YORK’S Stuart Limbert was edged out 5-4 by PDC professional Dave Copley in the final of the Streamline Taxis York Open Darts Championship’s seventh ranking event.

Limbert hit legs of 14-14 and 15 darts to set up a 3-1 lead and added a further 15 darter, which included a 180 and 101 finish, before Copley stormed back with winning legs of 18-18-18-14 and 14.

Earlier, in the semi-finals, Limbert included a 152 finish for 15 and three 14-dart legs to defeat Dave Lord (14) 4-1 and Copley beat Brian Hallis 4-0 with 13-16-15 and 14.

The quarter-final results were: Lord (19-20) 3, Andy Jones 1; Jamie Branton 0, Limbert 3; Rich Corner 1, Hallis 3; Copley 3 Scott Bennett 1.

During the round-robin stage, Lord hit legs of 18-19-18-17 and 19 in winning group one with Shaun Day (20) and John Holden (21) being the best of the rest.

Group two saw Yorkshire’s Brian Dawson (2x16) fall at the first hurdle 3-2 against Scunthorpe’s Michael York (2 x 15 and 18). Andy Jones (21 and 16) and Chris Thompson (18 and 15) added to the tally.

In group three, Branton was the dominant force with winning legs of 15, 4 x 18, 20 and 2 x 21 followed by 20 and 21 in beating Trevor Holtby 3-0 during the group final with the latter checking out in 19-16 and 14 in an earlier round.

Neil Ward was the hot-shot in the early stages of group four with 15-20-19-14 and 14 before falling to Limbert, who hit 17 and 18.

Order of Merit leader Corner clinched group five with winning legs of 18-16-14-11 and 15.

Darren Gray (16-17 and 19), along with Kieran Evans (15-18 and 18), were the next best with Nick Harteveld’s 20 darts the other quickest leg.

Jaron Esteve (14 and 19) set off well in group six before going out 3-1 to Hallis (15).

Copley came through group seven with legs of 15-16-16-13-17-17 and 20, beating Mark Lawrence (15-17) 3-2 in the board final.

Lawrence (16-17-18) earlier overcame Peter Jaques 3-0, with the latter having had two 15-dart legs in the previous rounds, while Micky Stocks (16-17) went out 3-2 to James Weldon’s 19 and 17-dart legs.

Neil Hart had legs of 21-19-20-18- 21 and 15 before going down 3-2 in the last game of the group to Scott Bennett (21), while Matt Laws won in 21 and 14.

A total of 27 180s were recorded with Lord and Corner leading the way on four each.

Lawrence threw three and York, Ward, Esteve and Weldon all claimed two apiece.

The highest checkout of the day and winner of the Embassy Racing sponsored prize was Limbert’s 152.

Other ton-plus finishes were claimed by Holtby (134), Lord (129), Corner (126), Laws (114), Thompson (113), Ken Norton (112), Phil Hoggarth (110) and Stephen Silver (104).

Jo Hodges included a 90 finish when winning the Furthest Lady prize, with Branton the furthest under-18 player and Ollie Laws wining the separate youth competition in which Leighton Bennett was runner-up.

The winners of the Blind Pairs were Hallis and Holden who beat Phil Good and Jaques 2-1 in the final. Mick Burden/York and Sue Lowery/Corner were the beaten semi-finalists.

Ranking event eight takes place today at Huntington WMC with registration closing at 12.30pm for a 1pm start.