Sky Sports is your place to be for every dart thrown at the World Championships, with coverage under way on Friday, December 13, and continuing right through until the final on New Year's Day
Sunday 13 October 2019 11:24, UK
Keane Barry vowed to enjoy his World Darts Championship debut after winning a thrilling Irish Matchplay to seal a spot at Alexandra Palace in December.
The 17-year-old fought back from 5-2 down and staved off 11 missed match darts from his opponent Liam Gallagher, to seal an Alexandra Palace debut and cap a memorable few weeks.
Barry booked a place in JDC Junior World Championship final a couple of weeks ago and safe in the knowledge he was already on his way to Ally Pally, he was able to take advantage as Gallagher froze with the finish line in sight.
It was the teenager from Duleek who kept his cool, telling the media afterwards that he had been practising with MvG and he couldn't wait to get to Alexandra Palace for a double showing.
"It's a dream come true very early but I'm going to make the most of it and we'll see what I can do there. I'll try and enjoy it and I know that if I play my own game I can beat anyone," said Barry.
"I'm in the JDC final already so it was a free shot. It's a dream when you're younger [to play in the World Championship] - you watch it every year and you think you'd love to be there so it's really special for me.
"Liam got ahead and had a lot of chances in the game but he didn't take them, and when I got my chances I took them and scraped over the line.
"The 106 to go five-all really turned it over, the crowd was on my side and it was an amazing feeling to win. Hearing the crowd singing my name gave me goosebumps."
The 17-year-old started fast in a dramatic Irish Matchplay final, firing in three maximums in the opening three legs, but Gallagher was clinical in the early stages, converting three of his first four attempts at double to establish a 3-1 advantage.
Barry reduced the arrears with a delightful 12-dart hold, but 23-year-old Gallagher reeled off back-to-back legs to extend his cushion to 5-2.
Nevertheless, Barry kept his hopes alive with a classy two-dart 96 combination after Gallagher spurned five darts for the title, and the pattern continued moments later.
Four more darts went begging for 'The Tornado' in leg nine, before Barry survived a tenth match dart in leg ten, which then saw him produce a brilliant 106 kill to force a dramatic decider.
The 17-year-old had the advantage of throw in the 11th and final leg, although this time it was his turn to suffer finishing-line fever.
He squandered six darts for the title to gift Gallagher one final opportunity to prevail, but he narrowly missed tops for a 117 checkout and Barry made no mistake on his return, pinning double six to seal the deal.
Barry, who sits tenth on the Development Tour Order of Merit this year, is on course to be the youngest competitor in this year's World Championship with the field set to be finalised over the coming months.
Darts is back on your Sky Sports screens next month with the Grand Slam of Darts, nine days of coverage from the Aldersley Leisure Village gets underway on Saturday, November 9.
