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Photos: Jack Bradshaw
Kris Hilliam propelled York towards a second straight Roses darts victory as Lancaster were defeated 5-4 on an unforgettable, turbulent Saturday night at Hendrix Hall.
If last year’s darts triumph was impressive, the events on Saturday which followed an almost identical course were nothing short of sensational.
By helping his team win two Roses matches on the deciding tie, Hilliam will surely go down in folklore as one of the greatest York players to partake in the tournament.
The result rounded off a fantastic day of sporting success for the White Rose, who were only seven points short of overall victory by the start of Sunday.
Just like in 2012, York took an early advantage. Kieran O’Dwyer, making his Roses debut, kicked off proceedings by taking the first leg. Despite being pegged back and facing defeat in the decider, O’Dwyer checked out first to open a 1-0 lead.
The second tie onwards saw the home crowd expand, and cries of “Yorkshire! Yorkshire!” gave the York players extra determination when they stepped up to the oche.
York’s Richard Allen then doubled the advantage over two very tight sets, despite trailing for much of the second, which meant York required only three more wins.
However, the Red Rose finally registered when Will Adam was beaten by a Lancaster player who is ranked fourth in the country, cutting York’s lead to 2-1. The scores were then levelled at 2-2 when Harry Smith was beaten by the Lancaster player nicknamed “Megaman”.
With the away side having already played arguably their best two players, York were expected to build an advantage. Lee McManus eventually came through his match despite losing the opening set, sealing victory with a gutsy double 4.
Nick Hall was up next for York, and the veteran received a rapturous reception. He took the first set and, although Hall eventually lost the tie, there was a touching moment as the crowd cheered him off stage for his excellent legacy to university darts.
At 3-3, the pressure was on Lee Wilkinson to get York back in front, and he did so in style. After winning a cagey first set, Wilkinson produced the best check out of the evening from 104 to put York 4-3 ahead.
York needed one win from the two remaining ties, and Chris West was up first. The very tipsy Student Activities Officer outrageously won the first set when his Lancaster opponent repeatedly failed to check out despite building a huge lead.
West ran out of luck in the next two sets, however, and the match went into a decider.
Hilliam’s entrance was nothing short of dramatic and the crowd, recalling his heroic efforts last year, provided a stirring welcome.
After hitting a 140, Hilliam was bogged down in a tense finish on the double 1 but eventually hit the target, sending the crowd wild. The tie was quickly levelled under difficult circumstances by the Lancaster player, Sam Logan, who had also played pool and snooker for the Red Rose earlier in the day.
In the decider, Logan was aiming for double 5 to seal victory while Hilliam was languishing on 145. But time and again, the Lancastrian squandered the opportunity, allowing Hilliam to reach 24.
As Logan could only reach 5, Hilliam struck the double 12 in the most dramatic fashion to seal an inconceivable triumph. As the crowd rejoiced, the entire York team saluted their support on the stage to bookend another memorable Roses experience.