YORK’S Rich Corner was blocked by Leeds-based Dave Smith from winning his second successive Streamline Taxis York Open Ranking Event final.

Corner included 19-16 and 18 dart legs after winning the bull to gain the advantage as every leg, up to 4-4, went with the throw.

Smith included 15-13-18 and 18 before adding a further 18-darter to win the match 5-4.

Smith beat Rab McKenzie 4-3 in the best of seven-leg semi-final with Corner including a 180 in 14- 16-20 and 21 dart legs whitewashing Mark Lawrence in the second semi.

In the quarter-finals, McKenzie (16 and 14) beat Jaron Esteve 3-2 with both including a 180.

York’s Phil Chapman went down 3-0 to Smith, as did Andy Walshaw to Corner, who added another 180 in 17-14 and 20 darts.

Lawrence hit two 180’s in a 14-dart leg in a 3-1 victory over Simon Craven.

The earlier stages saw Paul Bulmer including 17-15-18-18 and 19 before going down to McKenzie (14) 3-1 in the group final.

Mark Gale (16) and Rich Plummer (20 and 16) added to the group one tally.

Esteve was the hot-shot in group two hitting 15-18-19-18-15 and 21-darters en route to his 3-0 over Graham Steel in his board final.

Tim Owen (16 and 18) and a 18-dart leg from Alan Priestley were the other contributors.

Chapman outweighed his opponents with 20-21-20-17 and 21 before adding an 11-dart leg followed by 19 and 21 to take out Stuart Monaghan, who had included 19-16-19 and 19 en-route to the last 16. Andy Scott 2 x 21, Dave Lord 18 and Greg Martin 17 topped up in group three.

Event winner Smith dropped just one leg in winning group four, adding legs of 15-21-15-15 and 19 to his day’s total.

Other top legs came from Mally Welsh (18-19), Jonathan Crosland (16-15), Paul Mizon junior (21-18) and Stephen Silver (20-18 and 19 darts).

Runner-up Corner’s charge gathered momentum early with legs of 15-16-14-16-14 before adding 16-13 and 17 in beating Ian Atkin 3-0 in the group five final.

Atkin (21 and 17) along with Daz Meek (21) were the only other two in five hitting low legs.

Steve Rice (20-16-13-13-19-20-18 and 16), Dale Everatt (17-18-21-16 and 19), plus board winner Andy Walshaw (18-20-15 and 21) were the main contributors in group six.

Simon Craven supplied the fastest leg in group seven which was 12 darts, and also added 20 and 18.

This was closely followed by 14 from Neil Hart with Gary Wensley and Kieran Evans on 18 and Pete Neary (18 and 16) following on.

Group eight included 24 legs of 21 darts or less. Mark Lawrence (19-14- 16-18-16-18-19-16-16 and 13 darts) led the way with John Quantock (18-18- 17-20-19-18 and 16) hot on his heels.

Chris Thompson (two 16s), Colin Hendry (18), Fred Evans (16) and Quentin McMaster (18-16-18) were the best of the rest.

Ranking event number four, organised by Red Dragon darts, will be held this Saturday with number five on February 28, both at Huntington WMC in York.

Registration closes at 12.30pm for a 1pm start.