Brendan Dolan will bid to oust world number five Gerwyn Price when the pair meet tonight (Thursday) in the Paddy Power World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace.
Dolan overcame good friend Mickey Mansell in the previous round following a thrilling encounter that was sealed on a sudden death leg shoot out.
And now he will have his sights set on causing an upset against former World champion Price, who defeated Conor Scutt 3-0 in the first round.
When the duo last met at the World Championships Price won a seven set thriller settled by a last leg decider and Dolan is hoping that it will be his turn to taste success this time around.
“I’m just waiting for another last leg shoot out. It was a last leg shoot out the last time we played and he went on and won so it is my turn to win a last leg shoot out and you never know I could be winning the title,” smiled ‘The History Maker’.
And the Belcoo man is relishing the prospect of coming up against Price.
“I love playing against Gezzy, he brings a lot more to the sport. He’s different and he’s fiery but he’s only fiery when he’s throwing. I’ve always said that he does what he does when it’s his time on the oche but he has never done it outside of his time. When I put my foot to the oche after he has walked behind me he has never tried to put me off,” said Dolan.
Dolan is expecting a tough test but for him it is all about getting the job done and winning no matter what way that is.
“I’ve a tough job against Gezzy, I know that, but it’s about doing a job and not caring about the average. That’s what I have started to learn in the last couple of months, forget about the average, just win.”
Dolan got the job done as he got past Mansell in what was one of the games of the tournament to date. The Fermanagh man sealed the win in the fifth set despite winning less legs over the course of the contest.
Dolan won a tight first set before Clonoe’s Mansell eased to the second set. Another close set on Dolan’s darts saw the Belcoo man edge ahead again only for Mansell to win set four 3-1.
It was then tit for tat in the final set as the contest went all the way, Mansell hitting a superb 148 checkout to send the tie to the deciding leg.
Dolan had the darts in the decider and he was not to be denied as he hit double 16 to secure his passage into the next round.
Dolan explained that the game was one of the toughest he has faced.
“The only tougher game I could have would be playing against my brother. Mickey is part of the family and I know what it means to him. He is not here to make up the numbers, Mickey is here to win, no different to myself, I’m here to win too.
“I pre-empted that Mickey would win his first round match and I trained myself for a battle which might go the whole way. I just got over the line and no more,” he said.
However, ‘The History Maker’ knows that he will have to improve for his game against Price. When asked what areas he needs to do better in, he said: “Scoring, finishing, setting up, everything.
“Every game is different, when I was playing Mickey I think there was so much pressure on me as I love the guy to bits and I want him to do so well so it is hard to be lethal. I get on really well with Gezzy but I can be more lethal with him.”
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