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Seventh Heaven For Superpower Stevenson

Simon Stevenson helped himself to a seventh Champion of Champions crown at the 2024 finals night held at Victory Inn on a dramatic evening of tungsten.



The annual charity competition declared a final total of £2811.76 for the Woodside Animal Welfare Trust who are this year's local benefactors; an amount that exceeds any raised since COVID cancelled the 2020 staging.


After Andrew Cook was the lucky recipient of a bye, Reg Matthews and Lee Dennis got the staged last 16 finale proceedings under way with a 3-0 win for the former to put Matthews through to his third quarter final.



Stevenson outplayed 2011 semi finalist Lee Roberts 3-0 before 2000 champion Bruce Harrison continued his darting renaissance with a third 3-0 victory of the competition against James Stoodley.


Two players that play their darts for the host venue, Tony Tasker and Quinton Taylor, met in the fourth tie of the night to become the fifth player through to the first stage.



Taylor got the better of his stablemate 3-2 with a 15 darter in the third leg that was ended by a 116 combination out shot giving him the slenderest of advantages.


John Mann (29.47) started his campaign off with a fine 3-0 win over AJ Brunton whilst Paul Palmer snuck past Jack McMinn 3-2 to book a place amongst the elite eight.



Andy Bates (27.51), who had his first title tilt back in the 1980s, looked up for a run towards his first trophy lift during his 3-1 success over Sean Taylor (25.56)


Bates plundered legs in 18 and 16 darts with Taylor's 13 dart riposte not enough to put his name in the next round.



Andrew Cook showed signs of ring rustiness in the first quarter final against Reg Matthews but got going in the final two legs with a 71 checkout in the third and a 13 darter in the fourth to reach the final four 3-1.


There was two years between Harrison's only title and Stevenson's first in 2002 so it was fitting they would be drawn together in the quarters.



Despite some good play by Harrison in the second leg, Stevenson (27.33) showed his more senior colleague the door with a 3-0 win that contained a leg in 14 and a 76 combination out.


In the bottom half of the draw, some sloppy finishing from Mann (24.94) saw Taylor (23.30) build up a 2-0 lead before Mann made it 2-2 with a leg in 16 darts and looked in the mood to add a fourth title up until that point.



Taylor remarkably won the final leg with a 15 dart leg that was finished off with a 110 checkout to the delight of the home support to book another go at reaching a final just two years after his first appearance in the semis.


Bates (25.45) and Palmer (23.82) met that this stage in 2022 and the talented pair played out another classic in the final last eight tie.



Every leg went with throw as Palmer opened a 2-1 lead with a 17 darter in the third only for Bates to replicate that to send the matchup into a final leg.


Bates will regret not claiming the first and only break of throw before Palmer ended Bates most recent chance at glory 3-2.



Stevenson (29.47) was unstoppable in the first semi with a 180 opening up the 4-0 triumph over an out of sorts Cook.


Legs were ploughed home in 16, 15 and 17 darts as Stevenson broke the talented Cook's darts twice, as well as his will, to book his place in another grand final.



The second last four clash went with throw for the first five legs as Taylor claimed a 3-2 lead over Palmer who checked 76 in a single visit for an 18 darter in the second stanza of the contest.


Palmer's luck unfortunately ran out as he was on the receiving end of the same punishment he'd dished out earlier in the event as Taylor nipped in to take advantage of sloppy finishing.



Before the final matchup of the night, the Ladies winner and runner-up were presented with their spoils of the female only event as the winner claimed the new Lorraine Booth Ladies Champion of Champions Shield.


'Lolly', as she is affectionately known, has volunteered for the competition during the last fifteen years and is crucial to the event's success having singlehandedly raised ten of thousands through sales of raffle tickets.



The competitor to come out on top was Heather Toney as she battled past a strong field on 16th November at Legends Lounge, including a 3-0 final win over runner-up Yvette Ward in the event organised by Sean Burkitt.


Despite all Stevenson's success as the record holder for most wins with six, the former PDC tour card holder had a right to be nervous in the opening moments as he'd never been able to win the event back to back.



Whilst the blistering scoring was ever present, doubling wasn't as clinical for Stevenson or Taylor who was in his first final and therefore equally unsettled.


Stevenson composed himself to build a 2-0 lead whilst Taylor pegged back the champ with a 102 kill to make it 1-2 before Stevenson restored a two leg advantage with a 13 darter that included the final's only maxi.



Taylor's last chalk mark of the event came in the fifth before Stevenson edged over the line in the final two legs to make it 5-2 and give him his seventh trophy lift.



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