Nine dart start for Mansell

MICKEY Mansell enjoyed an up and down start to the 2024 PDC season in Wigan last week when he reached the last-16 of Player Championship 1, recording a fifth nine-darter in the process.

The Clonoe Cyclone started his campaign with a 6-2 victory over Josh Payne before ousting Krzysztop Ratajski by the same margin, recording that stunning nine dart leg in the process.

He then saw off fellow Northern Irish player, Daryl Gurney 6-5 in the last-32 but lost 6-5 to Nick Kenny in the next round.

The following day, in Players Championship 2, he unfortunately suffered a last-128 defeat to number three seed Damon Heta by 6-2, but last Wednesday he returned to form in the first of two European Tour qualifying events played on the one day, which was a new experience for the Tyrone thrower.

Despite the length of the day at the oche, he beat Geert Nentjes 6-0 and Madars Ramza by the same scoreline before losing 6-2 to Luke Woodhouse in the quarter-final of the first event, while in the second he saw off Joshua Richardson 6-2 but lost 6-4 to Stephen Burton in the next round.

“I definitely had a good start,” acknowledged Mansell, who admits he was struggling for form during the warm-up on Monday. “I was delighted with the nine-darter, it’s the fifth one I have on the PDC.

“It was a bit strange because when I was practising I didn’t hit a 180 the whole morning. Normally I’d hit 15 or 20 180s during morning practice, but I hit none at all the whole morning so going into the first game I was a bit anxious.

“But the first leg I started 180, 180, treble 20 and missed treble 19, so the next thing it just kicked on and I played very well after that. I knew I was playing well to give myself the opportunity after that and thankfully the nine darter came in the second game.

“They’re nice to get, but they are still just a leg of darts – if I could get six in a row it would make things a lot easier!”

Coalisland’s Nathan Rafferty was also in action last week. On Monday he endured a thrilling run to the last-32 when every game he played finished in a 6-5 scoreline. He beat George Killington and Danny Noppert by the narrowest of margins before battling back from 4-1 down before losing to Nathan Aspinall by the same margin.

On Tuesday, like Mansell, he suffered a first round exit, losing 6-5 to William Borland. A 141 finish put Rafferty 3-1 ahead, and a 78 kill gave him a three-leg advantage.

Borland rallied to level with an 84 finish, but an 11-darter on 86 put Rafferty back in front, only for a 70 from Willie to force a final leg, where both missed a match dart before Borland pinned double nine.

The two Tyrone men will be back in action again this week at Players Championship 3 and 4, after which there will be two more European Tour event qualifiers.