MARTIN ADAMS 5 v ROBERT THORNTON 4

Defending champ Martin Adams turned the screw to topple tournament sensation Scot Robert “The Thorn” Thornton 5-4 in a 114 minute thriller. Wolfie’s fans howled in delight as Adams twice battled back from behind to keep a tight grip on the trophy he regards so highly.

But he was forced to feature in one of the most exciting matches at the Lakeside by the brave man from the north of the border who has endeared himself to fans this week. It was entertainment with a capital “e” 15 180s, several 100 plus checkouts and an 11-dart finish.

Scot Thornton made a perfect start to the match blasting in maximums in each of the first two legs and then clinching the third – and set – with double 10 after Wolfie missed three attempts for double 12. The Scot started how he left off in the next, Adams levelling with an impressive 121 checkout finished on bull and a 180 steered him to the third. “The Thorn” replied with an 11-darter, including two 180s and finished on double 18 but then missed bull in the next, Adams levelling the match with double eight.

"The Thorn" lost the opening leg of the next but battling back to lead 2-1 despite a maximum from Adams. The Scot then missed bull for the set, Adams nervously levelling with is third throw for a double after narrowly wiring double 12 for a 101 exit. The deciding leg saw Thornton miss three attempts for double 18, Adams suffering a bounce-out while going for bull and his opponent gratefully taking double nine for a 2-1 match lead.

Pure brilliance from the defending champion saw him level the match in the next set. Thornton broke the throw, moved 2-1 in front but then missed four darts for the fourth set, Adams levelling with a 103 finish. A 180 steered “The Thorn” ahead in the fifth leg but he missed double 14, Wolfie pouncing to finish 80 on double tops. The world champ scooped the next unchallenged, completing the rout on eye-catching 116, Adams then proving to be a real thorn in the Scotsman’s side taking the sixth set 3-2 after twice trailing.
Two 180s from The Thorn saw him annex the seventh 3-1, taking the match to a tantalising 4-3 in favour of the defending world champ.

Legs were exchanged in the eighth, Adams levelling the fourth leg to take it into a tense deciding leg, with a remarkable set-winning finish produced from the Scot of 120 – treble 20, double tops, double 10! Adams twice led the deciding ninth set leaving himself 16 in the fourth leg, Thornton hitting two treble 20s, suffering anguish as his third dart missed double 19 by the width of a wire for a match-saving 158 finish. The world champ with his familiar trembling hand missed double eight but howled in delight as his second pierced the double four segment.

Adams declared after his last gasp win: ”Lakeside would not be Lakeside if I did not have a close match!
“The crowd got a bit carried away at one stage and one fan made a wolf howl when I was throwing for a crucial double 10 in the eighth set. I’m sure his mates jumped on him and gagged him! The boys and girls out in the crowd got really excited but they should know better than to shout when we are throwing
for a double because this is the important bit.
 

 
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