Read more about this event in Darting News Extra - HERE-

The game was a battle from start to finish with the main points of the game being Toni finishing on bull outshots on 3 occasions whilst I was sitting on doubles.

I went 5-2 down and although I made a good late burst to the game bringing the score line to 5-4 it was not enough to stop Toni from wrapping the match up with a 6-4 score.

Toni lost to James Wade in the next game 6-0; James said to me that he knew if we played each other then I would have upped my game to our match. Although this is a good bit of feedback to myself it really annoys me because I know his statement was correct – I just need to make this happen.

The eventual winner was Phil Taylor who beat Alan Tabern 6-2 in the final.

Sunday 18^th January – Gibraltar Players Championship – Back to Basics

I spent Saturday night contemplating what I would do different for the better on Sunday and made the decision to go back to basics – in my approach to the game and all aspects.

 My first round was against Russell Mason and I knew this game was going to be a much harder game than the first round game on Saturday – Russell had only one week before defeated John Magowan (world championship qualifier) and Joe Cullen (PDC Rising star from Bradford) in the UK Open in Doncaster.

Right from the start of the match I had more confidence and despite going 0-3 down I had enough confidence and skill to push my game up a level and get back to 3-3 before lifting my game again and eventually closing out the match 6-4. I had 3 180’s an important 100 finish and hit 2 legs with opening scores of 180,100,140.

To be fair to Russell he missed doubles and deserved a result from the game but I am going to take whatever I am given at the minute with open arms!

Round 2 was against Barrie Bates (right) from Wales – Barrie was a World Championship ¼ finalist in January and on really good form at the minute so with my re-found confidence I was quite ‘up’ for the match.

We joked between ourselves before the match which we considered the match of the ‘baldies separated at birth’.

I won the off and opened up well but had 2 darts missed at the double and went 0-1 down. One dart at double 20 in the next leg was my downfall as Barrie went 2 nil up. I deservedly won the 3^rd leg but Barrie once again punished single dart misses at the double to go 4-1 up. I hit back with 140,85,79,140 and a 97 finish while Barrie was sitting on double top to ‘give him some of his own treatment’ and reduced the score to 2-4. Barrie then took the next 2 legs with me very close behind to take the match 6-2.

Barrie showed more class in his next game taking out Terry Jenkins 6-4 before losing out to Wesley Newton in the last 16. The eventual winner was Phil Taylor who beat Mark Dudbridge in the final.

Positives for the weekend 

 I have joined the British Super League Champions ‘Lord Conyers’ of Conisborough and play my first match for them on Sunday V’s Cleckheaton. I am hoping that this will improve my overall game going forward.

 Things to work on

Read more about this event in Darting News Extra - HERE-

The draw for Players Championships has changed this year and will only be visible on the day of playing after everyone has registered.

Unfortunately the Dome at Doncaster was the coldest venue I have ever played in. The heating had broken down over night and warmth in the venue was non existent. All efforts were put in to try and heat the venue up with industrial gas heaters but it was 2pm before any benefit of the heat was felt.

I drew Wayne Jones (right) in the first round and lost a disappointing match 6-0, I only had one shot at a double (in the 2^nd leg) but other than that I had less than 100 left each leg but failed to make any game of it. I was annoyed with this but the playing conditions were the same for everybody just some people can deal with it better than others.

Wayne Jones lost to Wayne Mardle in the 2^nd round and the eventual winner was Terry Jenkins who beat Mark Dudbridge in the final.

Blue Square North-East UK Open Qualifier – Doncaster Dome Sunday 11^th January 2009

 Read more about this event in Darting News Extra - HERE-

First I made 2 decisions before this day and they were to arrive later so I did not hang about in the freezing temperatures too long before playing my match and also to bring a t-shirt to wear under my darts shirt to combat the cold. Neither of these were needed as the heating problem had been sorted and the venue was perfect temperature.

 In the first round I had drawn the winner of board 13 preliminary match between Ian Eames and John Jenkinson. John won this match 6-5 and the standard was high for this match so I knew that it was not going to be an easy game.

I took a 5-0 lead and hit some great finishes to put me in this position notably in the 3^rd leg finishing 210 in 4 darts (180,d15) and 206 in 5 darts (121,T18,d16) both of these while John was sitting on doubles.

Although John came back to win 2 legs it was always going to be my game as 5 legs is too much of an uphill task for anyone and I went to hit a first dart double top to win the match 6 legs to 2.

 My 2^nd round match was against Wayne Atwood from Wales. Wayne took a 3-0 lead before I came back and took the 4^th leg. However in the next 3 legs I had a single dart at the Bullseye in every leg but hit the 25 on each occasion and Wayne went on to win 6-1.

 Wayne (right) then went on to beat John Part 6-2, Barrie Bates 6-5 and eventually losing out in the ¼ finals to Colin Lloyd who went on to win the event beating Colin Osborne in the final.

 Positives from the weekend

Next for me….

I travel to Gibraltar on Thursday with Lisa (my wife) and am looking forward to the break whilst also playing the 2 Players Championships on the Rock – one on Saturday 17^th and Sunday 18^th.

I will be working on my game for the next 3 days before we leave and I am feeling more and more confident all the time.