The commentators were talking up Mervyn King from the word go but Brendan Dolan could not have cared less.
They talked about him taking this one, they even talked about him making it to the final but before they got carried away about their own English man, they should have first considered that he’d have to get through Fermanagh’s finest Brendan Dolan to get there and when the history maker is darting like he has been this last week, that’s one hell of a task.
The Belcoo bullet bombed out to his iconic walk-on-tune, Shipping up to Boston and he looked as serene and as at ease with himself as he had been in the last two rounds.
And when he’s looking like that, confidence isn’t hard to come by, even for the hopeful onlooker.
19th seed must have known Mervyn King was in for it.
To his credit, he settled into things very quickly taking the first leg of the match, but that was no more than a false dawn. Dolan lined him up and broke him and he had the first set to his name after four legs, four snappy, business like legs and he walked off the stage pointing his head as if to say this is only the start.
It was only the start.
Great start from Brendan Dolan as he takes the opening set 3-1 to lead this tie. #WHDarts pic.twitter.com/lrSMiUrrJc
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 23, 2018
Because Dolan was about to ramp it up again.
King, who has a history of crying off with back injuries began wincing with the darts going against him. Many darts fans weren’t buying it though, they’d seen this type of thing from him before.
Here we go again with the phantom back issue for Mervyn King. Strange how he seems to be ok when he is winning
— Sports Dad (@Paulo3207155835) December 23, 2018
Right on cue Mervyn King pulls his pain face and holds the back 🙄
— Pro Football Agent (@UKPro) December 23, 2018
Then Dolan took the second set, closing out with a steely double four and he was in the driving seat in this one.
King though, wasn’t having it and leaving the stage, he muttered “he can’t play like that anymore” according to the PDC Darts Twitter page.
DOLAN 2️⃣ – 0️⃣ KING
SET! Brendan Dolan goes two ahead in this one, and King mutters that "he can't play like that anymore" as he leaves the stage. #WHDarts pic.twitter.com/w1iPpuacxo
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 23, 2018
Initially, he looked to be spot on with his prediction. Dolan tightened up a little, missed a couple of doubles and King took the net set, and the next one again.
ALL SQUARE!
Mervyn King has improved here to level this game up at 2-2.#WHDarts pic.twitter.com/ru3g4Inlk0
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 23, 2018
This one was going to go the whole way but Dolan had more in him and he took the fifth set of the day with a clutch double eight on his last dart.
Come on Brendan you absolute beauty #OneMoreSet https://t.co/JV7rpzDhtD
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 23, 2018
And he took the game in the sixth, shutting King out of it and finishing it off ruthlessly. The 46-year-old into the fourth round for the first time ever.
DOLAN WINS | The History Maker knocks out Merv King 4-2.
How far can Brendan go this year…?#WHDarts pic.twitter.com/XIj9oHmNEm
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 23, 2018
All of this from a man who once kicked a left footed sideline kick off the ground in the swirling wind to beat Aughdrumsee by a point in a Div 2 league match up in Fermanagh.
Belcoo man Brendan Dolan now on the oche at the @OfficialPDC darts. He once scored last-min left footed sideline kick off the ground in swirling wind to beat Aughdrumsee by a point in a Div 2 league match. He wasn't even the free taker. Now that's history making.
— Declan McKenna (@fastpictureshow) December 23, 2018
Some man he is.
