Tipperary's Dylan Slevin 'still shaking' after 'hardest game' of career against friend Willie O'Connor
Darts Slevin The World Action Goodwin/pa Championship Willie Picture: At Against Dylan Wire In O'connor Zac
Tipperary's Dylan Slevin won the Munster darts derby against Limerick's Willie O'Connor on Friday night. It was a 3-1 victory for 22-year-old Slevin against his far more experienced opponent.
Borrisokane native Slevin, who was knocked out in the opening round last year, was one of the final players to reach the World Championship, coming through the Tour Card Holder Qualifier in late November.
The Irish pair had been training partners until they were drawn against each other in the first round at Alexandra Palace. It was just the second ever all-Irish match at the tournament.
Slevin, who averaged 86.35 for the match, took the opening set 3-2 and the second 3-1. O'Connor, averaging 85.92 for the match, finally started to find some form in the third set, winning it 3-1.
It was a match where both players were visibly frustrated with their games. O'Connor started shaking his head first and it soon infected the man who would return to being his friend once they were off the stage.
Slevin won the deciding set 3-2. He will face number 11 seed Dimitri Van den Bergh in the second round.
"It means the world," Slevin said about his win.
"Coming up to the qualifiers, my tour card was the cusp. I had to get to the worlds to save it.
"I wasn't really thinking about my tour card in that game but it's at the back of your brain.
"Luckily, I got over the line. I said it to the lads out there, that I never want to through that again, playing Willie or any of the Irish lads - Brendan (Dolan), Mickey (Mansell) or anything like that. That was the hardest game of my career.
"I'm still shaking. It's still at me. Hopefully I can bring my A game for Sunday evening and get over the line, come back after Christmas."
Mickey Mansell defeated Tomoya Goto 3-1 in the first round. The Tyrone man, who has progressed to the second round for the third consecutive year, will next face number seven seed Jonny Clayton on Monday.
It was far from a classic between Mansell and the Japanese player with both averaging in the low 80s. They only hit three 180s between them. Mansell won the first leg 3-1 but the next three were closer, all of them going to the deciding leg. The 51-year-old from Clonoe claimed the second set but Goto won the third before Mansell ground out a grueling victory.
"Winning a game in Ally Pally is brilliant and that's what it's all about," said Mansell.
He revealed that in the practice room he was far from confident in his game.
"I just focused on scoring," he said.
"I wouldn't have threw 15 minutes on doubles because I was so conscious of my scoring. It's not ideal preparation. That was just how I was feeling. I was under a lot of pressure and I was thinking my scoring has to get me there first; there's no point in practising doubles if you're not going to get at them."
Mansell added that he will "have to be better, there no doubt about that" if he is to beat Clayton.