No matter what sport you are either involved in or have even a passing interest in, if you were/are lucky enough to experience success, the journey to same has to start somewhere.
From a perspective of matters close to home, it could either be said that the Centenary Cup in 1984 or Leinster SFC Final of two years thereafter was the ignition switch for the most successful journey in Meath GAA history.
Turn attention to Manchester United’s first annexation of a Premier League title in 1992/’93, an Easter victory over Sheffield Wednesday – God bless them – during which Steve Bruce scored twice in injury time.
Or, if one wanted to pinpoint where Leinster’s rugby journey from derided also-rans to a continent’s finest, picture the scene in a half time dressing room as, down 0-14, legend has it Johnny Sexton did the talking and the rest as they say is history.
If one was to try and pinpoint where the big breakthroughs came for some of those capturing the limelight at the World Darts Championship most recently, it might be more difficult.
Nowhere more so than in the case of the wonderful Justin Hood. There’s a degree of communal comfort in knowing yours truly wasn’t the only one who had never heard of the man a month ago.
However, if there wasn’t a Wikipedia page about him up to press, there sure as hell will be now. His demolition of fellow southpaw Ryan Meikle probably didn’t attract as much attention or analysis as it might have as it was to be a meeting of two players of very similar ilk. Not that the same theory could be ascribed to Hood’s next outing but we’ll deal with that in a future post.
On the other hand, the other matches and – more pointedly – results on Monday afternoon’s ‘card’ demanded and commanded attention and coverage, such was the seismic effect on the overall scale of the championship.
As, firstly, the latest new kid on the block, 21-year-old brick layer Charlie Manby eventually saw off the attentions of the likable but temperamental Ricky Evans. Mind you, the above description is not meant by way of anger or arrogance, more so, how hard the Rapid man tends to be on himself.
Then again, if the bricky cementing the defenestration of the affable redhead qualified as being classified as a shock, the usurping of Nathan Aspinall by the burgeoning Kevin Doets was truly seismic.
Now, while it could be said that the three evening sessions went along expected lines, with Josh Rock beating Callan Rydz, Ryan Searle overcoming James Hurrell and Luke Littler grumpily evading a typically obstinate Rob Cross effort. But few if any could have envisaged them first pair of victors having life as easy as was the case.
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