Teesside's Glen Durrant wins second BDO darts world title

Glen Durrant works as an estate manager for Coast and Country Housing on Teesside. Credit: PA

Teesside's Glen Durrant became BDO darts world champion for the second time on Sunday evening.

The 47-year-old from Middlesbrough beat Mark McGeeney 7-6 in a thrilling final, to retain the title he won at the Lakeside last year.

McGeeney missed two darts for the title in a pulsating match.

Having finally taken a set against the head in the ninth to lead for the first time, Durrant then began missing a string of shots at double - 10 of them to move to within a leg of the title.

However, a brilliant 149 checkout finally put Durrant within a leg of victory and, although he missed his first three darts to retain his crown, Durrant eventually took out double three.

"My bottle had gone, there was no way I was hitting doubles at one point in that match," Durrant told Channel 4.

"Somewhere, somehow, I found some and to get back to 2-2 in that last set was incredible. That's probably the best performance in my life in darts."

McGeeney took the first two legs of the match, but Durrant took out 97 to break back, although having levelled at 2-2 McGeeney held throw to take the opening set.

The match continued to go with the throw, although Durrant almost snatched the seventh set after 45-year-old McGeeney missed three darts at double tops.

Having battled back to 2-2, Durant had two darts of his own to steal the set and lead for the first time, only to squander both as McGeeney held on.

Durrant won the eighth set without McGeeney having a shot at double and, more significantly, repeated the trick in the next as his opponent finally buckled.

McGeeney briefly fought back with a 157 checkout to break in the first leg of the 10th set, but Durrant broke straight back to move to within a set of the title.

Durrant missed seven consecutive attempts at doubles in the 11th as McGeeney closed to within one, and Durrant missed three shots at double in the third leg of the 12th as McGeeney broke and took it to a deciding set.

Durrant missed single 16 as the nerves took hold, but world number one McGeeney missed two shots at double for the title in the same leg.

A 149 checkout gave Durrant the break in the fifth leg, but with a two-leg advantage needed in the decider still had to hold throw, which he did after a nervy finish.