| Darts 2004 report |
HOME!!! 18 players lined up for Darts 2004 on 31 January 2004 at the superb Walsh Road venue. Every player competing had played before in previous events so there was a great edge to many of the matches. Here's the report of yet another brilliant and memorable tournament. IRON CURTAIN SHOVELLED DOWN BY CONROY BARRY CONROY 2 SERGUEI SEMIKHATOV 0 Barry Conroy inflicted another defeat on his business rival Semikhatov as he kicked off Darts 2004 with an impressive win. Semikhtov didn't let himself down with good scoring and an honest display but Conroy continued his dominance over the Russian by grabbing a good checkout in the first leg, followed by grinding out a double 9 in leg 2. Agony for Semikhatov as the first man out as Conroy's taunts filled the arena. REVENGE FOR DRUID IN BATTLE OF BROTHERS JAMES HENRY 2 TOM HENRY 0 A massively spiced up bout saw the two brothers clash at the oche for the first time since 1997, in front of a packed arena. Tom, having jetted in from London shaped up well on the oche but had no answer to James' massive scores. The younger Henry having jetted in from the Canaries soon checked out in leg 1, and continued his dominance in leg 2 with a great 29 finish. Revenge for 97 for James but nothing but magnaminous best wishes from the 97 king of Darts. MARSHALL SNEAKS PAST VON RYAN EXPRESS DENIS REILLY 2 PA RYAN 1 Ryan's best performance in years saw him run the Marshall all the way in this brilliant clash. Reilly dominated the first leg and took a great checkout on 43 with Ryan floundering, and in the second leg Reilly looked to be coasting until Ryan nipped in with a brilliant 53 checkout, to stun the crowd. The third leg was a tense affair with both players missing the doubles by millimetres. In the end a shootout was called and it was the Marshall who took the match in spite of Ryan's brave challenge. LOOBY DESTROYS REILLY JOHN LOOBY 2 COLM REILLY 0 John Looby advanced to the quarters after a match he truly dominated as Colm Reilly never really got going. Looby was well ahead on scores in the first when he grabbed an impressive 53 checkout. The second leg saw Reilly put up some resistance but was all over when Looby grabbed a quick double 5 to finish. A good performance from Looby but a disappointing show from Reilly the younger. MAD DOG QUENCHES HALL FIRE COLM O'DONNELL 2 GREGOR HALL 1 The arena was packed to see the tie of the round as the reigning champ returned to the oche to take on Gregor Hall who reached the semi finals in 2003. Hall outscored O'Donnell in the first leg but the champ showed his class with a superb 74 checkout. However some lax play by Mad Dog in the second gave Hall enough time to tie up the match with a double one finish. A gripping third leg saw the King of Darts come from behind to grab a finish to win a fine match. Disappointment for Hall but a good start for the reigning champ. MINISTER LEGISLATES BAD NEWS FOR JOHNSON GARY CORCORAN 2 BARNEY JOHNSON 0 Two Darts veterans with 12 tournament appearances between them stepped up for a tense clash. Bad News Johnson and the Minister stayed neck and neck all the way in the first with Corcoran eventually grabbing a double 2 checkout. The second leg saw better scoring but the match's one true piece of class came with Corcoran grabbing a massive 76 checkout to ensure another year of agony for Johnson. Johnson was devastated to be out but even more so at having been destroyed. DOHENY TAKES SMILE OFF ELLIS' FACE DAVE DOHENY 2 MARK ELLIS 0 Ellis was determined to have a better finish to Darts 2004 as he ended the previous year in hospital with head injuries. But it was Doheny who used his experience to grab this one. A poor first leg saw the two men stuck on double one for an eternity before Doheny split the double. The second leg saw the scoring improve greatly from both men with Doheny's 125 a highlight, before the popular Monk rammed home a double one. DARTS HELL FOR SPECTATORS BARRY CONROY 2 CHRIS PLOCKERMANN 1 Only those who were at Darts 97 were able to confirm that this match was in fact the worst match in the history of the genre, surpassing even the Guinan v Styles of that year. The scoring was about average in the first match but the checking out time for the first leg took longer that most of the other previous matches in total. Conroy clinched the first leg by two on a shootout, before an interminable second leg was eventually finished by "Monty's Pass" Plockermann winning the shootout. An even longer third leg clinched on another shootout by Conroy was enough for Styles and Guinan to be vindicated. FAY TOO STRONG FOR HOUSEWIVES' FAVOURITE BRENDAN FAY 2 JIMMY STYLES 0 While Jimmy Styles goes another year looking for his first darts win, he played his part in a cracker. Fay's "honest darts" policy was a new methodology to be tried out in the event and altough Styles went neck and neck with the Cavan hardman for the first leg, it was Fay who snatched the first on a double 5. The second leg saw Fay storm ahead with Styles bravely trying to keep in touch before Fay sank home another clinical finish. DRUID SIGNS MAGNA DARTA FOR O'REGAN JAMES HENRY 2 DECLAN O'REGAN 1 James "the Druid" Henry was given a tough test by Declan O'Regan, one of the most underrated players at the event. A strong scoring first leg was finished off by Henry with a fine double sixteen with O'Regan looming. The second leg was dominated by O'Regan who lashed home some massive scores followed by a cool double 15. But it was neck and neck all the way in a great third leg where Henry just closed out a double one in the nick of time. One of the best matches of the day. DOHENY SMASHES MINISTER'S CABINET SEAT DAVE DOHENY 2 GARY CORCORAN 0 Doheny booked his place in the semi finals for the first time in four years with a convincing win as he destroyed Gary Corcoran. The first leg was a tame affair with Doheny popping in for a great double 16 checkout while the Minister was floundering. The second leg was stodgy enough with Doheny this time stuck on the doubles for a long while allowing Corcoran to catch up but fail to finish. Doheny won the leg well on the shootout to roll into the semis. DRUID DESTROYS CONROY JAMES HENRY 2 BARRY CONROY 0 James Henry put up a fine performance to destroy Barry Conroy in a fine match. Henry continued his good form but Conroy thankfully raised his game and kept in touch with the druid in the first, before the Mayo cad grabbed a tricky double three. The second leg was equally close but Henry's poise on the double gave him victory. Henry's first appearance in the semi finals since 1997 was fully deserved. FAY TRIUMPHES IN BATTLE OF BARMEN BRENDAN FAY 2 DENIS REILLY 1 An epic clash in Walsh Road as Brendan Fay announced his arrival on the darts A-list. Reilly was cautious of Fay's "honest darts" methods but was able to take the first leg on double 4 after some fast scoring exchanges. The second leg was more tense with both players stuck on "bad numbers" before Fay saved the leg from a shootout with a tricky double three finish. The third leg was a brawl as Fay kept up the pressure on the Marshall resulting in both men failing to get the double. On the shootout a clinical 60 from Fay on three darts was enough to dump out the 2002 champ and park into the semis. MAD DOG GRINDS OUT WIN OVER LOOBY COLM O'DONNELL 2 JOHN LOOBY 1 Looby and O'Donnell clashed in the last quarter final but sadly both players were showing little of their earlier form. Looby looking tired and emotional struggled to stay near Mad Dog in a tedious first leg. Both players were on single figures when O'Donnell eventually checked out having been over 100 points ahead for most of the leg. The second leg was a dire affair marred by slow play with neither player able to finish. An amazing shootout followed. As O'Donnell was looking good for a semi final spot and Looby needing 90, the latter snatched a treble 20 on his final dart to get the required score. Both players upped their game in the decider but O'Donnell shot the double 13 to return to the semis. DRUID STEPS UP FOR FINAL PLACE JAMES HENRY 2 DAVE DOHENY 0 Henry and Doheny served up a classic played a a blistering pace although Doheny had little answer in the first to Henry's massive scores. Henry's clinical play allowed him to stay ahead and check out on double 11. The second was tighter until Henry got a 101 to give him a platform to check out. Despite close shaves, Henry grabbed the double 7 that got him into the final. MAD DOG PUT DOWN BY FAY BRENDAN FAY 2 COLM O'DONNELL 1 In contrast to the other semi this was a poor affair marred by some ill-tempered moments as O'Donnell showed little of the cool composure seen in Darts 2003, as the fans only saw flashes of skill. The tense first leg petered down to a shootout which Fay clinched. The second saw O'Donnell up his game and stayed well ahead of Fay for the most but lack of composure almost cost him dear as he was forced into another shootout but this time he came out on top to take the match to a decider. However it was Fay whose honest darts methods came up with the goods clinching the third on a double on to book his place in the final. BRENDAN FAY IS CROWNED KING OF DARTS BRENDAN FAY 3 JAMES HENRY 1 Brendan Fay was crowned King of Darts as the late night fans in the arena were treated to a classic. Strong scoring from both men kicked the match off but Henry went 100 ahead and had a couple of shots at double five before Fay came from nowhere to hit double tops. The second saw Fay go into overdrive as he destroyed the Druid by posting up huge scores and checking out with Henry 200 behind. Henry however was not to go out without a fight as he stole in at the death of the third leg to hit double four. However there was little to stop Fay from clinching a famous championship victory. Even though Henry hit 120 to draw nearer to the line, Fay hit double tops again to be crowned king of Darts. |