Geoff Harkup misses out on home win in the Sheppey Darts Classic
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by Luke Cawdell
Geoff Harkup became the first islander to reach the Sheppey
Darts Classic final but the chance to taste victory eluded him.
Harkup (pictured right) lost in the final to his good
friend from Medway Clive Bardon 6-4 at the Merlins Complex.
The losing finalist still walked away with a £1,000 cheque and
he saluted the fellow islanders who put plenty of quality
opposition to the sword.
"Last year was a terrible year for Sheppey players in the
tournament but this year we had five in the last 16 and two in the
last four," he said.
"Fred Burton was in the semi-final and he’s come on big time. He
took a couple of big scalps including Deal’s Richie Buckle who was
favourite when it was the last 16 stage.
"There were less players in the tournament this year but the
quality was there."
Harkup could have gone 4-2 up in the final, but he missed three
shots on the double top, and with it went the chance of claiming
the Sheppey crown.
"I should have been close enough to win it but I missed a couple
of bad doubles," said the 50-year-old.
"We broke each other twice and it was 4-4 but he picked it up
with a few 180s and I couldn’t respond. Good luck to him, he’s a
good friend, but I was gutted to lose."
Harkup had earlier enjoyed big wins over Pete Mitchell (5-1),
Shane Burgess (4-0) and Phil Tunstall 5-1.
A place in the final helped ease the disappointment of failing
to qualify for the UK Open for the first time in eight years.
He said: "The UK Open was even worse. I had so many darts to win
(the qualifier). I had been playing out of my skin but I just
couldn’t hit the doubles.
"The Sheppey Classic isn’t a tournament I’ve played well in
during the last few years and it was nice to beat some quality
players.
"It was just a bit disheartening to have three darts on the
double top hole. When I look back I know I could have won but I’ll
just move onto the next one now."
Harkup will join Pat Scurfield, Paul McDine and Charlie Day in
the All England tournament in Selsey at the end of the month.
Wednesday, June 10 2009
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