SELF BEATS LAWRIE TO WIN BOYS JPL AS GIBBONS TAKES GIRLS’ TITLE!
Self beats Lawrie in thriller to win Junior Power League as Gibbons takes girls’ title
Archie Self fought back from 6-4 down to beat Mitchell Lawrie 7-6 and win the Junior Power League – in what he said was likely to be his last match in the JDC.
The 16-year-old, a recent event winner on the PDC’s WinmauChallenge Tour, will make his ProTour debut in Leicester this week – and underlined his growing confidence by coming back from the brink of defeat to beat the JDC’s world champion. Self’s comeback win made it a double for English players on JPL finals day with Macy Gibbons earlier winning the girls’ title by beating Ireland’s Rebecca Allen 6-2 in the final.
Defeat was tough to take for Scotland’s Lawrie, who has been in all-conquering form of late. He had breezed through the quarters and semis without dropping a leg – and at 6-4 up against Self had opportunities to add the JPL to his growing collection of titles.
BOYS
Archie Self came back from the brink to beat Mitchell Lawrie 7-6 in a thrilling JPL final at Hangar61 in Bristol.
In a match high on drama – and befitting the finale of a tournament that has intrigued and delighted for months – Self trailed 3-1, led 4-3 and then trailed 6-4 before winning the last three legs to take the crown.
Lawrie continued his fine form from earlier in the day when he broke Self’s throw with a 112 checkout in the opening leg and then hit Double 16 to hold. Self then held throw, only for Lawrie to do the same to lead 3-1. Self took out 68 to hold – and then broke throw by hitting 180 to leave 28, which he took out at the first time of asking. When he held in the next leg, he led 4-3, but Lawrie held to draw level and then took out 88 to break with Self waiting on tops. When Lawrie held throw in the next leg, he led 6-4, but Self went out in 14 darts to prolong the contest, before the Scottish player missed darts to win the match on his throw. Self broketo force a deciding leg, which he won to seal a memorable win.
Self had also come through an incredible semi-final, beating Kaya Baysal 6-5 having led 5-1. Self was dominating the contest after breaking throw in the opening leg, then holding and breaking again to lead 3-0. When he took out Double 16 to lead 4-0, anything but a comfortable passage to the final seemed unlikely. Indeed, even when Baysal won the fifth leg, Self responded by going 5-1 up and within one leg of the final. Baysal, though, rallied and found a way back into the contest. He held throw to make it 5-2, then hit back-to-back 12-darters (including a 130 checkout) – and then broke throw again to force a deciding leg. But Self regained his poise, hitting three-ton plus scores on his way to a 15-dart break to seal the win.
Lawrie had stamped his authority on finals day as early as the second leg of his quarter-final against Lex Paeshuyse – the opening match of the day. Lawrie, who went on to beat the Belgian 5-0, hit a 177 in the second leg, an 11-darter in the third, and a 170 checkout in the fourth, as he averaged 96.35. He upped the ante in the semi-final, beating Lewis Cook 6-0 with an average of 104.86 – including a brilliant 10-dart leg. Lawrie won the opening leg with a 14-dart break of throw to settle any nerves, before holding throw to double his lead. He then broke Cook’s throw in 10 darts, throwing 180, 140 and 145, before hitting Double 18 at the first time of asking. Another hold followed, before a 12-dart break, with Lawrie wrapping up the victory with a 105 checkout that saw him hit the outer bull and two double tops.
Earlier, Cook had opened with a 102.79 average as he beat Owen Bryceland 5-1 in the quarter-finals, including two 11-darters in the opening three legs of the match, while Baysal beat Christian Ennis 5-1.
RESULTS
Final:
Archie Self (Eng) 7-6 Mitchell Lawrie (Sco)
Semi-finals:
Mitchell Lawrie (Sco) 6-0 Lewis Cook (Eng)
Archie Self (Eng) 6-5 Kaya Baysal (Eng)
Quarter-finals:
Mitchell Lawrie (Sco) 5-0 Lex Paeshuyse (Bel)
Lewis Cook (Eng) 5-1 Owen Bryceland (Sco)
Kaya Baysal (Eng) 5-1 Christian Ennis (Nir)
Archie Self (Eng) 5-3 Jack Johnson (Eng)
GIRLS
Macy Gibbons won the JPL girls’ title at the first time of asking, beating Rebecca Allen 6-2 in the final to continue the dominance she showed during the league phase.
The 16-year-old, beaten by Allen on the big stage in Blackpool in the Girls Series final last month, had warmed up for finals day by reaching two last 16s in the PDC Women’s Series the previous day.
The two great rivals traded blows on the Bristol stage, with Gibbons leading 3-0 including checkouts of 89 and 78, before defending champion Allen cut the gap to a single leg. But Gibbons ended the final as she had started it – by winning three legs in a row, sealing the title with a 56 checkout. She had earlier beaten Lucy Shepherd 5-1, bouncing back after losing the opening leg. She took legs two and three on Double 2, then held by taking out 45, before throwing her first 180 of the match in the fifth leg. Victory was secured on tops to set up another clash with Allen, who beat Lola Wheeler 5-2 in the second semi-final.
The match went with throw for the first five legs, with Allen taking out 84 on her throw and Wheeler 96 on hers. The first break came in a sloppy sixth leg, which Allen nicked, before holding throw in the next leg to seal the win.
RESULTS
Final:
Macy Gibbons (Eng) 6-2 Rebecca Allen (Ire)
Semi-finals:
Macy Gibbons (Eng) 5-1 Lucy Shepherd (Eng)
Rebecca Allen (Ire) 5-2 Lola Wheeler (Eng)
