Fermanagh’s Brendan Dolan has qualified for the last sixteen of the World Darts Championship.
The Belcoo man pulled off a big shock on Thursday night, when he defeated 2021 Champion Gerwyn Price 4-2 at the Alexandra Palace.
Dolan’s victory sees him through to the next round of the competition, where he will take on either Gary Anderson or Boris Krcmar.
The 50-year-old sealed the victory with his first shot at tops, having taken out some big finishes throughout the game, including a 144 to take the first set.
Three years ago, Price beat Dolan in a sudden death leg in the third round but the Northern Irishman turned the tables this time around, and he said afterwards that he’s ‘here to win’ the tournament outright.
“I’m just buzzing at the minute. I’m feeling over the moon,” said Dolan.
Sweet Revenge 😈
Brendan Dolan on beating Gerwyn Price on the same stage he lost to the Welshman 3 years ago 🎯 pic.twitter.com/kzC7h6sVXJ
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) December 28, 2023
“It feels brilliant. To beat someone like Gerwyn is unreal.
“As far as I’m concerned, him, Gary Anderson and Luke Humphries has stood out this year from their performances. I knew it was going to be a tough battle.
“Gerwyn didn’t play as well as he could have.
“He gave me a set early on, missing a few doubles. That was crucial and it gave me the idea that ‘maybe this was for me.'”
“I’m in the last sixteen. I haven’t got that far too often before and it is major, but I want to win, and I’m here to win. I know it’s going to be a battle to get there, but as I’ve shown so far, I’m here to fight.”
Dolan says that he has the ‘utmost respect’ for his opponent Price, who was booed at certain stages during the game.
“For me, against Gezzy, I’ve played him a couple of times and that’s the worst it has been. At certain stages there, when he was going for doubles at the end, the booing and that there was not on, and it shouldn’t have happened. And yet, he took out 81 and 76, it was just pure class from him.”
Price wrote on Instagram that he was ‘gutted’ after the game.
“Absolutely gutted with the chances I gave away tonight, trying too hard and beating myself up,”
“Just wanna say how much I appreciate the crowd that got behind me, just couldn’t get a flow and Brendan took out every chance I have him, well done to him and hopefully I’ll learn from this. But once again thank you.”
Dolan will find out his next opponent today, and he says it will be all about performing on the day.’
“It doesn’t get any easier. But it’s about performing on the day. Whatever’s happened in the past has no bearing on it. I’ve spent 15 years trying up there, so it’s nothing new to me.”
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