero Nigel Heydon. The two losing semi finalists each received £130, with £60 going to the quarter finalists, Jay Foreman, Colin Osbourne, Jamie Hughes and Johnny Haines. There was also £15 for each of the players going out in the last sixteen.
Deta Hedman had a great run in the men’s event making the last sixteen where she lost 5-2 to Jay Foreman. In addition to her £15 winnings in the men’s competition, she also picked up a further £80 as winner of the ladies Round Robin competition, where she beat the previous day’s winner Suzanne Smith 4-2, Suzanne adding another £40 to her already won £80.
Full Results:Preliminary Round:- Tracy Eaton 0 Josh Richardson 4, Nick Fullwell 4 Graham Hall 0, Rob Singleton 4 Paul Eggington 1, Mark Jodrill 4 Andy Beardmore 3, Martin Angell 4 Steve Beverley 3, Kevin McDine 4 Julie Robinson 0, Steve Pugh 1 Chris Aubrey 4, Colin Osbourne 4 Johnnie Bryan 0, Kevin Bambrick 4 Louise Graham 2, Jimmy Hill 4 Sam Poland 2, Martin Bowley 4 Antony Allen 2, John Elliott 1 Terry Temple 4, Jamie Hughes 4 Dennis Smith 3, James Richardson 2 Ian Jones 4, Kevin Dowling 1 Mark McGeeney 4, Simon Hicks 4 Pete Scrivener 2, Paul Redfearn 0 Mark Carter 4, Greg Dickinson 0 Johnny Haines 4, Last 64:- Steve West 4 Josh Richardson 1, Ian McFarlane 4 Pete Meyrick 1, Steve Long 3 Dan Russell 4, Nick Fullwell 4 Roy Pryor 1, Lee Moffatt 4 Rob Singleton 2, Peter Hughes 3 Deta Hedman 4, Jay Foreman 4 Phil Coward 2, Mark Jodrill 4 Chris Skeates 3, Ricky Evans 2 Martin Angell 4, Ross Macken 0 Lee Martin 4, Collette Duffield 0 Steve Bunting 4, Kevin McDine 4 Trevor Frost 1, Prakash Jiwa 4 Chris Aubrey 1, Stuart White 4 Noel Grant 2, Matthew Dicken 4 Kev Reade 0, Colin Osbourne 4 Luis Barberan 1, Steve Davis 4 Kevin Bambrick 2, Natalie Gilbert 1 Nigel Heydon 4, Chris Pretty 4 Jimmy Hill 0, Martin Bowley 1 Davonse Gibb 4, Wayne Jones 4 Terry Temple 0, Peter Wright 0 John Newland 4, Dave Sanders 0 Jon Jukes 4, Jamie Hughes 4 Dion Newman 0, Tom Aldridge 0 Ian Jones 4, Jamie Atkins 4 Tom Ryan 1, James Thompson 1 Mark McGeeney 4, Simon Hicks 4 Donna Pinch 0, Graham Manning 0 Mark Carter 4, Richard Foster 1 Tom Martin 4, Lionel Sams 4 Mark Sidgwick 0, Johnny Haines 4 Gaz Cousins 2, Last 32:- Steve West 4 Ian McFarlane 1, Dan Russell 1 Nick Fullwell 4, Lee Moffatt 0 Deta Hedman 4, Jay Foreman 4 Mark Jodrill 3, Martin Angell 0 Lee Martin 4, Steve Bunting 4 Kevin McDine 0, Prakash Jiwa 4 Stuart White 2, Matthew Dicken 3 Colin Osbourne 4, Steve Davis 0 Nigel Heydon 4, Chris Pretty 2 Davonse Gibb 4, Wayne Jones 1 John Newland 4, Jon Jukes 0 Jamie Hughes 4, Ian Jones 4 Jamie Atkins 0, Mark McGeeney 4 Simon Hicks 1, Mark Carter 4 Tom Martin 3, Lionel Sams 0 Johnny Haines 4, Last 16:- Steve West 5 Nick Fullwell 3, Deta Hedman 2 Jay Foreman 5, Lee Martin 0 Steve Bunting 5, Prakash Jiwa 3 Colin Osbourne 5, Nigel Heydon 5 Davonse Gibb 2, John Newland 3 Jamie Hughes 5, Ian Jones 0 Mark McGeeney 5, Mark Carter 0 Johnny Haines 5, Quarter Finals:- Steve West 5 Jay Foreman 3, Steve Bunting 5 Colin Osbourne 3, Nigel Heydon 5 Jamie Hughes 3, Mark McGeeney 5 Johnny Haines 2, Semi Finals:- Steve West 4 Steve Bunting 5, Nigel Heydon 2 Mark McGeeney 5, Final:- Steve Bunting 6 Mark McGeeney 2.