Chizzy crushes O’Shea in dramatic 92-minute semi final

Outsider Dave Chisnall cruised into the final toppling top seed Tony O’Shea in a thrilling 92-minute thriller.

Chisnall from St Helens,  who has motored through his opponents this week in dramatic fashion moved up a gear for his all-northern clash with Stockport’s Silverback who finished runner up in the competition 12 months ago.

The Lancashire county player was in devastating form firing out 13 180s and four 100 plus checkouts including 164, the week’s highest finish, which puts him in line for a £3000 cash prize.

Despite a maximum and 95 finish for Chisnall, the opening set went with the throw, O’Shea narrowly missing double 18 for a blockbusting 156 finish, eventually going out with double four.

A 180 in the third leg of the second set steered O’Shea to double 12 for a 2-1 lead, against the throw and he then hit double four in the next to extend his lead.

Chizzy annexed the opening leg – against the throw – to lead the third. But he nervously missed five double attempts before hitting double four, both players hitting 180s before O’Shea hit double 16. Chisnall then wired double eight for a set-winning 140, Silverback swooping to level against the throw. Chisnall missed double tops for a 139 checkout and then a further three, O’Shea missing double tops for 80, Chisnall holding his nerve to clinch the set with his second bid for double 10.

Both players missed doubles before O’Shea hit double six to steal the initiative in the fourth, following up with the next. Chisnall hitting his fifth 180 and then two treble 18s and double 16 for the week’s highest checkout of 140, nicking the next on double eight after O’Shea missed a 101 finish.  Chizzy held his nerve to take the deciding fifth after notching up his sixth 180.

Silverback raced through the fifth hitting finishes of 62 and 96 and his fourth maximum to steal a 3-2 interval lead.

Refreshed from the break, the 29-year-old swept unchallenged to a 3-0 success, finishing each leg on his favourite double 18, the winning leg on a 102 checkout to again level the match.

Growing in confidence, two 180s steered Chisnall into a 2-1 set lead against the throw, a further couple of 180s paving the way for the 29-year-old St Helens man to lead the match for the first time.

He then swept through the next unchallenged as the top seed faltered from the barrage of the exciting St Helens sharpshooter, as Chisnall opened up a 5-3 lead.

He took the opening leg of the ninth against the throw and then bettered his earlier checkout, his 164 (treble 19, treble 19 bull) putting him in line for the prize for the top checkout of the tournament.

Both players hit maximums in the next, Chisnall blasting in a bull finish for a match-winning 121 flourish.

Clearly overwhelmed by the importance of his victory. Chisnall remarked: “I’m over the moon, I just can’t believe it.

“It was great having my parents here in the crowd watching me. They have not been able to get down to the event because of the bad weather. It meant everything having them in the crowd.

“I am going to get drunk tonight because I have not had a good drink all week,” declared the St Helen’s sharpshooter, who was a 40/1 outsider at the beginning of the tournament.

Defeated O’Shea was not surprised by Chisnall’s victory: “He has brought the form to the tournament this week that we see week in week out.

“I felt really good early on in the match but then he came back at me. I expected him to do the 164 finish and turned away.

“But I did not play my best darts and that is no disrespect to Dave,” said Silverback.