Wayne Jones out of Players Championship
Wolverhampton's Wayne Jones let a 3-1 lead slip to lose a last leg decider to Brendan Dolan in the first round of the televised Players Championship finals.
'The Wanderer' surged ahead before paying the price for missed doubles, only converting five out of 23 out-shots despite averaging 94.30 in a 6-5 defeat.
It was first blood to Dolan at Butlins in Minehead, live on ITV4, after he converted a second dart at double 16 to take the first leg yesterday afternoon.
Working down from 177, Jones needed three trips to the board before landing double eight to level, rendering a maximum from Dolan pointless with double five to win the third leg.
A maximum of his own was tempered by two missed darts at double 12, Dolan sneaking in to check out 44 with a second dart at double 16 to pull it back to 3-2.
A relatively straightforward 20 for Jones went awry when he fluffed two arrows at 10 and one at 5, Dolan restoring parity with his second darts at double top.
Another 180 from Jones pushed Dolan into another three-figure checkout to re-take the lead 4-3, on double 17 from 106.
An error-strewn eighth leg saw both players skew numerous chances at a double with Jones ending up in the mad house, landing one and then the double at the second attempt to make it 4-4.
Dolan nudged again on double eight in the next leg before a clinical dart from Jones, his first at double 18, took the game into the last leg.
A third maximum from Jones put Dolan under pressure, before the Irishman cleaned up with 126 and a bull finish to progress into the second round.
