WHITWELL-ON-THE-HILL'S Terry Temple won the fourth Streamline Taxis York Open Darts Championship despite having initially failed to qualify for the grand finals.

Temple finished 51st in the tournament's order of merit after ten qualifying stages, leaving him three places short of clinching a spot in the 48-strong field at Huntington WMC.

But withdrawals meant the PDC pro player, ranked 96 in the world, received a late call-up for the Red Dragons Darts-supported competition and he took full advantage by beating Lincoln's Scott Bennett 7-2 in the final.

Temple averaged 83.9 on his way to victory compared to his opponents's 71.05 and was always in front, leading 2-1 and 3-2 before rattling off the last four legs.

Earlier, a thrilling last-four contest had seen Temple defeat York's Rich Corner 6-5 with an average of 88.13.

Corner led 3-0 in that game having hit a 131 finish for 15 and 18 before Temple bounced back with 17 and 13-dart legs.

But, either side of Temple hitting two maximums in a 12-dart leg, Corner checked out in 18 and 14 darts to leave himself a leg off victory.

Corner then added a 180 and ended the contest with an 81.82 average but Temple's three-leg run of 17, 180 for 14 and 18 saw him secure a showdown with 14th-seed Bennett, who overcame Alex Pride, of Harrogate, 6-4.

An even semi-final contest saw Pride (69.24) actually finish with a higher average than Bennett (69.01).

Highlights included Pride checking out on 141 for 15 and legs of 18 and 19 darts, with Bennett threw 21-20 and 180 for 16.

The quarter-final results were: Temple (16, 2x18) 5, Russ King (180 for 12) 2; Corner (12-15) 5, Paul Cooper 4; Pride 5, Daniel Lidgett 3; Bennett (21-19-19-20) 5, Mark Hartley (15) 4.

The last 16 results were: Temple (2x18 and 16) 4, Chris Thompson (2x18) 3; King (20-19-18-20) 4, Steve Kemp (Snr) 2; Corner (13-14) 4, Chris Gill 2; Cooper (17-19) 4, Mark Lawrence (19-20) 2; Pride (14-16) 4 Bill Haugue (17) 2; Lidgett (18-17-15-16) 4, Dave Lord (15-16) 2; Bennett beat John Quantock; Hartley (2x19-17-18) 4, Peter Rushby 0.

Prior to the last 16, there were a total of 38 legs of 21 darts or less thrown, with Temple (12) leading the way, while Hartley and Lidgett (both 13) and Corner, Mark Herron and Ian Watson (all 14) were not far behind.

Corner was head of the 180 count, hitting an impressive five on the day, Lord and Gill both enjoyed two apiece and King, Temple, Neil Hart, Phil Hoggarth and Trevor Day also shot treble 20s.

Ton-plus finishes, meanwhile, were claimed by Pride (122), Thompson (120) and Kemp (115).

The ladies' title went to York's Jo Hodges (23-28-32) for a second time.

She beat Sharon Neads (24) 3-1 in the final with both ladies averaging more than 52.

Hodges overcame Easingwold's Tracy Marron 3-1 in the semi-final while Neads defeated Jasmine Scott, of York, 3-0.

Hull's Dean Spenlow was crowned the youth champion, triumphing 3-2 over Lewis Pride, of Harrogate in the final.

Pride (24-27) led twice and averaged 55.2 compared to Spenlow's 54.89 but the Humbersider's 30-25-25 effort proved decisive.

In the semi-finals, Pride won 3-2 against Hull's Jamie Branton, while Spenlow whitewashed Tommy Heron Jnr.