Hankey counts himself lucky

The Count only just managed to hold off a rousing comeback from a valiant O'Shea, who refused to surrender and fought back from 6-4 to down level at 6-6.

Hankey inexplicably missed a fat 12 at 2-1 up in the 11th set, which would have set up a double top finish for the match, and O'Shea levelled before holding his throw to make it 6-5.

The Count missed another double for the title when 2-0 up in the next set and six more darts went begging at 2-2 as O'Shea levelled the match.
But Hankey finally took out double 10 at the second attempt to win the deciding set 3-1 and regain the title he last won in 2000.

He told BBC2: "I had so many chances to win it. I missed double top and double 10 I think. I thought I ain't going to win this.

"I kept missing and I thought that I'm done here. Tony played so well.

"I am over the moon, but this guy's time will come. I am sorry I beat him, but I am glad a I am world champion."

Victory marks a dramatic reversal of fortunes for Hankey, who was heckled by sections of the crowd in the 2008 World Championship and even threatened to retire after he was knocked out in the quarter-finals.

O'Shea struggled for consistency after winning the first set of the match and was always playing catch-up after going in 4-2 behind at the break.

But the Silverback's game started to come together after the interval and, after dropping the opening leg of the seventh set, levelled it up with a 14-dart finish and rattled off the next two legs as Hankey started to suddenly look shaky on the doubles.

A 13-dart opening leg gave a rejuvenated O'Shea the advantage in the next set, but Hankey, the sweat visible on his brow, dug deep to halt the shift in momentum and move 5-3 ahead.

O'Shea, though, would simply not lie down and he shot another 14 darter in the decisive fifth leg of the ninth set to close the gap again at 5-4.
Despite taking the game to a 13th set, the 47-year-old felt his poor form early on had given him too big a mountain to climb.

"I don't know what was happening in the first six sets," he said. "Ted looked like he was going to romp it. I give it a good go after the break. I hope everybody got there money's worth.

"I always seemed to be chasing. (But) I never give up. Even if I was 6-0 down I would never give up."