YORK arrows ace Richie Corner beat 2008 World Championship finalist Kirk Shepherd 6-2 at the German Darts Championship.

Corner opened the Hildesheim tournament and went on to push 2014 BDO World Championship runner-up and current PDC world number 18 Alan Norris close in the second round before losing 6-4.

Having seen Norris surge into a 3-0 lead with a Shanghai 120 checkout, Corner fell further behind when his opponent finished on 81 to move 5-1 in front.

But the former Mitre player checked out on 101 to win a third consecutive leg, with Norris only avoiding a final-leg decider by finishing on 64.

Corner’s fellow Minsterman Chris Quantock led two-time BDO World Championship semi-finalist Jan Dekker 3-1 in his first-round contest and a 122 finish on double seven went on to move him 4-2 in front.

The York man was then throwing for victory at 5-4, but missed a match dart and was punished as Dutchman Dekker kept his cool to win the last two legs.