Second final in three days for Bradford darts ace Joe Cullen - but former world champion Raymond Van Barneveld grabs the glory
Bradford’s Joe Cullen reached his second final in three days, but was pipped by five-time world champion Raymond Van Barneveld at darts’ Players Championship Three in Bolton.
Cullen won the last Players’ Championship of 2020 and the first of this year and was on course for another success when he took three of the first four legs.
But his Dutch opponent, who recently regained a PDC Tour Card after coming out of retirement, hit back to win 8-6.
"Joe played amazing in the final, he is a class player and I knew I had to take my chances,” Van Barneveld said of his in-form opponent.
Cullen’s first three legs were won in 13 darts, but Van Barneveld replied to square the final at 4-4 and then went 7-6 ahead.
Cullen squandered seven double attempts to force a last-leg decider, allowing Van Barneveld to eventually find a match-winning double three at the seventh attempt to clinch glory.