Victorious Dolan marches into Ally Pally quarter-final to meet teen sensation Littler

Enniskillen native bounces back in a topsy turvy last 16 clash and holds nerve to send Scotsman out at PDC World Darts Championship

Sat, 30 Dec, 2023 - 22:38

Staff

Ireland's Brendan Dolan marched into the last eight of the PDC World Darts Championship for just the second time in his career after seeing off former champion Gary Anderson in a topsy-turvy last 16 match on Saturday night.

In the opening showdown of the evening session, Enniskillen native Dolan settled immediately and raced into a two-set lead over Anderson, who had won it all at the Alexandra Palace in 2015 and 2016.

However the Scottish 21st seed found his form thereafter, reeling off five legs in a row and looking in command as Dolan, the 28th seed, struggled to rediscover the fluency on the trebles with the London crowd roaring for Anderson.

DOLAN DEFEATS ANDERSON!

Brendan Dolan has done it!

The History Maker shocks the darting world, beating Gary Anderson to reach his second World Championship quarter-final!

📺 https://t.co/f3RU9WTIoD #WCDarts | R4 pic.twitter.com/BkL9o7yulY
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 30, 2023

However Dolan, who knocked off fifth seed Gerwyn Price in the previous round dug deep and battled back to level things and in the deciding set held his nerve when Anderson couldn't do likewise, firing a double 3 to seal his first last eight berth since 2019.

"Just be brave and go for it," 50-year-old Dolan said of his mindset as he stepped up to fire the winner. "That was some game. It was really tough. I mentally collapsed when I went two-nil. I fell into a trap that Gary wasn't at it. Next thing he kicked into gear and he's ahead of me. But at least fight, make him win it.

"It's an awesome feeling. I'm there!"

Dolan now faces arguably the most daunting if unexpected challenge in the 2024 tournament in the shape of teenage sensation Luke Littler.

Littler continued his historic World Darts Championship journey by downing hero Raymond van Barneveld to reach the quarter-finals.

The 16-year-old has set the Alexandra Palace tournament alight on debut and is the youngest player ever to reach the last eight after a stunning 4-1 win.

He showed maturity and talent way beyond his tender years to get past the five-time world champion, who he used to imitate in front of the television as a three-year-old.

He peppered the treble 20 nine times and finished with an emphatic average of 105.01.

Littler, who has made the world sit up and take notice, will come back on New Year's Day for a winnable quarter-final tie against Dolan and will be dreaming of going all the way.

Life has changed immeasurably since 'The Nuke' came into the tournament on the back of winning the World Youth Championship last month.

He is now a recognisable name and has enjoyed celebrity status after bursting on to the scenes with wins over Christian Kist, Andrew Gilding and Matt Campbell.

Littler and his family received complimentary tickets to watch Arsenal in the Premier League on Thursday night, while players from his beloved Manchester United sent him good luck messages before the match.

He has catapulted himself into the mainstream and whatever happens between now and Wednesday's final, it will be Littler's journey that is the talking point of the tournament.

He was not even born when Van Barneveld won the last of his five titles.

Video footage has emerged of a three-year-old Littler copying 'Barney's' celebration and has admitted it was a dream to play him on the Ally Pally stage.

Littler enjoyed Van Barneveld's famous walk-on as much as the raucous crowd, but soon got down to business, throwing a maximum on just his second visit and raced to the first set after an 11-dart leg.

He continued to dominate and went 3-0 up before moving one leg from dreamland.

Van Barneveld made him work hard for it by winning the next leg, but nothing was going to stop the teenager in the next set as the apprentice beat the master in style.