Clonoe’s Mickey Mansell is through to the knockout stages of the Grand Slam of Darts on his maiden appearance at the event after world champion Luke Humphries crashed out in Wolverhampton.
Mansell’s 5-3 victory over Austria’s Rowby-John Rodriguez made it two wins from two for the 51-year-old after he also defeated 11-time major champion James Wade on Saturday, taking him top of Group A.
And his place in the last-16, which begins on Wednesday, was confirmed when Wade defeated World No.1 Humphries, meaning Mansell can finish no lower than second in the four-man group.
It has been a remarkable run for Mansell, whose journey to this point started when he defeated two former world champions in qualifying when he defeated both Gerwyn Price and Raymond van Barneveld.
And he has continued that form to the Aldersley Leisure Village, sweeping aside Wade in his opening match 5-3 with a 100.87 average and then following it up with victory over Rodriguez to rubber-stamp his progression.
Mansell has already pocketed £12,250 for reaching the knockouts and could secure another £3,500 if he tops the group, which he is likely to do barring a whitewash in his final group match against Humphries on Monday.
The ‘Clonoe Cyclone’ will play a member of Group B in the last-16, however it is not clear who that will be yet as all four players could yet reach the knockouts, including two-time women’s world champion Beau Greaves.
And he could yet be joined in the last-16 by fellow Northern Irishman Josh Rock, whose qualification for the knockouts is also in his own hands as he sits second in Group H.
Rock faces Stephen Bunting in his final group game on Tuesday and knows that a win would see him into Wednesday’s draw, while a defeat would eliminate him at the first hurdle.